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Tag: Annu Kapoor

  • BIG FM returns with Season 2 of BIG Antakshari hosted by Annu Kapoor

    BIG FM returns with Season 2 of BIG Antakshari hosted by Annu Kapoor

    Mumbai: For Indians, Antakshari is not just a game but an emotion which transcends borders, cultures and languages bringing us all together. Fostering this belief, BIG FM, one of India’s leading radio networks, announced the return of its highly successful show, BIG Antakshari with Annu Kapoor presented by Bank of Baroda, one of the leading Public Sector Bank. Revamping the iconic musical game, this season features selected teams that have passed rigorous audition rounds held across major cities in India. This highly anticipated show will air across 52 stations of the BIG FM network on Thursdays and Fridays from 8 pm to 9 pm.

    BIG Antakshari Season 2 features three teams – Bank of Baroda Deewane, Bank of Baroda Parwaane and Bank of Baroda Mastaane – competing in an epic musical showdown each week, showcasing their passion for Bollywood music. The electrifying game comprises three rounds: the Akshar Round, the Dhun Round and the Visual Round. With BIG Antakshari Season 2, BIG FM aims to redefine the classic Antakshari experience by not only entertaining listeners but also engaging them in fun Bollywood trivia and encouraging participation with Mega Prizes.

    Host Annu Kapoor commented, “My long-standing association with BIG FM has allowed me to witness the evolution of audio content over the years. With growing anticipation and enthusiasm among listeners of all age groups, the second season of BIG Antakshari promises to be an unforgettable journey filled with fun and entertainment.”

    Adding to it, BIG FM COO Sunil Kumaran said, “BIG Antakshari continues to take BIG FM’s rich legacy of iconic shows forward. The show’s transition from television to radio marks a significant milestone in the audio industry, especially for us. With Annu Kapoor’s signature hosting style, coupled with his valuable insights, witty remarks and engaging banter, this season is poised to cement a special place in listeners’ hearts. Additionally, integrating anecdotes, games and trivia with the traditional game format makes this season relatable for audiences across ages. We’re beyond excited for BIG Antakshari season 2 and cannot wait to revel in the love from our listeners, once again.”

    Season 1 of BIG Antakshari, also presented by Bank of Baroda, was a resounding success. Continuing the association in Season 2, Bank of Baroda once again intends to connect with its loyal patrons through this innovative and interactive game show. With Madhur Sugar as a sweetness partner, BIG Antakshari Season 2 is powered by Torex Cough Syrup (A product by Torque Pharma).

    Revisit your favourite songs and check your Bollywood knowledge with BIG Antakshari Season 2 only on BIG FM!

  • Prime Video drops trailer for Jitendra Kumar and Shriya Pilgaonkar’s ‘Dry Day’

    Prime Video drops trailer for Jitendra Kumar and Shriya Pilgaonkar’s ‘Dry Day’

    Mumbai: Prime Video, India’s most loved entertainment destination, unveiled the trailer of the Amazon Original movie Dry Day today.  It is a powerful and emotional story that delves into the complexities of addiction, love, and the extent of a man’s sacrifices for his family. Directed by Saurabh Shukla, and produced by Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani, and  Nikkhil Advani,  under the banner of Emmay Entertainment, the comedy-drama features Jitendra Kumar, Shriya Pilgaonkar, and Annu Kapoor in pivotal roles.

    The film is set to premiere exclusively on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on 22 December. Dry Day is the latest addition to the Prime membership. Prime members in India enjoy savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in a single membership for just Rs 1499/ year. Dry Day is a story of an imperfect hero who challenges societal conventions, rebelling against norms out of love for his unborn child. The trailer of this comedy-drama intricately explores the societal impact of alcoholism, presenting a thought-provoking narrative rooted in social relevance.

     

     

    Speaking about the film, Director Saurabh Shukla said, “The movie is a social satire presented with a hilarious tragic-comedy of errors with lots of drama and emotions. Dry Day gives an important and relevant message about alcoholism and I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to craft this film, aiming to entertain and enlighten the audiences. It brings me immense joy to partner with streaming service Prime Video, Emmay Entertainment, and a talented bunch of actors, collectively breathing life into a compelling and beautiful narrative.”

