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EDITOR'S PICK
'Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi': Painfully cliched and tedious (Review By
Troy Ribeiro ; Rating: *1/2)
The story is set in Adarsh Housing Society, Mumbai, where Gujaratis rule the
roost. As they are the majority, naturally there is no non-vegetarian food or
booze allowed. Watching Aastha TV is the de rigueur and that too till 10 p.m.
only. In short, arduous rules govern this 'sanskaari' housing society proud of
their "Gujarati asmita (pride)".
Hasmukh Patel (Paresh Rawal), who runs a grocery store there, lives with his two
daughters Nimisha and Pooja (Payal Ghosh) and mother (Bharti Achrekar). His
daughters cannot leave their hair open, watch Fashion TV, or let alone pursue a
career in fashion designing.
In comes a loud and gregarious Punjabi family - The Tandons. Guggi (Rishi
Kapoor), the proprietor of a garage of second hand cars, his son Monty (Vir
Das), father Prem (Prem Chopra) and wife Pummy (Divya Seth Shah).
Expectedly, the two families are at loggerheads, as Hasmukh Patel does not
approve of the debauch ways of the loud Punjabis and he already holds a grudge
against the Punjabis due to some mysterious reason, he keeps mumbling all the
time.
No prizes for guessing, the inevitable happens - Monty falls in love with Pooja,
Hasmukh Patel's daughter. How the Punjabis ultimately win over the Gujaratis,
thus spreading the message of India is one, is what this tedious two-hour film
is all about.
Touted to be a laugh riot and a comedy, the film is a preachy drag with
intermittent lessons on the supremacy of Gujaratis, their culture and
contribution to the development of India so much so that they predict, "Ek din
Gujaratis akele China se takkar lenge".
The plot, packed with gags, situational comedy and some cliched dialogues about
Punjabis and Gujaratis is what director Sanjay Chhel recourses to. However, he
fails miserably to make you laugh wholeheartedly. By the end of it, you just
chuckle if only to please him and run out of the hall, seeking deliverance.
On the performance front, Rishi Kapoor as Guggi Tandon is every inch the loud
Punjabi man, who loves his whisky and women, but has a heart of gold. Vir Das
tries hard as Monty Tandon, the brash Punjabi puttar turned devoted lover to
impress you with his histrionics and perhaps his comic streak, but nose-dives as
the script short-changes him.
The film belongs to Paresh Rawal, who, sadly as Hasmukh Patel offers nothing
that we have not seen him do before.
Bharti Achrekar is her usual self, a bit Manorama-esque though. The debutant
Payal Ghosh as the demure, obedient Gujarati girl and coy lover is disappointing
and pretentious.
The music is equally jarring. It lacks finesse -- be it in lyrics, melody or
picturisation.
Overall, the film which has a TV soap feel with shoddy production values, shaky
camera work, loud colours and cliched dialogues, is a 'shaadi' you can safely
skip.
Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor remembers late actors Manorama and Kanhaiyalal.Read More