Chapter 1
Revisiting Parichay (1972)
The Sound of Music (1965) the American classic that featured Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer has spawned many remakes in India. The American movie was actually shot in Austria. The mind blowing locales shown in the movie still haunt you. “Shanthi Nilayam” (1969) a Tamil movie that starred Kanchana and Gemini Ganesh was based on the Sound of music and achieved stupendous box office success.
Trust veteran film maker Gulzar to use his creativity and ingenuity to write a script that is loosely based on the Sound of music but leaves an everlasting impact. However the message in all the remakes remains the same - Love conquers all. Children need to be treated as friends and one has to demonstrate a greater level of empathy while dealing with them. Today when we have to deal with millennials this message becomes even more relevant. Millennials are supposedly hyper sensitive and behavioral experts say that one has to be careful not to hurt their feelings.
The film begins with two friends (Jeetendra and Vinod Khanna) sharing a paying guest facility and talking about their precarious financial condition and joblessness. Vinod Khanna makes a friendly appearance in the movie. This may have been his attempt to show his gratitude to Gulzar for casting him in the lead role in the golden jubilee hit “Mere Apne” (1971) that also starred Meena Kumari and Shatrughan Sinha.
Ravi (Jeetendra) receives a letter from his uncle asking him to come to the village to take up the job of a tutor in a retired army major’s palatial mansion. Incidentally, Jeetendra’s original name is Ravi Kapoor.
Ravi leaves for his uncle’s village to meet the major but his first meeting with the disdainful major (Pran) is nothing short of a disaster. Ravi is not so hopeful of landing the job. The major is a strict, no nonsense disciplinarian and Ravi is not so sure about meeting his expectations. Ravi’s aunt (Leela Mishra) warns him that the kids that he is supposed to teach have earned a bad reputation in the village due to their boorishness. The kids are unruly and have managed to drive away all the tutors who had come to teach them. They are simply not interested in learning. Despite getting a feeling that his job is akin to cleaning Augean stables, Ravi’s intuition tells him that he can achieve success in the job with his fortitude and mental tenacity.
The major and his sister Sati Devi (veteran actress Veena in a brief role) try to be strict with the children but to no avail. The children are adamant, full of acrimony and they are tacitly supported by their elder sister Rama (Jaya Bhaduri) who is equally cantankerous. To Ravi’s pleasant surprise he lands the job as a tutor. The faithful and loyal servant of the household (Asrani) cautions him against being lenient with the children as then they would take advantage of that situation. But Ravi manages to silence him and says that he knows how to handle the situation.
Mention has to be made of the superb acting by A K Hangal and Leela Mishra as ravi’s uncle and aunt. Hangal has been a regular in Gulzar’s films and he doesn’t disappoint you. But Mishra is a surprise. Here she gets more screen time and makes full use of the opportunity. You start longing for having an aunt like her. That is the impact of her performance.
Children play truant with Ravi – damaging the chair assigned to him or dipping his towel in black color. Rama is indignant when Ravi enters the room without asking permission. But Ravi is unfazed. He manages to handle all this with a cool temperament and even apologises to Rama. Ravi manages to successfully segue from a city youth aspiring for a job to a private tutor in a mansion. Within no time, his forgiving nature and cherubic demeanor wins the hearts of the children.
Ravi’s approach is different from the other tutors. He teaches the children the importance of values in life, takes them for an outing and plays indoor games with them. The transformation in the children does not miss the attention of the major. When there are skirmishes between his sister Sati Devi and Ravi, the major takes the side of Ravi as he believes in Ravi’s abilities to transform the children for better. Ravi capitulates to the children’s demands but he knows where to draw the line.
Eventually Ravi learns about the tragedy in the major’s life from the faithful servant. The major’s son Nilesh (Sanjeev Kumar in a brillant cameo) is a great lover of music much to the consternation of his father. But the major’s cavalier attitude puts him off. Despite the fact that Nilesh doesn’t agree with his father, he loves and respects him. There is no trace of animosity here. When his father forces him to get married to a girl of his choice, Nilesh resents it and leaves his home preferring to attend a music concert instead. He returns after a while with his new bride (Geeta Siddarth in a miniscule role). Though the major blesses them and things seem hunky dory for a while, reality soon emerges.
