Welcome to a very rural village. If you can imagine, go back to 10 to 20 years. You are into another world. A world of row people. There is a village called Laholi. Meet the people over there, all uneducated except Paresh Rawal. He is a lottery ticket vender. All the people in the village is poor, except Sudha Chandran & co. See there misery, their hopes and their bondness. You can see dust (real mud) in this Hindi film, which most of the Hindi films avoid. Nassruddin Shah narrates the village first to get you into the village. Yes, it took some time for make Priyan to get into the Village. To know the charecters. Each charecter have their own identity.
Now, story line already discussed by media and other reviewers. So, I am not getting into it. Also, it is better if you don’t know the storyline which leaves you some surprise if anything is left.
By performance wise, my rating is as follows:
Paresh Rawal - 8.5
Om Puri - 8.6
Innocent - 8
Asrani - 8
Rhitesh Deshmukh- 7.5
Reema Sen - 7
Arbas Khan - 7
Rasika Joshi - 7
Sona Nair - 7.5
Rajpal Yadhav - 8
Sudha Chandran - 8
Rakhi Sawant - 5.5
Shakti Kapoor - 6.5
In short, all actors are performing extremely good. You don’t see the actors, but the charecters. The charecters are well defined. Well executed by capable actors. The selection of the stars is superb. Like Paresh Rawal, Now, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadhav and Asrani Mukherji is becoming regular components of a Priyadarsan movie and Priyadarsan is making full use of them effortlessly.
Regarding the story line, all said and done, it is a good story, eventhough it is not without bitings here or there. You can move with the story. You will be eager to know how they sort out the puzzle. So, it is an okay story.
Cinematography is excellent. Choreography is strictly ok. Special mention is need to be made of the back ground music. Which well synch with the mood of the film and the situation.
The set by Sabu Cyril is superb. You will not realise it is a set. That is Sabu’s mastery. The veteran who did many famous works, including the acclaimed Kalapany. The house where the film Virasat is shot is used for this film also and the flooring of the house is still the same. So, you may get a memory of Virasat in between, though the theme is not anyway connected.
Music is below average. When we talk about Priyadarsan’s Malayalam movies, all movies were having good songs and his picturisation skill is special. But, somehow he is not using this skill much in Hindi. Music is a big let down for this movie. Even though the Sun Thera Mithua.... is impressive, a single song for Rakhi Sawant, but with less chilli is not worth any mentioning.
Now, when you go for a movie, you will have some expectations. Usually that decide your opinion on the movie. You must watch this movie. Because, you will not get much chance to see such movies now a days so often. But, when you go for it, go with an attitude that this is a good movie, but not entirely comedy. It is a comedy movie, but the director skillfully gave his touch of excellence and made it in such a way that it has moments of seriousness and misery is there. In a way, this misery of the people is required to have the correct punch for the theme of the movie.
So, don’t expect it is a start to end laugh riot like Garam Masala or Hangama. Priyan is making the laugh step by step in this and soon before the interval and soon before the exit, you will be rolling out of laugher, at least in certain scenes. I could hear people laughing loudly, even after the scene is over and its impact might have gone. The scene where Innocent and Paresh Rawal on both sides of the rope and Rajpal Yadav riding on bicycle (This one is a repetation) is hilarious.
So, go to watch this movie not as a slap stick comedy, but a movie with comedy in part, you will not be disappointed.
We should applaude Priyadarsan for taking the risk of shooting a film with Paresh Rawal in the lead.
The narrative of the sub charecters might have been edited a little bit and one or 2 good songs might have added in its place.
Priyadarsan is done a good job here, though not perfect.
It is a movie you will like it more, when you watch it in a full house Audience. The ripple effect of laugher is interesting.
There is drama, comedy, romance.... and much more.
This film is the symbol of good Hindi Cinema.
Go, watch it.