    “Dry Day is a captivating blend of comedy and drama, offering a rollercoaster of emotions,” shared actor Jitendra Kumar. “It was an exhilarating experience playing the character of Gannu in the movie. Getting into the skin of this intriguing character was like adding a new skill to my toolbox. The character’s struggle to defy all odds in pursuit of trust adds depth to the narrative of the film. I’m excited for audiences to witness this unique journey on screen. The film’s fusion of heartwarming moments and compelling storytelling is something I can’t wait for people to experience and appreciate.”

    Playing the role of Nirmala, actor Shriya Pilgaonkar shared, “The experience of working on Dry Day has been wonderful and enriching in so many ways. It’s a film that will entertain you and emotionally strike a chord as well. I enjoyed building that relationship between Nirmala and Gannu. The story of our film is all about the transformative power of love and it will also draw your attention to certain important societal issues. I’m so grateful to have got the opportunity to collaborate with Saurabh Sir and the wonderful team at Emmay Entertainment.  The writing is fantastic and I was most excited to film my first Holi song! “

  • zingbus teams up as official brand partner for Dream Girl 2

    zingbus teams up as official brand partner for Dream Girl 2

    Mumbai: zingbus, the largest tech-based intercity bus service provider in India, has proudly announced its captivating collaboration as the official brand partner for the movie Dream Girl 2. The sequel to the blockbuster sensation, Dream Girl (2019) is poised to unleash its magic on the silver screen, captivating audiences nationwide on 25 August 2023.

    Dream Girl 2, an upcoming Hindi comedy-drama is helmed by the visionary director Raaj Shaandilyaa and produced by Ekta Kapoor and  Shobha Kapoor under the dynamic banner Balaji Motion Pictures. The movie showcases a diverse ensemble cast, including Ayushmann Khurrana, Ananya Panday, Paresh Rawal, Annu Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, Vijay Raaz, Asrani, Abhishek Banerjee, Manjot Singh and Seema Pahwa. This cinematic marvel promises to be a journey through emotions, laughter, and life’s quirks, all interwoven in a tapestry of entertainment.

    Speaking on the partnership, zingbus CEO and co-founder Prashant Kumar said – “Seizing the role of the official brand partner of a fantastic movie – Dream Girl 2, provides us with a wonderful opportunity to engage a larger audience throughout India. This partnership ignites our passion and propels us to explore new horizons. zingbus team is truly excited about this affiliation and we are looking ahead to numerous such remarkable collaborations in the times to come.”

    The strategic partnership will increase the likelihood of zingbus gaining a more significant presence in people’s thoughts and perceptions. By combining the visionary approach of the brand – zingbus with the compelling narrative of the movie, this partnership will carve an enduring mark on the hearts and minds of a diverse and widespread audience.

  • Mr Kabaadi…is where the film belongs

    Mr Kabaadi…is where the film belongs

    A number of not-so-regular filmmakers try their luck at film production. Their intention may be honest but lack of knowledge about how the film industry works as well as what works with moviegoers usually drowns them.

    Since these newcomers don’t have access to big stars nor would the big stars agree to work with them, they end up making films with whoever is ready to work for money. Such films go unnoticed and the new entrepreneur ends up losing money.

    What is grossly disheartening about Mr Kabaadi is that, it is not only a waste of money but also of a huge talent bank of actors like Om Puri, Annu Kapoor, Vinay Pathak and Brijendra Kala.

    The film has no purpose, no head or tail and depicts total bankruptcy of ideas.

    The role played by Annu Kapoor is that of a ‘kabaadiwala,’ a scrap dealer who suddenly inherits millions. From his shabby basti and his equally poor friends, he shifts to a bungalow with three balconies and two wading pools. He has married his kabaadi days love, Sarika, and now has a son and a daughter. Now that he is rich, Annu hates the word kabaadi and does not want anybody to remind him of his past.

    While his daughter is shown to be fairly educated and can converse in English, his son is a fifth standard dropout who has excelled in the business of running a chain of public toilets! (This is the kind of comedy it is, believe it.)

    Annu wants to get his son married but no family would tie the knot with a boy who has a business of toilets. The girl is a rebel and won’t agree to the match her parents find.

    The boy and the girl separately fall in love and this senseless ‘tamasha’ goes on.

    There is no sense talking about performances in this film because, as mentioned earlier. Less said about writing, direction and other aspects of the film, the better.

    Producer: Anup Jalota.

    Director: Seema Kapoor.

    Cast: Om Puri, Annu Kapoor, Sarika, Vinay Pathak and Brijendra Kala.

