Stale tale in dreary packing

Sheetal

A hero and a heroine, both against the institution of marriage. One is running away from it, and the other is committed to never wed. Thus starts this comedy of errors with a weak script and predictable characters.

A girl smoking beedi, a cool dadi, a boring fiancé, an elopement, a kidnapping… the scenes evoke a strong sense of deja vu, and not without a reason. These have played out on Indian cine screens a thousand times. However, the film is not entirely lost, thanks to its talented actors Nawazuddin, Zarina and Sanjay, who offer some hilarious moments with their comic timing.

The makers have tried to experiment with the casting, and some of it works too. Just like the women-dominated khandaan of Jogi (played by Nawaz); we bet you will love this family.

True to his image, Nawaz embodies his character of Jogi, a matchmaker, well. Despite the fact that he has worked in similar films (‘Motichoor Chaknachoor’), he is able to bring freshness to his role. What doesn’t work is the repetitiveness of dialogues such as ‘Jogi ka jugaad kabhi fail nahi ho sakta’ to scenes where he screams every time to make the women in his house stop shouting.

Still, Nawaz’s homework shows, unlike that of Neha, who plays Dimple. What goes against her is that she doesn’t get much to add to her rebellious girl role, a la Kangana Ranaut in ‘Tanu Weds Manu’, forever etched in the audience’s mind.

The chemistry between the two actors lacks ‘magic’. Director Kushan Nandy could reason it to be intentional. Jogi was perhaps designed to find Dimple as a befitting missing piece in his family’s puzzle, but the fact that it took him 121 minutes to accept Neha as his partner is a bit too much to digest.

The film is a tad too lengthy, with music only adding to it; not even a single song clicks. The makers haven’t even tried to tie up the loose ends. What then could make one sit through it? Well, some scenes. Like the one where an otherwise cool mother, played by Zarina, slaps Nawaz to pass off as an angry Mother India in front of others. Also watch out for Jogi’s scenes with his family — the chemistry is nostalgic, interesting and funny too. Lallu, portrayed by Mahaakshay aka Mimoh Chakraborty, adds a dash of innocent fun and laughter.

Sanjay Mishra is a gem, like always. Had he not been in the film in the second half, the audience walking out wouldn’t have surprised.

A one-time watch, but go at your own risk.

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