A Must Watch for those looking for Real Feast by Puneet Rajhans
Hadn’t had the opportunity to watch Heyy Babyy. So won’t be appropriate to rate the new offering from Sajid’s stable against the old blockbuster. All in all A Laughter Riot that builds its strength against the situations that unfold peppered with moments that could easily be done away with.
Given the promos that were being aired about Akshay’s flick Housefull, it was a temptation built over a period to watch the new cake. From a ’punauti’ (bad luck) that Akshay’s character is identified with, to his much-vaunted desire to be a family man, the flick’s strength lies in the multiple roles that Akki has to adorn to stay in the flow. Dumped and courted and again dumped and courted, the rigmarole continues for Akki as the script demands.Whenever he tries to get his act straight, the bad luck refuses to part his company. When he quits the casino job in Macau, he is all content with the thought that his lady love would change scales for him. But that wasn’t the case to be as Malaika Khan discovers him to be a real threat to her career, life and stability. Bumped and threatened by Arjun Rampal (Malaika’s bother) to stay clear of his sis, he seeks refuge in Reteish’s home in London.
Here as well it doesn’t take long for him to be viewed as a bad omen and his dislocation from Reteish and Lara Dutt’s house is all but done had it not been for a marriage proposal from Jiah Khan. Ensconced in the tempting and slush environs of Italy, he begins his fantasy about his dream date Jiah. Surprise and more surprise, Jiah is in tow with his old pal and tells Akki upfront to divorce her in two weeks as that would enable her to inherit her father’s property. Shaken and stirred for the second consecutive time, Deepika Padukone steps in to end his agony once and for all. Misunderstandings between the two for the umpteenth time continue to dog them as and when Lara Reteish couple has an outing with them.
The scenes in Italy has Chunky Pandey making the cut donning the ’Aakhri Pasta’ role with a panache (any day better than the role played by Boman Irani whose Gujarati accent and ascent appears to be all but made up) . As it inches towards climax built against Boman and Rampal shedding the gloves of irrationality, the second half has its high moments when Akki and Reteish are all cuddled up to give a renewed flavour. This isn’t a new twist as it is treated with gay abandon. It has its high and low built around the complex web of relationship where who is whose hubby and whose sister gets settled by the demands of the moment. The lie detector moment ( Akki being quizzed by Rampal) looks as unwarranted as the number ’Papa Jag Jayange’. Even the cameo done by Lilette Dubey is silly and pathetic.
The peppy numbers done in Italy, involving Jiah and Akki in the first one and later ’ Hey Girl, You are Mine’ are a big draw. The last number ’Apni to Jaise Taise’ with guest appearance by Fernandez is my fav. The first half gets a real kick when Reteish shares space with Akki, with Chunky’s cameo adding to the fizz. And the second one gets a big big push when Akki has to wriggle out of difficult situations all by himself or by the favour extended by his pals; like held up in the washroom as his father-in-law and future brother-in-law wait for all but not pronounced guilty guy. Or the dinning table where he tries to get up close and personal with Deepika only to be shaken by Rampal.
The climax looks to be a tame one given how identities get discovered in the laugh gas fuelled atmosphere. But this downside could easily be forgiven as not long back the Dhanoo number was keeping the momentum going.
Strong Points
Akki’s all compelling innocence, coupled with Reteish’s fetish to break new grounds;
Courting trouble and company in same mold;
Finally, the numbers to ratch up the momentum.