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Friday, April 19, 2024
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BOLLYWOOD MUBARAKAN
EDITOR'S PICK
'Mubarakan': Strong performance uplift this comedy (Review By Troy Ribeiro ; Rating: ***
Nothing is implausible if it works in cinema. After all,
it is a part of getting the job done and hence, one does not complain when it
comes to "Mubarakana" as it entertains you wholeheartedly.
As the film opens, we are informed that twins, Karan and Charan, both played by
Arjun Kapoor are separated at birth. Not simply destined, but absolutely
required to, by the bylaws of the Bollywood 'Code of Cliches'.
With a predictable plot, this Anees Bazmee oeuvre with all tropes of comedy like
his previous films, is based on personalities and dialogues. The audience is the
target of the joke. When something funny happens, the actors don't react; the
film itself reacts by what it shows next.
Set in a Sikh family; the drama is obviously high strung. The characters are
supposed to be intelligent, loud, family-oriented and yet they have the maturity
of gnats.
Again by the Bollywood Code of Cliches, the twins both in love; Karan with
Sweety (Ileana D'Cruz) and Charan with Nafisa (Neha Sharma) are expected to
marry as per their foster parents' wishes.
So, when a proposal comes from a close family friend, Mr. Sandhu's daughter
Binkle (Athiya Shetty), the duo are tongue tied. They simply cannot muster the
courage to tell their respective foster parents about their love life.
Complications arise when the twin's uncle Kartar Singh (Anil Kapoor) comes up
with an "idea" to rescue his nephews, which leads to a big family fight. How
they resolve the issues, forms the crux of the tale.
Though over the top, the actors are natural and very engaging. Real life uncle
and nephew -- Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor shine in their respective roles.
Arjun shuttles between the shrewish Karan and the shy goody boy Charan with
aplomb. Anil Kapoor on the other hand offers nothing extraordinary that we have
not seen him do in his earlier films. Together, their camaraderie is palpable on
screen.
The three heroines, Ileana D'Cruz as Sweety, Neha Sharma as Nafisa and Athiya
Shetty as Binkle are outright perfunctory in their approach.
While the rest of the cast laudably essasy their roles effectively, it is those
in the side-lines who actually take centre-stage.
What contributes to their performance, is undoubtedly the well-etched
characters. Prominent among them are; Ratna Pathak Shah as Jeetu Bua and Karan's
foster mother and Pavan Raj Malhotra as Charan's foster father Baljeet Singh who
create an impact.
While the story by Balwinder Singh Janjua and Rupinder Chahal is cliched, the
dialogues with comic timings, cross-references and community-jibes are
noteworthy and entertaining.
The songs are an aberration to the narrative. It simply breaks the impact,
especially the songs with the lyrics, "Hawa hawaa" and "Tu Google pa ke nacha".
While the first half of the film is a breezy laugh-a-minute riot, the second
half tends to be a bit melodramatic and preachy.
With ace production values, the film is a glossy and high-ended.
Overall, the film is a well-packaged entertainer.
Actor Vineet Kumar Singh, who is playing a struggling boxer in filmmaker Anurag Kashyaps forthcoming movie "Mukkabaaz", says he wants to help real life boxers who are struggling. Read More
Lucky to have Anil Kapoor as my father: SonamOn actor-producer Anil Kapoors 61st birthday on Sunday, his daughter and actress Sonam Kapoor said that she considers herself lucky to have the "Mubarakan" star as her father. Read More
