EKKEES TOPPON KI SALAAMI: A satisfying change from regular slapstick comedies! Give it a shot! [3/5]

The lower middle class has been vanished from Hindi films for quite some time now. The last time we had something notable belonged to that part of the Indian population was Rajat Kapoor’s thoroughly believable and psychological introspective drama ANKHON DEKHI. EKKEES TOPPON KI SALAAMI is far from joining that masterstroke in the same rank but that’s only because it chooses to be a mainstream film polluted with songs that rarely come with a dependable explanation and lousy melodrama meant to target the larger part of the picture. Still, it is a film with good content and a wise intent to highlight an honest common man’s want to have at least an honorable end to his struggled for long life.

If given a chance, most would die to be born again but not to the same parents! Shekhar [Manu Rishi] and Subhash [Divyendu Sharma of PYAR KA PUNCHNAMA] never really approve their father’s lesser paid government job and his rock steady moral values to stay honest at any cost. Things change when Purushottam Joshi [Played by Anupam Kher] dies with false charge of being a corrupt employee just before he was to be retired. And now the sons are left with his last wish to have a 21 gun salute at his final ceremonial service in order to regain his lost respect.

Ravindra Gautam’s EKKEES TOPPON KI SALAAMI is a satirical take on today’s youth, political scenarios, and on the changing phase and face of media too. So, you will find many interesting characters and the deadpan jokes and good one-liners coming in free flow every now and then. When a state chief-minister [Rajesh Sharma] gets exposed in a scam of allotting government bungalow to his love-interest a flop Bollywood actress [Neha Dhupia], all he is concerned about the sum of the scam as it is too small to put him in the big league. You will also see a power-hungry mother [the veteran Uttara Baokar] pitching herself to the High Command modeled on the powerful kingmaker of Congress, as her son’s worthy successor. There is also a struggling writer in films [Aditi Sharma] now writing officially for the chief minister and in one sequence intelligently translates all his abusive, offensive and insulting remarks into a politically correct press-release.

Filled with humor [most come from corruption & politics] and drama [soaked in middle-class values] that might sound outdated, film falters in the second half when most of the events look too convenient to be convincing and it all takes too much time to fizzle into the climax. Never mind! The performances never bore you. Anupam Kher outshines everyone and emerges as the strongest pillar of the film. With shades and emotions borrowed from any common man’s life, this one is his most absorbing performance in recent. Absolutely flawless! Manu Rishi & Divyendu don’t disappoint and stay true to their roles. Rajesh Sharma showers plenty of laughs and gags as the corrupt, lewd and loud-mouthed politician pampered by his opportunist mother. Uttara Baokar excels in that role. Neha Dhupia sizzles with her caricature-ish portrayal of camera-loving actress, especially in ‘Ghoor Ghoor Ke’ song where she appears as most of the top bollywood actresses in their best on-screen avatars.

To conclude, EKKEES TOPPON KI SALAAMI succeeds in making you uncomfortable with emotionally charged-up sequences but also gives you enough room to laugh out loud. A must if you want a satisfying change from regular double-meaning, sexy, slapsticks! [3/5].

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET: Scorsese’s Most entertaining Satirical take rides high on performances! [4/5]

Martin Scorsese’s THE WOLF OF WALL STREET is about ambitions. Ambitions that reject & rebel to be chained in with age-old rules and conventional regulations! Ambitions that don’t always look for permissible means but are ready to hop on anything, black or white, to get there on the top! And what could be the better example than the roller-coaster trippy life of American motivational speaker and a controversial stockbroker in the past, Mr. Jordon Belfort.

Based on his book of the same name, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET is a biographical satire on how a man of big appetite to make money by all means lands him into all glossy-no soul world of drugs and sex but the charm of this black-comedy lies in talking about serious things in a not- so-serious way and without being sober and apologetic.

In the very first few minutes of the film, Jordon in his twenties [played by the terrific Leonardo DiCaprio] is introduced to the real way of functioning in the boisterous world of stock market by his very first coach Mark Hanna [Extremely impressive Matthew McConaughey as the scene-stealer]. Cocaine & hooker as he says, is the road to success in this game of running numbers on digital panels.

Soon after losing his job in a national financial calamity, Jordon finds himself a job in a remote investment agency. With his neighboring salesman [the hilariously funny Jonah Hill] and a group of friends who can sale nothing but drugs, Jordon opens his own firm with a working culture that might give you an idea of being at a big house party with booze, weed and girls. Point is simple; make money and lots of money to blow it hard to bring heaven in earth.

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET is one of the best satires I have seen, on the business world. The way Mark Hanna describes Jordon the unsaid rules of the game in Wall Street in New York, it’s gritty, witty, real and a fun to learn. In similar situations, when Jordon teaches his workforce how to fish the money from riches, it forces you to almost split your sides with laughter. Irrespective of the fact that you might not be very friendly with the ‘typical’ glossary of stock market & investment services and a not-so-favorable 3 hour of duration, you will never feel short of ROFL [Rolling On Floor Laughing] moments even for once. Thanks to the sharp writing and a smart screenplay that beautifully jumbles between voice-overs and audio-visuals.

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET also marks applause worthy performances from more than one actor. Scenes extend to longer period with same settings and same set of actors but the performances never allow you to lose your valuable interest in the plot. DiCaprio has been a blue-eyed boy of Scorsese and he proves his worth in every scene. Most of the times, he is there as the motivational speaker so he speaks and speaks a lot but without being a blabber. Watch out for him where he’s temporarily paralyzed by excessive drug intake and desperately want to fight with the situation. Outstanding!

Of the rest, it’s Jonah Hill who brings maximum laughter moments with his own straight face humor. Matthew McConaughey is there for just a couple of scenes but he overwhelms you in just those few. THE ARTIST fame Jean Dujardin plays a Swiss bank official in a delightful cameo. You also should not miss noticing the real Jordon Belfort playing the show-host in the very last scene.

To sum up things well, it is Martin Scorsese’s one of the most entertaining work for sure. Performances, writing and a skilled direction make it a must-watch for plenty of good laughs. Only if the duration could get shorter by 15-20 minutes, it would have been an overwhelming experience. Nevertheless, it is just awesome! [4/5]