In one of the classic scenes between the father-son duo, the father subtly indicates to the son that he should branch out on his own and not depend on his father. The expression on Sanjeev Kumar’s face in this scene is ample evidence of his versatility as an actor and his legendary histrionic abilities. It is clear that the father’s hubris is hurt and he chooses a benign way of demonstrating this. The father and son never meet again for 17 years.
After 17 years, Nilesh writes a letter to his dad to take care of his children after his death. On receiving the letter from his son, the major rushes to his son’s aid. Alas, his son has already passed away. With great difficulty the distraught major manages to convince the children to accompany him. The children are resentful that their grandfather did not take care of them when they needed him the most.
Ravi unearths all this information and he educates the children about their grandfather’s plight. He also tells Rama that she should appreciate her grandfather’s predicament and develop a greater sense of empathy towards him. The children begin respecting and loving their grandfather now. Soon enough the major has to leave on an exigency for a few days and he manages to entrust the responsibility of managing the household to Ravi.
Ravi’s positive approach and kindness endears him to the children. Much to their chagrin, Ravi gets a letter informing that he has landed a job in the city. He has to leave immediately to take up the new job. Ravi leaves the mansion but not before entrusting the responsibility to Rama who has now begun to develop a soft spot for him.
The rest of the movie is about how the major senses that Ravi and Rama like each other and his attempts to unite them. The last scene in the movie is poignant reflecting Gulzar’s inimitable directorial competence and his chutzpah as an avant garde script writer. The characterizations in the movie are well-etched out and each actor performs his or her role with the sincerity demanded by the script.
This is one of Jeetendra’s best performances ever (alongside other memorable performances in films like Khusboo, Kinara, Jeene Ki Raah, Caravan and Mere Hamsafar). It is rather unfortunate that the actor never got enough opportunities to take up similar roles that could do justice to his acting talent. Kudos to Gulzar for showing to the world that even Jeetendra can act when presented with an opportunity.
Asrani, Veena, Leela Mishra and A K Hangal lend good support. The narrative though slow in the beginning manages to gain momentum soon after. Jaya Bhaduri is at her usual best. None can deny that she is one of the most talented actresses on the Bollywood skyline and the best student that FTII has produced. Pran has delivered one of his career best roles and the scene where he thanks Ravi for reintroducing his grandchildren to him stands out. Thus the film’s title “Parichay” gets justified. The child actors have performed well but mention must be made of master raju and his childish antics.
The music is by R D Burman. The film boasts of evergreen and immortal songs like “Saare Ke Saare”, “Biti Na Bitai Raina” and “Musafir Hoon Yaaro” that will continue to be popular a hundred years from now. After watching Parichay, one wonders why such scripts are missing now?
Foot Note
Had he lived now, R D Burman would have celebrated his 80th birthday on 24th June 1939. But the son of legendary music composer S D Burman passed away at the age of 55 years. When R D Burman composed music for his last movie "1942 - A love story", Bollywood had undergone a drastic transformation. Burman's music was no longer in vogue as other younger music directors had taken center stage (Annu Malik, Nadeem Shravan, Anand Milind etc). Rumour mills insisted that Vidhu Vinod Chopra who produced 1942- A love story didn't accord the respect to Pancham (R D Burman's pet name) that a music composer like him deserved. To make matters worse, Pancham's relation with his second wife Asha Bhosale had hit rock bottom and they had clearly drifted apart. Reports even appeared in the media suggesting how Pancham used to spend the evenings in his Santa Cruz bungalow sitting in the verandah all by himself. He longed to meet his friends but very few turned up.
Though Pancham has been widely criticised for lifting tunes from the west or from the middle east, there were some compositions that remain immortal to this day. Pancham had a good working equation with Gulzar and this reflected in the tunes that he composed for Gulzar's films like Khushboo, Kinara and Parichay. Here we review the classic movie "Parichay" that was released on 18th October 1972. Burman's music added to the film's appeal.
