Film Review - Guddu Rangeela

Khaps and Robbers

Film: Guddu Rangeela

Cast: Arshad Warsi, Amit Sadh, Ronit Roy, Aditi Rao Hydari
Directed by: Subhash Kapoor
Duration: 2 hrs 4 mins
Rating: * * 1 / 2

In Guddu Rangeela, director Subhash Kapoor pays a nod to the greatest story ever told, Sholay. In fact, it is more than just a nod. He uses the same template to tell a more contemporary story and has also made an effort to make it socially relevant by targeting the antics of the Khap panchayat –Khap ko jala ke raakh kar donga seems to his motto.  He manages to pull off some of it while bits of it are a let-down and at least it is not a film that makes you desperate to head out for the exit door.    

Set somewhere in Haryana, Guddu (Amit Sadh) and Rangeela (Arshad Warsi) are conmen, a bit like Jai and Veeru.   They roam around on a motorcycle with a sidecar in the Yeh Dosti mold and it one point, Rangeela even says “Loha garam hain, maar do hatoda.”

Ronit Roy plays a Billu pehelwan, a politician and khap leader with a mind-set that is older than the Harappa civilization. Samaj (society), rivaaz (traditions) is all that he cares about even if it means killing innocent people. His ire is specially targeted against couples who marry outside their caste.

Meanwhile, Guddu and Rangeela take up an assignment of kidnapping a girl (Aditi Rao Hydari) from Chandigarh and ‘delivering’ her like a package to Delhi. But there is a twist in tale and there is more than meets the eye as far as the girl is concerned.

In the second half, the screenplay hits a few road bumps as the khap gets involved and a woman (Shriswara) who suffers silently her whole life suddenly gets into the rebel mode in a not so convincing manner.  A tau at the khap panchayat even asks his fellowmen to keep quiet and let the woman speak, her preachy speech being directed to the audience.

But Guddu-Rangeela has its fun moments too, a couple of cops (Amit Sial and Rajeev Gupta) are hot on the chase of the duo and Gupta with his deadpan expressions evokes a few laughs.

Director Subhash Kapoor needed a tighter script, he certainly has the flair for story-telling and when he borrows styles liberally (like the Tarantino’isque climax) he knows how to keep you engaged.

All such sagas need a good villain and though Ronit Roy has been there done that, fair to say he is still the most menacing bad guy around. The ladies don’t have much of a role to play, symbolically the chief minister of the state is a shown as a woman but Kapoor has his heart in the right place when it comes to making a point about the plight of women and the attitude of extra judicial authorities like the regressive khap panchayats.

Amit Sadh and Arshad Warsi complement each other well. The supporting cast of Brijendra Kala and Dibyendu Bhattacharya make their presence felt. All in all, even if slightly, Guddu Rangeela is above average fare.

Published in The Navhind Times on 5th July 2015

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Film Review - Welcome 2 Karachi

No Country For Young Men

Film: Welcome To Karachi

Cast: Arshad Warsi, Jackky Bhagnani, Lauren Gottlieb

Directed by: Ashish R Mohan

Duration: 2 hrs 10 mins

Rating:  * * 1 / 2  

The story of a dumb and dumber Indian mistakenly landing on the shores of Pakistan is the not the story of your average Bollywood film, the jokes in it though cater to the lowest common denominator. The director Ashish R Mohan, was Rohit Shetty’s assistant, hence that should come as no surprise. To be fair to the film makers, it hits bulls eye as far as the target audience is concerned. It doesn’t aim to be politically correct, in fact far from it, there are caricatures and all possible stereotypes that you can imagine involving an Indo-Pak affair. It must also be added that by default, political correctness has never been the strong points of most films anyway.

After a boat cruise goes awry, Shammi (Arshad Warsi) an ex Navy man and Kedar (Jackky Bhagnani)who intelligence quotient is slightly on the lower side,  find themselves on the shores of Karachi. They are mistaken as Indian spies and a Pakistani intelligence agent (Lauren Gottlieb) is hot on their heels.  Every person they come across there is wielding a gun and has links to terrorists or gangsters.  

From the Taliban to a jihadi campin Waziristan, not to mention American agents, they keep jumping from one place to the other.  There is the occasional humor but it tries up as the film progresses. As a rule, comedy films should be crisp and to the point but alas, more often than not, they carry unnecessary baggage and this film also a climax that is a yawn.

