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Movie Review - Pagalpanti: There’s no end to this madness

(0.5/5)

Film: Pagalpanti

Director: Anees Bazmee

Cast: Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Ileana D'Cruz, Arshad Warsi, Urvashi Rautela, Pulkit Samrat, Kriti Kharbanda and Saurabh Shukla

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Nonika Singh

Apna dimaag mat lagaana kyon ki dimaag tumhare paas hai nahi.

A veiled dig at himself or the viewers or just another dialogue, Anees Bazmee, the director, as a rule knows what he is doing. Creating humour in the garb of silliness is his wont, at times his strength and at others his Achilles heel. But when you repeat the same idiocy time and again, refusing steadfastly to change with time, your cinematic gun sure will fire more blanks than hit the target.

Without a doubt as one of his lead heroes, John Abraham, said “This film can’t be critiqued,” it sure can’t be nor is meant to be. For craziness, rather foolishness, unfolds at the rate of infinity and it not only demands suspension of disbelief but also belief in quality cinema. So, we do rest our critical faculties and try to savour/enjoy the madness as it unfurls uninhibited sans purpose or logic. But the point is this ain’t any fun ride either. Madness does not transform into madcap moments.

To be fair the film does bring on few laughs as it takes us into the lives of three well-meaning nincompoops. Raj, Junky and Chandu (John Abraham, Arshad Warsi and Pulkit Samrat) are bumbling simpletons, who inadvertently not only burn their shop but also destroy everything that comes within their sniffing distance. In their juvenile ways is inbuilt some humour that works only in fits and starts. Soon, they are face-to-face with a don, Raja (Saurabh Shukla), and his brother-in-law,’Wi Fi Bhai (Anil Kapoor). Hereafter what happens bears no recounting. For, the same has happened before in Bazmee’s trademark cinema as many others of the same variant with perhaps more jocular effect. For the sake of the storyline, there is a Neeraj Modi al la the diamond merchant-turned- fugitive.

The director and writer make little pretence. But for a slight twist in his name we know exactly who they are talking about. Once the mantle of villain is settled and firmly placed on his head, rest is all buffoonery. The only good part is that film moves at a fast pace leaving you little time to think. But then there is nothing to think about anyway. Heroines are mere adjuncts, and roped in just for that slight dash of romance/glamour. Kriti Kharbanda is expectedly the don’s daughter, Ileana D'Cruz plays the gullible one. And then, Urvashi Rautela even gets an item number. But in a film with three heroes, three heroines and a Mr India (lest you forget Anil Kapoor), surprisingly Saurabh Shukla has a real meaty part. And, the fine actor that he is, he tries to lend some method to this madness, which otherwise gets sillier by the minute. Ludicrousness has its limits but not here where your patience is tested to the extreme.

By the time we reach the climax with a forced message on Indianness and patriotism, all we remember is some mumbo jumbo by John’s character on bematlab and matlab. Har cheez ka koi matlab ho yeh zaroori nahi.”For matlabi duniya, like the swindler, who ran away we are told has served no one’s cause. All very well. So, if meaningless nothings and a compilation of pointless jokes work for you, be Pagalpanti’s guest. Though we had vowed to echo Neeraj Modi’s emphatic refrain “No comments”, guess we need to offer a cautionary rider; watch it at your risk and peril too.

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