Chapter 2
Sahib, Biwi Aur Ghulam
As you keep revisiting classics, you cannot help but wonder. Were these films somewhat overrated? I got a similar feeling when I watched Guru Dutt’s classic “Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam”. The film starts on a promising note with certain unpredictable twists and turns towards the end; however, one cannot help but notice how the film falters in between. Notwithstanding this, the film manages to engage you with its brilliant music(composed by Hemant Kumar). The legendary songs have been picturised well and have a calming effect on your frayed nerves.
Based on a Bengali novel by Bimal Mitra, the movie looked at how feudalism in Bengal suffered during the British Raj. Despite the performances and the great music, the film’s fortunes plummeted at the box office. Despite being chosen for an award in the 13th Berlin International Film Festival, the film was not nominated because it showed an Indian woman taking to drinking in a big way. The then Indian government didn't gather the guts to recommend the film.
Directed by Abrar Alvi and allegedly ghost directed by Guru Dutt himself, Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam portrays the stark reality behind feudalism. Women are treated as doormats and men consider it a right to lead a rather unscrupulous life emboldened by the fact that no one can question them. Hedonistic men give more importance to sensuous pleasure than pressing issues that can help protect their wealth.
The title credits show that the film was shot on location in the palatial mansion that belonged to Guoy Brothers’. The plot is somewhat convoluted but the narrative is engaging thanks to some taut editing. Cinematography by V K Murthy, is no doubt, brilliant but the absence of light often hampers the visibility on screen.
A naïve and educated man with a heart of gold, Bhootnath(Guru Dutt) arrives in colonial Calcutta and visits his uncle(Dhumal) who works as a servant in the sprawling palace. He stays in the servant quarter that gives an imposing view of the palace on the front. The soulful and haunting song of the household’s younger daughter-in-law wafts through the air, often late in the night.
Bhootnath gets a job in the Mohini Sindoor factory run by Subinay Babu(Nazir Hussain, less weepy). His daughter Jaba(Waheeda Rehman, as beauteous as ever) is amused by Bhootnath’s unsophisticated ways. The moments of silent passion between Jaba and Bhootnath are poignant. Though Jaba’s behavior, towards Bhootnath appears condenscending, she actually has feelings for him. She stands up for him. When the cook is abusive towards Bhootnath, she fires him. Waheeda should thank her mentor for allowing her character to gradually develop in the film. Like the Rosie of Guide and Gulabo of Pyasaa, Jaba is also a woman who has a mind of her own.
Intrigued by the pain in her voice, Bhootnath meets Choti Bahu and literally becomes her Man Friday. The callow Bhootnath slowly begins to empathise with the choti bahu’s plight. His efforts to make her kick the bottle fail. He even gets her sindoor from the factory and gives her an assurance that the sindoor would prevent her husband from going astray.
As the youngest daughter-in-law of the household, the character of Choti Bahu is a welcome change from the stereotypes of zamindari women of yore. She refuses to be treated as a doormat and demands her right as a woman of the household unmindful of the fact that this would lead her on the path of self-destruction. Her love for her husband is so deep that she defies all social norms and conventions, throws caution to the wind and takes to drinking even if it is only to appease her husband. Despite this bold move, the plot does not show any improvement in her husband’s behavior. This is where the tragedy lies.
Subinay Babu is a member of the Brahmo Samaj and he is all set to get Jaba married to a young man from Brahmo Samaj. Jaba is a child bride but her husband’s whereabouts are not known. After her father’s death, Jaba spurns the offer of marriage and later it is revealed that her husband is none other than Bhootnath whom she had married as a child.
Bhootnath gets a job as a trainee in a construction firm and work takes him to a different location. When he returns, he is shocked to find the palace in partial ruins. The financial situation of the feudal landlords has now become parlous.
As Choti Bahu keeps drowning her sorrows in the bottle, her husband suffers a paralytic stroke. She pleads with Bhootnath to accompany her to a nearby temple to pray for her husband’s recovery. The elder zamindar(Sapru) suspects his brother’s wife of infidelity. On the way, the elder zamindar’s goons attack them and Bhootnath lands in a hospital. So, what happens to Choti Bahu then? Do Jaba and Bhootnath unite?(spoiler: the novel had a tragic ending).
