Expectations don’t always ripe in a healthy product.
Sometimes, they just fall flat on your face. Sometimes, they go hysterically
wrong to create humour. Sadly, Rajkumar Santoshi’s PHATA POSTER NIKHLA HERO
belongs to the previous category. Santoshi earlier tried and expected to
re-create his classic comic caper ANDAZ APNA APNA and ended up with a lesser
product called AJAB PREM KI GAJAB KAHANI, this time he genuinely and visibly
tries to replicate the success-story of APKGK but again…expectations don’t
always ripe in a healthy product.
A single mother who wants his son to be an ‘imaandar’
police inspector but the son is more interested in rising as the new poster-boy
of Bollywood and also doesn’t want to hurt his loving mother’s feelings. This may
look old-school formulaic Bollywood story-line but trust me, it has the
potential to make you smile & giggle at the comedy of errors it CAN create
but it doesn’t. A comic book styled film that is filled with cartoon-ish caricatures
[Saurabh Shukla as local don so resembles with Motu of Motu-patlu comics,
skinny twinkling-eyed glam doll heroine, hero is so swift that when he fights
all you can see is the blasting dust & dirt on the screen and a villain
with a mission to destroy the world], why would need melodrama of emotional exploitation
only to slower the pace and lower the amount of fun? I still don’t get it.
In a hospital where the mother is fighting
for her life, when the son is informed as some Dr. Vinod khanna is asking for
him, all this movie-fanatic son can come with is, “vinod khanna doctor kab bann
gaye?” He sure is very comfortable in his dream world of movies even in such
emotional times. This is the most hilarious joke it has and I loved it. In
other, when someone passes remark on Mukesh Tiwari playing the villain that “who’s
this Jackie Shroff look-alike?” you really find it hard to stop giggling as you
already had thought the exactly same of his get-up.
And how can I forget that one of the most
enjoyable cameos in recent! Santoshi’s favorite Salman khan appears as himself like
he did in APKGK but this time, he’s in full form. He also hints at the ANDAZ
APNA APNA sequel in process. Who knows…someday we will be lucky enough to see
that!! For the rest, writing only lows down the standard. Though it is a good relief
to see a clean comedy that doesn’t rely on adult double-meaning one-liners, but
jokes here are either forced or too flat to laugh out loud. Screenplay also doesn’t
give a constant pleasurable experience.
On the merits, it is a pleasant surprise to
see yesteryear actress PADMINI KOLHAPURE making a comeback in Hindi films [she
was there in Marathi cinema always]. As the overtly done typical loud Indian filmy
mother, she does full justice to her given part. We sure want to see more of her
in more meaty roles]. Ileana D’Cruze, after BURFI, made a lot of promises as a
competent actress but this is not something she would expect to create a buzz
for. She is there and mostly in some beautifully picturised songs. But the film
belongs to Shahid Kapoor. His dedication, his effort shows in every single scene.
He does all he could to make you laugh & cry. I wish writing had been really
a little kind to him to support his commitment. Poor fellow!
With Anjum Rajbali & K K Raina, Rajkumar
Santoshi once was known for his crispy-tight-punchy writing and screenplay that
holds you for the most of the times in theaters It seems I am talking about
some gone lost filmmaker of past. I hope he comes back with his old charm soon
but as of now, PHATA POSTER NIKHLA HERO is not the Rajkumar Santoshi Film we
want. It’s uninspiring, exasperatingly lengthy, formulaic and less funny than
we expected. Watch it if you are Shahid Kapoor Fan, you won’t get disappointed!
[2/5]
