First of all, as it has been in the past, watching an R Balki movie ensures one thing at the very least - you get to watch an original piece of work.
I'm sure the guy has his inspirations, but that thankfully does not translate to him trying to pay 'homage' to those, at least not overtly.
In spite of the that, having watched the 'Piddly' trailers that showcased this work, I was not happy seeing the big man literally hamming up his tired and angry old alcoholic act, and was determined to watch this one only for the 'Piddly' song.
I secretly hoped though, that the movie would be worth the price of admission.
Everyone knows the plot by now, so I won't dwell on it.
Surprisingly, there are/were many who mis-labeled this one as a satire on Bollywood. While I won't (alright - can't) deny their existence and use (Thappad!), the movie, at least to me, was a character study more than anything, with the surrounding 'overt' satirical elements just acting as a distraction, albeit welcome, since they're lighter in tone to the main plot playing out, and nothing else. I confess to enjoying those elements along with the rest of the audience-members.
However, while having a strong first-half, good performances, great music (for the most part, not all of it), the same problems that plagued 'Cheeni Kum' resurface in this as well.
First of those being the tendency of characters to scream their every word (and I know one would wanna thank the choice made about Dhanush's character, but...) when they're agitated. I get that it could be a cultural things, with drama queens abounding in real-life as well, but it does get a tad heavy after the first 2 times that any of the leads does it.
A conversation with a major celebrity on a bus billboard completely went awry, and I hope none of the principals involved re-visits it for any reason. Embrassing, to say the very least - a weak and pathetic attempt to mirror many such sequences with the key character during a drunk rant (speaking to the mirror and band-aiding it, cockroach on a boat etc.). Not funny, and could have at least been chopped off on the editing table.
The movie, considering the plot, is at least an hour longer than it should have been. The eventual denouement could have come in anytime after the 80 minute mark, IMO. However, that's just wishful thinking.
This is perhaps Balki's darkest work yet, and though I'd be probably the first one in line who'd wanna embrace and encourage that, in any filmmaker, the 2nd half, with its pace and the fact that it goes on for longer than it ought to, make me call it out on all its flaws.
It does get quite a few things right, though. A subset: - The original plot, - Key performances, though the casting could have been better, -(Refreshingly) Treating the audience to real/mature relationships, including those indicative of physical intimacy, - The realistic use of technology by today's characters, - Avoiding (in one case) and keeping to a minimum (in another) the use of back-stories and rationales for character behavior, ensuring that the here-and-now matters more than wasted flashbacks. This was a key aspect of enjoying 'Cheeni Kum' as well, so its consistent, and that's always re-assuring since it is being consistent about something that worked.
I'd still recommend a theatrical viewing for this one, though it did Not satisfy me on many levels, simply to appreciate the originality of the effort, and the sincerity of intent. This year, more movies are getting points for being sincere in their intent, in spite of their poor execution, and that's never a good thing.
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