BESHARAM: It is not so bold & shameless but a shameful out-dated entertainer! [2/5]

In a scene where Ranbir Kapoor, playing a car-thief named Babli, tries to escape by tying up an ageing police inspector, played by his off-screen father Mr. Rishi Kapoor, with a bedsheet and refers him as ‘mota! dharti ka bojh!’ [Fat man! The useless burden on the earth!], you laugh, of course; but not at the situation, not at the forceful wit lines throw at you but for the very fact that they both share a father-son relationship in real life. The pun was intended and achieved! I wish if the same goes with the most of jokes in Abhinav Singh Kashyap’s second directorial venture BESHARAM. I seriously wish…

In a lifted paper-thin storyline that’s no indifferent from the bollywood hits of 60’s, 70’s and of 80’s to some extent, Babli [played by super-charged Ranbir Kapoor] is an orphan who masters in stealing posh cars. No prizes for guessing that he contributes most of his hard-earned money to the orphanage for the welfare of the kids and now wants to leave all this for his love of life Tara [newbie Pallavi Sharda in her full-fledged debut]. Meanwhile, the Law enforcers dressed as Chautala duo [absolutely adorable Rishi Kapoor & ravishingly charismatic Neetu Singh Kapoor] and the lawbreaker Hawala-king Bhim Singh Chandel [Jaaved Jaffrey in a delightful surprise package as a grim-faced villain] both are waiting for him to settle the final score. What waits for you in the store is anything but a breathless, mindless, action packed climax!

With his first the fearless ‘DABANGG’, Abhinav impressed all of us with a style of unseen fresh writing and a solid hand in well developed characterization but in this shameless ‘BESHARAM’, it’s only the writing that lets him down. You are never out of sight as what will come next. In swear to be bold and blatantly unashamed, all he could come up with a few dialogues here and there that talk about ‘fart’ & ‘shits’ in literal. In the screenplay, songs come back to back as if either you are watching a musical or a ‘Chitrahar’ on Doordarshan.

Film, if even for once, could be pronounced as watchable, it would be the performances. Ranbir Kapoor alone has his charm to run shows houseful. Though there is not much to surprise, he is confidently there to stand tall. Pallavi Sharda is good but I don’t see the promise to bring something fresh on screen with her typical looks. Amitosh Nagpal as Ranbir’s friend does create some cackling moments. Rishi Kapoor too has been exploring an impressive second innings in Bollywood with his notable selection of films but I could never stop my heart beating at a speed of a bullet train whenever I had my privilege to watch Ms. Neetu Singh Kapoor setting screen on fire with her spontaneity and marvelously aging beauty!

At the end, it is a film that will be under scrutiny because of the expectations people have from Abhinav Singh Kashyap’s being the Captain of the ship and the track-record he has set with ‘DABANGG’. Alas! We have to wait for another to judge his potential better, as of now BESHARAM is bold, shameless & funny in parts; but for the most, it is a formulaic forced entertainer that is filled- loaded & packed with all the masalas of Bollywood potboilers we have been watching from ages. And this is probably not the best time to serve ‘run of the mill’ stale meal. An average entertainer and a big disappointment! Watch it if you really have to! [2/5]