  • Jolly LLB 2….Lacklustre

    Jolly LLB 2 is, what the Hindi film industry has got used to describe as a sequel and this one is supposed to be a sequel to Jolly LLB (2013). The film actually is another comic satire on the judiciary like the earlier one and the same director if that qualifies it to be called a sequel.

    Otherwise, the film is just using the title considering the earlier Jolly LLB was a fair success.

    Jolly LLB 2 takes similar start as the earlier one in that, though Akshay Kumar’s character is a qualified lawyer, he works with a senior solicitor in Lucknow where he is mainly an attendant to his boss, never trusted to take up a case or stand in court.

    Akshay has a demanding wife, played by Huma Qureshi, in that Akshay has to do all the house work, make whiskey for her, cook for her etc. While Akshay has but one ambition, that is to have his own chamber and take on cases independently, Huma’s ambition is to wear Gucci dress. Akshay can’t afford it so, on one occasion, she gets a Gucci dress on rent. That is the kind of comedy the film offers.

    Sayani Gupta’s husband, Manav Kaul, has been killed by the policeman, Inaamulhaq, passing it off as an encounter just to get accolades and his next promotion. Pregnant Sayani wants Akshay’s boss to take up her case but he is not even willing to meet her. Akshay lies to her and accepts two lakh from her as fees for his boss and uses it to get his own chamber. Sayani commits suicide and guilt-ridden Akshay decides to take on the might of the local police.

    The rest of the film tries to replicate the earlier version as the big time lawyer defending the cop here is the character played by Annu Kapoor while the judge is Saurabh Shukla, straight out of Jolly LLB. A novice, Akshay tries to get a conviction for Inaamullah but Annu comes up with all sorts of antics most of which are farcical, let alone be convincing.

    For distraction, some song and dance routine is put in at places but that hardly helps. The fact is, there is little scope for a heroine in the story. Instead, the couple also have a child nobody knows to what purpose except to stretch the film. This aspect actually bogs down the film.

    The court proceedings are lackluster and get neither serious nor funny. Characters pop out from nowhere as if to give the film another twist; the ploy fails.

    The film suffers right from conception stage as the script is poor lacking the expected thrill and twist and turns from a courtroom drama. The comparison with the earlier film is inevitable as, even the comic quotient, is missing in most parts. Direction is patchy. Music has no decent song to offer and only drags the film. Editing is slack. Production values are below par.

    As for performances, Akshay Kumar tries his best but lacks his usual élan. Annu Kapoor goes overboard being loud. Saurabh Shukla is okay. Huma Qureshi was not needed in this scheme of things and, while she is there, she adds nothing. Imaanulhaq does well and so does Sayani Gupta.
    Jolly LLB 2 is an average fare lacking the required entertainment value.

    Producer: Fox Star Studios.

    Director: Subhash Kapoor.

    Cast: Akshay Kumar, Annu Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, Saurabh Shukla.

  • ZEEL launches its first radio station in Middle East

    ZEEL launches its first radio station in Middle East

    MUMBAI: Zee Middle East has announced the launch of its first radio station 106.2 Big FM in the UAE.

    This adds to the business portfolio of ATL for this region and makes it the only broadcaster in the South Asian space to have both, television and FM stations. The station’s interesting line-up of content includes original content produced in-house, content acquired from Big FM in India and cricket rights of key series for ball-by-ball commentary.

    Speaking on the launch, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) International Broadcast Business CEO Amit Goenka said “We are proud of the addition of 106.2 Big FM into the Zee and ATL family. We are sure that like all our ZEE brands, 106.2 Big FM will also entertain listeners in the UAE. The product has been developed with a lot of attention to detail and I am sure it will be of immense interest to the advertising community.”

    Goenka further added, “Investing strategically in media and related business has always been at the edge of Zee’s larger perspective for business growth. With the synergy of television and radio, we aim to increase our footprint and market share in the entertainment industry.’’

    The frequency now officially known as 106.2 big fm launches in the UAE today. With Big FM in Zee’s bag, the entertainment conglomerate scores as the strongest player in UAE’s South Asian entertainment field. From being pioneers with the launch of Zee TV in 1992 in the region, to introducing the first Bollywood TV channel for the Arab audience with Zee Aflam in 2008, Zee’s advance into radio is a step higher on the entertainment ladder. With the launch of 106.2 big fm, Zee claims its first international foray into the world of radio entertainment.

