The Jat from Punjab strikes back. This time he has his the most favorite director Rahul Rawail on his side. Though, it was Anil Sharma all over Sunny Deol’s heart in post- ’Gadar- Ek Prem Katha’, but the magic of this duo faded away in the very next film ’Hero-Love Story of A Spy’.
On the other hand, Sunny Deol and Rahul Rawail have given at least two super hits in ’Betaab’ and ’Arjun’ while their other films like ’Dacait’ and ’Arjun Pandit’ did good business at box office too. Both Sunny and Rawail have been lying low for quite some time.
The genre that once flourished with films like ’Victoria No. 203’ and ’Buddha Mil Gaya’ couldn’t revive until Kundan Shah’s ’Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron’ that hit theatres in eighties. That film is still seen as a classic comic thriller in Indian cinema. Now, Rahul Rawail tries his hand on comedy, a genre that has not been his forte, and even Sunny has not tried his hands in this department so far.
While his father Dharmendra did deliver films like ’Ghazab’, ’Naukar Biwi Ka’ etc, Sunny Deol after doing some romantic leads in films like ’Dillagi’, has taken the greatest task in his career and that is to make people laugh. In ’Jo Bole So Nihaal’, Sunny does succeed in tickling the rib bones of the viewers, but the result will b e known after some time.
’Jo Bole So Nihaal’ is the story of a naive constable of Punjab police named Nihaal Singh, played by Sunny Deol. He has been bestowed with love from elders and youngsters alike. He is soft at heart but hard at work. But, his plain nature makes him fall a prey to easy tactics.
And, it is where Romeo (Kamaal Khan), the dreaded mercenary, takes advantage of him. He uses Nihaal Singh to escape from law. Once out of bars, he goes on a killing spree from country to country. Back home, all hell loses on Nihaal as every one believes that it was he who helped Romeo to escape.
Romeo reaches America, and intelligence agencies there fear that he may be an agent of terrorists to eliminate the President of USA. No one knows as to how Romeo looks like. However, one man who can recognize the killer is sada Nihaal Singh. So, he is packed off to America where in the company of some of the best seductive girls from FBI, he is asked to nab Romeo.
But, Nihaal gets a promise from security agencies that he will first take Romeo with him and then let them take Romeo away. The hunt begins and Nihaal encounters many hilarious situations in a country so alien to him like America.
’Jo Bole So Nihaal’ scores because of the presence of one and only Sunny Deol. He is the only pillar that makes the film stand at box office. But, this fact is the biggest cache too for the film. Rahul Rawail has shown over-confidence in Sunny Deol’s capability to pull the crowd to theatres. He can do so but you need additional masala. No doubt, Rahul Rawail has shown his by delivering a comic thriller like ’Jo Bole So Nihaal.
He has excelled in all funny situations and even made some very good action sequences. In Sanjay Chel, he gets a good writer for comic situations. Sanjay Chel has directed films like ’Khubsoorat’ to make macho man Sanjay Dutt do light sequences. He has tried his best to make Sunny look normal in a role that is actually not the best role to suite an aging man like Sunny Deol. But Sanjay Chel passes this test.
The cache for the film also lies in the imbalance of the characters. For a film where you have a protagonist like Sunny Deol, you have to get an antagonist who matches him not only in personality but in terms of delivery too. Rahul Rawail also fails in selecting the right bunch of girls for the film. Besides, the music is not very melodious too. Anand Raj Anand who has given superb music in the past falls short of expectations.
’Jo Bole So Nihaal’ will sail at the box office only on the shoulders of Sunny Deol. Had some other good actors and actresses supported him, the results would have been very different. Moreover, the plot lacks novelty. Sunny Deol tries to carry the film on his shoulders alone but starts tiring in between. Kamaal Khan does not have any kind of screen presence even near to be a mercenary.
Shilpi Sharma does her best to brighten the screen with her skin show but fails. Nupur Mehta fails too. Arun Bakshi and Surekha Sikri try to lift the spirit, but for the seekers of novelty ’Jo Bole So Nihaal’ will be just an above average movie.
Maybe controversies in Punjab over depiction of a Sikh help the outcome of the film in Northern India at least.
However, it is the only territory where ’Jo Bole So Nihaal’ can expect to make a break even.