Viewers could vicariously experience the pain of a woman who is scorned by her epicurean husband(Rehman, the elder zamindar’s younger brother) for her inability to give him company that nautch girls gave him! Sapru played the menacing elder brother(the elder zamindar)(his cat eyes are indeed scary).
As Kamal Amrohi’s third wife, Bollywood rumour mills insisted that Meena’s life was anything but pleasant. She wasn’t highly educated and did not know what to do with all the money that she earned. Her family members and relatives lived a life of luxury; ironically, the actress herself died in penury. There are even accounts that say that after her mother’s death, Meena’s father married a girl younger than his daughter.
Guru Dutt(with his real life image as a masochist) looks authentic as the young man Bhootnath who is in awe of “Choti Bahu” and develops a platonic relationship with the Chotti Bahu.
Guru Dutt was so much in awe of Geeta’s voice that he never considered anyone else’s voice for the female actors in his movies – even when their relation as man and wife was strained. Asha Bhosale(& not Lata Mangeshkar) did the playback for Waheeda Rehman and the numbers are popular even now. The relations between Dutt and Geeta Roy had soured to a great extent(some claim that Dutt’s 1959 classic “Kagaz Ke Phool” was semi autobiographical) when “Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam” was conceived and shot. It is not clear if Geeta Dutt ever met Meena Kumari but is heart rending to see two talented women succumbing to personal miseries in their lives.
Incensed by her husband’s straying ways and attraction to his protege, reports claimed that Geeta Roy Dutt refused to do the playback for Waheeda Rehman. Her classic songs in the film for Meena Kumari are still recalled with awe and affection(“Na Jao Saiyan Chuda Ke Baiyan”, “ Piya Aiso Jia Mein Samayo Ghayo Re”, “Koi Door Se Awaz De”).
Asha Bhosale’s songs for Waheeda in the movie are still popular(“Bhawra Bada Naadan Hai”, and “Meri Baat Rahi Mere Man Me”) and so are Asha’s mujra numbers in the film( “ Sakhiya, Aaj Mujhe Neend Nahin”, “Meri Jaan Wo Meri Jaan”).
Unfortunately, Guru Dutt did not do many films like Mr and Mrs 55(with Madhubala) and Aar Paar(with Shyama) – in both these films, he played the romantic with effortless ease. One would have loved to see more of Dutt and Madhubala but then may be things did not work out. The “Naya Daur” controversy in 1958 and the rift with Dilip Kumar made Madhubala adopt a more cynical outlook towards life.
Chapter 3
Meena Kumari and Geeta Dutt : Mirrored lives
According to me, one of the major flaws in the story as well as the screenplay is the fact that the husband who incites his wife to drink and promises to spend more time with her actually reneges on his promise and smirks at his wife’s newfound love for alcohol. No wonder, Indian audiences found this difficult to swallow. Feminism was still alien to India then.
Rehman, the character actor, was close to Guru Dutt in real life. He was a permanent fixture in Dutt's films. He does justice to his role. Waheeda has her moments of charm despite limited screen time. Hemant Kumar was very close to Geeta Dutt and allegedly landed the film as a favour. Being a Bengali, he was the right choice and to his credit, he has done a great job as the music composer of “Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam”.
For both Meena Kumari and Geeta Dutt – both of whom had a troubled marital relationship with their respective spouses- “Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam” marked the beginning of the end. Geeta sang the songs for which Meena lip-synched. Two years after Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam, Guru Dutt committed suicide in 1964 leaving a widowed Geeta Dutt completely shattered. Meena Kumari officially separated from her husband the same year.
Geeta Dutt never recovered from this personal loss and took to drinking. It was her brother who took care of her three little children. Heart-rending indeed! Her plans to enter Bengali cinema came unstuck. Her role as a leading lady in the 1967 Bengali film(Bahu Baran) did not win any laurels. It is strange how such a great talent became an outcaste in Bollywood.