    On this occasion, Zee Network (MENA and APAC) CEO Mukund Cairae, said, “The launch of 106.2 Big FM is another prized feather in our cap. A gem in our entertainment business portfolio that further cements our numero uno position among South Asians in the Middle East. With the combined strength of television and radio under our wings, we aim to soar higher and show better commitment to the region. Also with this synergy, we now provide vast audio-visual platforms to our advertising clients, hence creating new business opportunities.”

    Zee Network (MENA) COO Manoj A Mathew who along with Gagan Mudgal the content and creative head curated the product said “We are confident that with radio on board, Zee can leverage people and content across television and radio mediums. With a treasure trove of great music content, along with one of Bollywood’s biggest music labels, Zee Music Company, launching the Big brand in the UAE with high-quality, disruptive content will surely stand out. All shows will be double headers – hosted by the resident music jockeys (MJs), as our presenters will be called, and co-hosted by popular Indian singers.”

    The station currently has Benny Dayal along with MJ Lavanya hosting the morning drive time show, the afternoon show is hosted by MJ Ujjwal, followed by the evening show being hosted by Palak Muchhal and MJ Arpit. Another ace feature is the introduction of a signature show of Big FM India – ‘Suhana Safar by Annu Kapoor.’ The late-night show is hosted by MJ Gagan Mudgal and there is a weekend special hosted by Harshdeep Kaur.

    With this amazing line-up, the station is bound to have listeners tuned in throughout the day.

  • ZEEL launches its first radio station in Middle East

    ZEEL launches its first radio station in Middle East

    MUMBAI: Zee Middle East has announced the launch of its first radio station 106.2 Big FM in the UAE.

    This adds to the business portfolio of ATL for this region and makes it the only broadcaster in the South Asian space to have both, television and FM stations. The station’s interesting line-up of content includes original content produced in-house, content acquired from Big FM in India and cricket rights of key series for ball-by-ball commentary.

    Speaking on the launch, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) International Broadcast Business CEO Amit Goenka said “We are proud of the addition of 106.2 Big FM into the Zee and ATL family. We are sure that like all our ZEE brands, 106.2 Big FM will also entertain listeners in the UAE. The product has been developed with a lot of attention to detail and I am sure it will be of immense interest to the advertising community.”

    Goenka further added, “Investing strategically in media and related business has always been at the edge of Zee’s larger perspective for business growth. With the synergy of television and radio, we aim to increase our footprint and market share in the entertainment industry.’’

    The frequency now officially known as 106.2 big fm launches in the UAE today. With Big FM in Zee’s bag, the entertainment conglomerate scores as the strongest player in UAE’s South Asian entertainment field. From being pioneers with the launch of Zee TV in 1992 in the region, to introducing the first Bollywood TV channel for the Arab audience with Zee Aflam in 2008, Zee’s advance into radio is a step higher on the entertainment ladder. With the launch of 106.2 big fm, Zee claims its first international foray into the world of radio entertainment.

    On this occasion, Zee Network (MENA and APAC) CEO Mukund Cairae, said, “The launch of 106.2 Big FM is another prized feather in our cap. A gem in our entertainment business portfolio that further cements our numero uno position among South Asians in the Middle East. With the combined strength of television and radio under our wings, we aim to soar higher and show better commitment to the region. Also with this synergy, we now provide vast audio-visual platforms to our advertising clients, hence creating new business opportunities.”

    Zee Network (MENA) COO Manoj A Mathew who along with Gagan Mudgal the content and creative head curated the product said “We are confident that with radio on board, Zee can leverage people and content across television and radio mediums. With a treasure trove of great music content, along with one of Bollywood’s biggest music labels, Zee Music Company, launching the Big brand in the UAE with high-quality, disruptive content will surely stand out. All shows will be double headers – hosted by the resident music jockeys (MJs), as our presenters will be called, and co-hosted by popular Indian singers.”

    The station currently has Benny Dayal along with MJ Lavanya hosting the morning drive time show, the afternoon show is hosted by MJ Ujjwal, followed by the evening show being hosted by Palak Muchhal and MJ Arpit. Another ace feature is the introduction of a signature show of Big FM India – ‘Suhana Safar by Annu Kapoor.’ The late-night show is hosted by MJ Gagan Mudgal and there is a weekend special hosted by Harshdeep Kaur.

    With this amazing line-up, the station is bound to have listeners tuned in throughout the day.

  • ‘Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho’…Gayee bhens paani mei!

