Satires backfire if not handled
seriously. The characters can look goofy on screen to any extent but the
writing should always be smart and considerate. TERE BIN LADEN (2010) followed
it all as basic principles and the code of conduct. No wonder, it was unanimously
loved and tagged as year’s one of the sleeper hits. The sequel too was expected,
though never this late. 6 years later, the team is back with TERE BIN LADEN:
DEAD OR ALIVE. Nothing has changed eventually except the writing has imbibed
the goofiness and the characters have become smarter than you think. So much to
change the end results in a bad sense! Abhishek Sharma’s TERE BIN
LADEN: DEAD OR ALIVE is plenty dry, partly funny and largely a disappointment that
works less as a sequel and more as a spoof to its previous part.
The film establishes its original
franchise as a film itself that has become hugely successful in Bollywood and
the beneficiaries include dimwit Punjabi lad Paddi Singh [Pradhuman Singh]
as the doppelganger of Osama Bin Laden; Ali Zafar plays himself
and so are the rest of the cast. Manish Paul joins the cast as Sharma-
the director of TERE BIN LADEN ‘film’ in the film. Riding high on the success,
Sharma announces the sequel of the film but to his bad luck, Osama gets
eliminated in Abbottabad operation by US Army.
Plot thickens when everyone from US
President Obama to a fading Jihadi-leader in Pakistan wants the Osama
look-alike for their own good. Mr. President wants him dead in recreation of
the operation Abbottabad to have concrete proof for the world to believe.
Jihadi-leader [Piyush Mishra] wants him alive to rebuild the
terrorist organization. Sharma doesn’t want to lose his road to success in him.
And thus, starts the mayhem delivering some genuinely funny satirical takes far
and away between silly, tasteless and repetitive jibes one after the other.
TERE BIN LADEN: DEAD OR ALIVE is not
entirely unwatchable or vice-versa. The colorful characters make up for the
most part even where the script starts sounding illogical, stupid and strained.
Piyush Mishra in his seasoned avatar is seen organizing Olympics of Terror in Pakistan
where relay race is performed with live bombs being passed on. Pradhuman Singh confidently
revisits his author-backed role in the previous part but sadly doesn’t add up
any more flavors to the part. Manish Paul makes constant efforts to entertain
and gets successful in some too but the show-stealer without any doubt is Sikander
Kher!
Sikander amazes you with his out-and-out
double dose of comedy. While playing a manipulative confidante of Obama, he’s
almost unrecognizable. It’s a part where he doesn’t lose his grip on it even
for a second, and in due course, often reminds you of Jim Carrey in his style,
presentation and efforts. In other act, he transforms himself into a paunchy Punjabi
trying to lure Sharma & Paddi Singh in his evil plans. Sikander is definitely
the surprise package of the film!
At the end, TERE BIN LADEN: DEAD OR
ALIVE falls short of expectations. While the original was an honest, simple and
refreshing satire in times of silly slapstick comedies, this one merely rises
from the dust to meet the standard set by itself. In one of the few hilarious tracks,
Obama is seen taking psychotherapy sessions after Osama’s dismissal and his
remark says, “I see dead Osama!” So true for the
franchise! The opportunity has been killed. [2/5]