Amidst all the zaniness, there are a few scenes that stand out. The embassy shootout for instance was a clever of showing how trigger happy nations are in today’s world or the scene where they discover that the barb wire along the border is stolen and Shammi remarks “Dono taraf hi chor hain” (there are thieves on both sides)

In many ways, Welcome To Karachi is also a missed opportunity because the plot had the potential to be more than what it is, as a comedy and satire. 

However odd it may sound, Arshad Warsi and Jackky Bhagnani share a good chemistry, the latter’s outing is much better than what he has done previously, but that is not saying much.

Welcome to Karachi is okay for a few silly laughs with silly being the operative word. 

Published in The Navhind Times on 31st May 2015

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Film Review - Dedh Ishqiya

Sight For Sore Eyes

Film: Dedh Ishqiya (with English Subtitles)
Cast: Nasseruddin Shah, Madhuri Dixit, Arshad Warsi, Huma Qureshi
Directed by: Abhishek Chaubey
Duration: 2 hrs 32 mins
Rating: *  *  *  *

Once in a blue moon you get a film that is delightful, has a good story, excellent dialogues, is very well acted and also very witty - in other words, it has the X factor. During times when, forget the sequel, even the first part of most films is unbearable, Director Abhishek Chaubey who delighted us with Ishqiya (2010) doesn’t disappoint. The surprise element may be missing but be that as it may, Dedh Ishqiya is more than just one and half times better than most of the weekly stuff dished out every Friday.

The devil as they say, lies in the detail and since a lot of attention is paid to it here, it is this element that will enamor you. It has been a while since we saw some chaste Urdu (or Hindustani as it is known in cinema) on the big screen. Darab Farooqui, Vishal Bhardwaj and Abhishek Chaubey have done a marvelous job as far the writing is concerned - the dialogues are seamless, not a single line looks out of place.

Last time around, the lingo was Bhopali but this time, we are in Uttar Pradesh, where Khalujaan (Nasseruddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Warsi) are back to their antics. After stealing a necklace they part ways only to meet again in Mahmoodabad in Awadh at one of those crumbling mansions where poetry sessions are still the in thing. The host is Begum Paro (Madhuri Dixit) a widow who is looking for a suitor. Her woman Friday is Muniya (Huma Qureshi) who is also in the thick of things and Vijay Raaz plays a politician who is first in the queue to become the Nawab of Mahmoodabad. In one of the many hilarious scenes, he kidnaps a poet curiously called Noor Mohammed Italvi, whose mummy is Italian and father is an Indian.

Love, heartbreak, deception, double crossing – its all there to make up for the second half which includes a shoot out filmed at a fairly deserted railway station, with Begum Akhtar’s Wo jo hum mein tum mein karaar tha playing the background. 

And who would have thought that someday we would hear Begum Akhtar (Hamriatariya pe aao is also brilliantly used) and Yo Yo Honey Singh in the same film!  

There are some hilarious scenes like the all night stand off between the two warring sides and some funny lines like the one where a U.P. don (Salman Shahid) says “Batman ka naam suna hain? Agar Joker mar gaya to saala Batman kya karega? Ghar baith ke aataa goondega?”  There are evocative scenes as well where the Begum calls Khalu by his name (Ifthekar) and he replies by saying that his first name never sounded so good.

The writers have also pushed the envelope as far as portraying the relationship between the two prime characters is concerned.  

For those interested in poetry, there is a lot to appreciate here, especially the many verses of Dr. Basheer Badr (Yahaan libaas ki keemat hai aadmi ki nahi / mujhe gilass bada de sharaab kam de)

Nasseruddin Shah in the costume and the character, reminds you of another role that he essayed, Mirza Ghalib. Needless to say, his performance is solid. After last weeks disastrous Mr.Joe B.Carvalho, it is such a relief to see Arshad Warsi do a role where he can truly showcase his talent. Vijay Raaz as the desperate lover is perfect for a few laughs. Like their counterparts, the ladies also have delivered what is expected. Madhuri Dixit’s as the dignified widow is apt and a feisty Huma Qureshi shows that she is a powerhouse when it comes to talent.

Dedh Ishqiya is sight for sore eyes. Go for it.

Published in The Navhind Times on 12th Jan 2014

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