Asha Bhosale gained an edge due to Geeta’s personal loss as the latter started losing offers to sing. But one has to hear the songs of “Anubhav”(1972) to understand the range and depth of Geeta’s singing. “Anubhav” was the last movie that Geeta Dutt gave playback for. The music was by Kanu Roy. Geeta’s prolonged absence from the music world was clearly Bollywood’s loss. She passed away in 1972 in the same year when Meena Kumari’s liver also gave away due to cirrhosis. That the lives of these two women ran on parallel tracks is a strange coincidence indeed.
Alvi shared his pain and anguish in his biography that was penned by former TOI journalist Satya Saran. Alvi was a close confidant of Guru Dutt who had spent the evening drinking with Dutt before the latter swallowed sleeping pills the same night.
What exactly transpired hours before Dutt took that fatal decision is still nebulous. Some records say that Dutt had an argument with his estranged wife Geeta Dutt the same evening. Guru Dutt wanted to meet his children but Geeta was defiant in not doing so. The resulting argument could have possibly led him to take that extreme step. Waheeda was shooting in Chennai and on hearing about her mentor’s demise she had to rush to Mumbai. Johny Walker too was shooting in Chennai and he accompanied her.
Veteran actress Mala Sinha was shocked on hearing of Dutt’s death because on the same fateful night he had a conversation with her regarding the shooting of their movie “Baharen Phir Bhi Ayengi” the very next day. India thus lost a great and talented film maker who was much ahead of his time.
With the rumour mills insisting that the film was ghost directed by Dutt, Alvi felt robbed of the real satisfaction that would ideally have accrued to him. Sahib Biwi Aur Classic is still considered a classic as far as Indian cinema is concerned. Alvi did not direct many films thereafter. His next “Baharen Phir Bhi Ayengi” starring Tanuja, Mala Sinha and Dharmendra(who had to be roped in after Dutt’s demise) was a damp squib despite its memorable music. The He-man and Dutt were poles apart in terms of their screen image and real life persona.
One cannot think of any other actress other than Meena Kumari in the role of “Choti Bahu”. The role fitted her perfectly. Curiously enough, there were startling similarities between her personal life and the role of “Choti Bahu”. Her reel image collided with her image in real life and this made Meena Kumari’s portrayal of Choti Bahu even more alluring. Her histrionic abilities received a fillip after this portrayal. 57 years after the film released to critical acclaim, Choti Bahu still lives on in our hearts. The film’s soul stirring music will continue to be Indian cinema’s pride. It is no wonder that Guru Dutt had plans to abandon the movie if Meena did not do the role.
Despite the strength of her character, Choti Bahu comes across as a woman who has a child like ebullience about her. All the characterizations in the film are well etched out. Guru Dutt and Meena Kumari later did “Saanjh aur Savera”(1964) which had a good run at the box office.
It is painful to note how great talent such as Meena and Geeta got wasted due to personal sorrows in their lives. If only better sense had prevailed and the two women had decided to fight back, history would have been witness to the careers of two successful women in Bollywood. It is sad that Guru Dutt had to take that extreme step despite having friends like Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor.
One really cannot blame Meena Kumari as she had suffered a lot as a child(her parents fought a lot). During her childhood, Meena’s lunch mainly comprised rotis made the previous day. Even she became famous as a leading actress, “the baasi” roti remained Meena’s favorite dish. Her impulsive decision to marry a much married man(Kamal Amrohi) just as her career was blooming in 1953(after the super success of “Baiju Bawra”) was perhaps the biggest mistake of her life. When Meena Kumari died in March 1972, Nargis who was a pillar of support to Meena wrote that – Meena had eventually been set free from a world she never belonged to.
Chapter 4
Mera Naam Joker - Why did this film bomb at the box office?
Audience tastes are fickle. None can deny this fact. Maverick film makers often underestimate the role played by the audience in the success of a movie and Raj Kapoor was no exception. Even Dev Anand continued to unleash his movies on the audience even though the latter had stopped watching his movies long ago.
