Masti goes for a toss

Nonika Singh

Three sex deprived men find a match in a virgin ghost. Can there be a more ludicrous premise?

Perhaps not, and perhaps the bizarre idea can be given a spin to create a genuinely amusing film. Alas, no such luck. Great Grand Masti, the third installment of the Masti series, is not even remotely funny unless you get all excited at the very mention of below the belt (literally) jokes.

Most Hindi cinema, nay all cinema, requires suspension of disbelief. Only, Great Grand Masti calls for suspension of all that is connected to grey matter. What to talk of intelligent  humour, here, very little is even intelligible.

Masti by now, we all know, is but a euphemism for some good romping in between the sheets. Since these three poor fellas (Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani) are denied their legitimate share, thanks to some of the silliest reasons ever concocted by a writer, they go hunting outside the bond of marriage.  And guess what, their search ends right in this ghastly and ghostly haveli. Their encounter with all bosom and legs resident bhootni (Urvashi Rautela) of the haveli is supposed to bring the house down. After all, the thought of consummating a relationship with a ghost is bound to bring down anyone's libido. In this case what comes crashing is the film itself.  Viagra, male gigolo and what not is used to up the humour quotient. Only the humour (even slapstick can get a few laughs) is more like cheap-gate.

Expectedly, crudeness reigns.  However, what is even more annoying is that it is as silly as crass. One of the supposedly rib-tickling dialogues in the film goes Hari Prasad Chaurasia meets Beethoven. Not funny, and singularly mirthless is the storyline in which sex meets horror meets lewdness meets tradition.

The concoction of sex and family values simply gets on your nerves. Yes, lest we forget the film rather the entire series have been helmed by master of melodrama and family dramas (remember Beta and Dil) Indra Kumar. So, he can't help maaro a tadka of sanskar to his so-called-sex comedy. Net result zilch. And the score card for the actors too draws a blank. Except for Ritesh Deshmukh (that too fleetingly) no one gets it right. Urvashi is pretty no doubt but in her ultra revealing avatar clearly the focus is anywhere but on her talent.

 Sure we are all adults here and it's time we shed out prudery. But will our filmmakers grow up and give us a true blue adult comedy. This one is no better than the Ramsey (of B grade horror films fame) fare. By the way one among the many mirth elements that doesn't work is a character named Ramsey. That the digs the makers have taken at the expense of others are not funny, they might learn the hard way. Shiney Ahuja has already slapped a legal notice. 

Pray, why? For a maid in the film goes by the name Shiney. Ouch, that hurts. Come to think of it the entire film does. Only if attack on sensibilities was a serious offence too. If you still don't get it… perhaps you deserve to see the film which is not just strictly for adults rather exclusively for juveniles.  Stay away unless your idea of weekend masti is a collection of tacky tasteless jokes.