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Saturday, April 20, 2024
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BOLLYWOOD RUNNING SHAADI
EDITOR'S PICK
'Running Shaadi' keeps you smiling (Review By Subhash K Jha ; Rating: *** )
What do you call these? Haan, the Pheelgoood type of film. Running Shaadi keeps the proceedings running at a hectic pace. With a shaadi happening every ten minutes you'd expect a certain strain monotony to waft into the proceedings. But no. Debutant director Amit Roy knows how to make every shaadi look freshaor freessss, as our Bihari hero would say.
And hey, this is as good a place as any to tell you, Amit Sadh's Bihari accent is bang-on. Neither overdone, nor too casual it fits the character's lackadaisical personality like a hand in glove. Ram Bharose yup, that's our Bihari Baba's name Bihari migrant in Amritsar, loves the feisty Punjabi girl Nimmi.
She is the doughty Sardarni who at the beginning of the film asks her father's helpful employee to help her with an abortion.
Ahem.
Did I tell you? Running Saadi breaks a lot of rules regarding how the Hindi film's lead should behave. He is a weakling and a doormat, a full-on phattu. She is a user-friendly clever little chick always alert about what the guy friends ,the Bihari and his buddy Cyberjeet (Arsh Bajwa, a full-on fun-toosh) are up to. The trio gets together to set up a website that helps couples to elope.
The screenplay (written jointly by director Roy and Navjot Gulati) will remind you strongly of Maneesh Sharma's Band Baaja Baaraat and Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met. Funny, how every Punjaban who wants to elope reminds us of Kareena Kapoor, with or without the Khan.
Though Tapsee Pannu's accent is a tad over-the-top she brings her own individual sassiness to her part. Neither a prototype nor too eccentric to lose her charm Tapsee plays Nimmi with a verve that draws her close to the audience.
Amit Sadh is the "perfect" foil. Foolish and flawed he is the kind of sucker who falls into a pit because well, it is there. These two fatally flawed characters are run through the grinder with a glorious whirr in a plot that relentlessly weaves whimsical adventures around their unfinished personalities.
The finest segment of the plot moves to Patna where -what else? a wedding is about to occur. The preparations are in full bloom. It is here that director Amit Roy captures the flavor and fervor of the festivities that festoon the Great Indian Muddle Class to a tenuous brand of cultural grounding.From the girl's officious brother (played brilliantly by Pankaj Jha) to the bride's makeup girl (who takes umbrage when her skills are questioned by Tapsee) and is pacified with icecreamAby the bride's bro, every character falls into place with a thundering rightness of tone.
Running Shaadi has its share of flaws. The beeped-out 'com' from Running Shaadi is an irksome speedbreaker. Also, the effort to keep the goings-on constantly brisk-paced gets exhausting at some point in the narrative. I am really not sure when. It all happens so swiftly and happily and fluently.
This is a rom.com with a dot between the 'rom' and 'com' reminding us that the traditional romantic comedy has come a long way.
And dot's the whole truth.
'Running Shaadi': A frothy entertainer (Review By Troy Ribeiro, Rating: **1/2)
This film, with the recent controversy that plagued its title, suffers from the curse of its name. The constant bleeps in between the dialogues is a frustrating, kill joy. And that is not the only one.
Though with an interesting premise and a well-drafted screenplay, the film fails to hold a big-screen charm, simply because it is treated like a modern day, quickie befitting a web-series.
The characters, Nimrat Kaur aka Nimmi and Ram Bharose are not well etched. They unknowingly break the very mould they are supposed to be existing in. And the fault lies not with the actors but with the creators of their universe.
To begin with, the story is primarily about Ram Bharose aka Chottu a young forlorn Bihari immigrant in Amritsar who works in a saree shop belonging to one Mr. Singh.
Chottu is the man Friday for his employer and his family too, especially his daughter Nimmi, who has no qualms in informing him that she had sex and would need an abortion.
It is only after Nimmi's 19th birthday, when Chottu back-chats her father for his bad planning and management skills that he finds himself jobless. Being in a small town, he has no chance of securing another job. And since necessity is the mother of invention, he hits upon an idea of creating a website that would assist young couples in their runaway marriage plans.
So with the help of a geek friend of his who he addresses as Cyber and Nimmi, they set up a website called Running Shaadi and they clandestinely help couples get married.
It is only after Nimmi's father learns about her abortion, he decides to get her married off immediately. How Chottu helps Nimmi run away and marry the guy of her dreams forms the crux of the tale.
The plot though predictable from the very first frame, is interesting, and entertaining. The film is supposed to be an out-right comedy, but mid-way the narrative loses steam. It does pick up its tempo in the third act. Nevertheless, what keeps you glued to your seats throughout, are the earnest performances by the entire cast.
Taapsee Pannu as Nimmi is effervescent and charming. She is so natural that you believe in her flawed character and you root for her, when she is anxious and sad.
Similarly Amit Sadh too wins your heart, as he honestly essays Ram Bharose. He plays the street smart, yet ignorant lover boy to the hilt. And his onscreen chemistry with Taapsee is palpable.
Arsh Bajwa though in a measured role as Bharose's friend Cyberjeet, is outstanding. He is refreshing and elicits a chuckle with ease.
The rest of the supporting cast range from serious to quirky and they deliver sincerely.
With moderate production values, the film is shot on actual locales giving the film a realistic feel. The cinematography, editing and action sequences are of good quality and overall, the film is worth a watch just to unwind.
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A unique, endearing romantic comedy from the heart of small-town India, which unfolds as two young boys come up with 1 big idea.