Mera Nam Joker – it was a dream project for the legendary film maker cum showman Raj Kapoor. I am told that I was taken to watch this movie (Rupam Cinema, Sion) when I was 6 months old, so I apologize for not being able to remember anything about my first experience. However, when I watched the movie later on television, I could relate to it. It was also evident why the movie bombed.
For one, the movie was too lengthy (it had two intervals). The so-called tear jerker tried to paint a dark, somber picture of the poor souls working in circuses. The joker was portrayed as someone who had to cultivate the emotional labour and perform in front of an audience no matter what his personal predicament was. But seldom does the audience wishes to part with their hard earned money to watch a movie that is way too serious. In true sense, Mera Nam Joker was an art house movie despite having commercial elements like songs and dances.
The movie was far ahead of its times. The puppy love between Raju and his class teacher (Simi Garewal) was something, I am not sure, the audience of the 70’s could relate to. The relation between Raju and the Russian woman is also not very clear. The worst performance however was by South Indian actress Padmini. Her transition from a street side acrobat to a classical dancer was unbelievable and unrealistic. As expected, in this movie too, Raj Kapoor made sure that Padmini was draped in a wet saree (without a blouse ) when she sang the erotic number “ Mohe Ang Lag Ja” (by Asha Bhosle, who else?).
The presence of Manoj Kumar, Dharmendra, Dara Singh and Rajendra Kumar did nothing to salvage this unmitigated disaster which almost made Raj Kapoor bankrupt until Bobby (1973) restored his lost glory and filled the coffers with cash. I am not sure if Raj Kapoor was penitent about having made the movie. Understandably, it was his pet project – something (a master piece) that he wanted to be known for. With some taut editing, the film could have been more watchable. But again one is not sure. The premise itself was ambivalent and ambiguous. What did this man Raju, who is a joker, actually want from life ? Why did the ladies shun him? The concept was esoteric.
Padmini was not an ingénue contrary to what Raj Kapoor wanted to portray her as. That added to the confusion. It still remains a mystery that Padmini who won accolades as a classical dancer par excellence in the South, stooped to such low levels displaying ample flesh in this movie, most of which was blatantly crude, vulgar and unnecessary. One has to surmise that Raj Kapoor would have paid her handsomely but in the end, money is not everything an accomplished danseuse actress like Padmini should have aspired for – that too at the fag end of her career as a leading lady, when she had already married and was all set to settle in the Big Apple.
The message in the movie – The show must go on – is relevant even today but where Mera Nam Joker falters is in the treatment. The script appears to be eclectic. It is like – the film maker wanted to say too much in a short span of time. The morbidity in the movie proved to be its nemesis. The climax scene in the movie salvages it to some extent but by then it is too late.
Towards the end, the movie drags to such an extent that it proves to be a real test of your patience. When such a thing happens, the failure of a movie is predicated. The movie did not have any repeat value at all. Who would want to pay money again and again for watching a tear jerker?
The only remarkable thing about Mera Nam Joker is Raj Kapoor himself. Only he could have played a waif like joker with such innocence. No one else could have ever done justice to the role. So, you can’t think of Mera Nam Joker with any other hero other than the legendary showman Raj Kapoor. But clearly the audience was disappointed with this fare which was much ahead of is times.
Chapter 5
Rohit Shetty’s Chennai Express
Chennai Express may be a so-called super hit despite the fact that the theatres are only filled to 60% of capacity in its 3rd week. The era of silver jubilees and golden jubilees are long over. Nowadays, producers are relieved if their movie runs for at least two weeks.
It is very easy to understand that the mainstream media like Times of India can be easily bought for sharing manipulated data about box office collections of movies. For the last few weeks, TOI is regularly carrying interviews of Shah Rukh, going to the extent of publishing his childhood photographs and information about his maternal grandfather. Shah Rukh went crazy promoting the movie before its release. The movie is at the most a one-time watch.
We can pity the audience who laugh at some of the silliest jokes in the movie. This shows a terrible dearth of real comedy in Hindi movies and deterioration in the audience tastes. Shah rukh’s age clearly shows and Tamilians are not going to forget the way he has portrayed Tamil characters as caricatures in the movie.
Can’t believe that this is the same King Khan who gave us the memorable “Darr” and “Bazigar” ! How the mighty have fallen ! What a let-down ! Rohit Shetty gets minus points for undoing the little good work that he did in “Bol Bachan” and “Singam”.
I complete agree with Jaya Bachchan who once said that “Today movies run because of stars and not because of content”. If Shahid Kapoor or Ranveer Singh had played the role of Shah Rukh, the film would have bitten the dust. The film’s collections can be solely attributed to the star allure of King Khan. By the way, Shah Rukh is my favourite actor and I am only anguished by the fact that the great actor is forced to do such roles that are completely devoid of logic. He struggles hard to fight his age and bring a few laughs.
Here are the 12 reasons why the movie sucks:
1. None of the songs are worth humming. By the way, who is the music director who has done so much injustice to Shah Rukh?
2. The lungi dance at the end of the movie is atrocious. What was the need to pay homage to a living actor like Rajnikanth? Where is the connection?
3. A veteran actress like Kamini Kaushal deserved a better deal. Her name does not appear in the credits though Deepika’s name appears prominently. It is pathetic to see such a senior actress wasted in a 10-second role.
4. How come Deepika’s character speaks English and Hindi so fluently but falters in Tamil? What exactly was she doing in Mumbai?
5. How can the villain (Pankaj Dheer’s son), who looks like Tamil actor Napolean, who is supposedly a Tamilian, speak such atrocious Tamil?
6. At the most critical juncture in the movie, both Shah rukh and Deepika break into an antakshari and worse the villain too takes part in it (by singing the Chammak Challo song).
7. The climax fights are tiring. When will Bollywood come out of its dirty habit of keeping pots, buckets and other accessories and showing them getting dismantled during a fight ? Rohit Shetty Sir, in how many more movies, are we going to see the glasses in auto rickshaws getting broken by the hero’s head and vehicles catching fire? Your action sequences are becoming a big bore.
8. The movie completely slumps post-interval. We get impatient as to when the movie will end.
9. Rohit Shetty has picked up actors from Tamil cinema and television and they are all mere props and look like glorified extras. Poor things – we can’t blame them, they must have got good money for such 2-minute appearances. It is sad to see Satyaraj and Delhi Ganesh stoop so low.
10. As far as Deepika’s father’s role goes – what does Satyaraj have to do except utter – “Ennama Kannu” to Shah Rukh and stare ferociously. His role hardly has any substance. It gets damn irritating to see Satyaraj and the hundred extras surrounding him, again and again with the chakoos and talwars. Satyaraj is an accomplished actor in Tamil movies and he need not have played an “extra” in a Shah rukh Khan movie. Hence, one feels that Rohit Shetty has done great injustice to Tamilians. He has portrayed Tamilians in a poor light as if all that they do is pick up a knife and fight at the drop of a hat.
11. The storyline of the movie is wafer thin.
12. Before the climax, Shah Rukh and Deepika are travelling in a car and the former reaches the latter’s village. All of a sudden, Deepika’s costumes change. How? What about continuity of the scenes Mr Shetty?
Other bloopers
1. Somebody has grossly misguided Rohit Shetty. He could have thought of a better name for the village instead of “Komban”.
2. “Thanga bali” is not a Tamilian name at all. “Bali” actually means slaughter. But Rohit Shetty has been led down the rabbit hole in naming his villain as “Thanga bali”.
3. Literally, every village is shown in the movie as having a home with 100 family members living in it. Whom are they kidding?
4. Hard to believe that, villagers are so kind and considerate enough to give an Armada jeep to the hero after knowing him for only 2 days. Which villagers are so generous?
5. Was the scene in which Deepika screams at night necessary? It may have been included for comic effect, but sorry Mr Shetty, the scene falls flat.
6. In how many more movies are we going to watch the “mother” sentiment ?
7. What was the role of the midget actor who converses with Shah Rukh Khan in a sign language in the forest when he asks the former for directions? Sorry, it was least funny.
Impressum
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 28.11.2019
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