    ‘Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho’…Gayee bhens paani mei!

    MUMBAI: The genres for film stories have become limited after television took over some of them, such as family dramas, mythological and to some extent, horror.  In a quest to find newer themes away from regular genres, filmmakers have been trying to experiment. While a few of them do find interesting themes that result in films like Dirty Picture, Queen, Vicky Donor and Piku, most come out as a poor spectacle resulting in the ‘No Audience, No Show’ genre. Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho falls into an entirely new genre called ‘Bizarre.’

     

    Tanakpur, a small town in UP, has this annual best bhains (buffalo) contest. And the winner is… Annu Kapoor’s bhains, who has come to him as part of dowry from the family of Hrishita Bhatt, his wife. She is crowned Miss Tanakpur. Kapoor is the town head with a sidekick in Ravi Kissen. Kapoor has problems related to sex life and tries various remedies prescribed by a quack he finds at a local fair.

     

    Kapoor is much older to Hrishita and suspects his wife of having an affair with someone younger. For all such problems and others, the town has a kind of black magic man in Sanjay Mishra who is reputed to have turned a perfectly virile man into a eunuch and vice versa, among other such miracles. Kapoor seeks his help to find who his wife is having an affair with.

     

    Mishra is a full blown fraud tantric who mumbles some mumbo jumbo and asks his patron to perform weird and filthy rituals. (That’s the maker’s idea of comedy besides being obsessed with human faeces and animal dung. The film is generously peppered with reference to these substances.)

     

    Finally, Kapoor catches Hrishita’s sympathiser, Rahul Bagga, red-handed with her in his bedroom. Kapoor and his goons beat him to a pulp, with a crowd gathering to witness the scene. But now Kapoor and his men are not sure how to explain this beating of Bagga. Telling everyone that Kapoor’s wife was having an affair with him would ruin Kapoor’s reputation. After all, he was the town head and aspiring for an MLA ticket.

     

    Kapoor finds a way out. Bagga is accused of raping Kapoor’s bhains. The story gets weirder. With Om Puri as the local cop who is easy to bribe and a vet who is too weak to protest, reports of rape are generated and a case filed. The court case begins with finally the magistrate wanting to interrogate the ‘victim’. In the process, some more poorly conceived comic scenes are force-fitted in the film.

     

    There is an institution called Khap, active in parts of North India, whose help Kapoor seeks. Khap considers itself above the law. The Khap sits on a judgements on Bagga and issues a diktat that he marry the bhains for his misdeed. The marriage is being solemnised, when the bhains plays the role of a runaway bride, taking to the highway as fast as she could. Having run out of corny ideas, the makers call it quits. There is no climax as such. You are just told that the wrongdoers, Puri, Kapoor, Kissen and Sharma are booked and punished by the law. Bagga and Hrishita live happily ever after.

     

    With a poor conception, poorer scripting and amateur handling, this purported satire turns into an inane farce. The film has some good capable artistes in Puri, Kapoor, Sharma and Kissen but all are at sea here. Hrishita is in a few scenes and all of them seem to have been taken in one go even before she could change her expressions. Bagga wears a lost look through the film and one can’t blame him for that.

     

    Miracles don’t happen at the box office and none expected for Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho.

     

    Producers: Crossword Films Production, Fox Star Studios’

    Director: Vinod Kapri.

    Cast: Om Puri, Annu Kapoor, Ravi Kissen, Hrishita Bhatt, Rahul Bagga. 

  • Box office sees ho-hum collections this week

    Box office sees ho-hum collections this week

    MUMBAI: Almost all movies failed to get the cash registers ringing at the box office this week.

     

    Renowned artistes like Om Puri, Annu Kapoor, Seema Biswas and Satish Kaushik and the co-writer of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Ranjit Kapoor, couldn’t help salvage Jai Ho! Democracy. People in India don’t need to be reminded about the shortcomings of the polity.

     

    The other release of the week, Kaagaz Ke Fools, fared even worse. No footfalls worth noting.

     

    There was also another release, better than the other two, but with no face value. Hence it failed to bring in the audience.

     

    Much was expected from Nanak Shah Fakir but the film has not worked. The film barely managed to put together a figure of Rs 90 lakh for its first week.

     

    Mr X, a forced 3-D, falls flat and adds one more disaster to the names of Vikram Bhatt and Emraan Hashmi. The film, which managed a weekend of Rs 12.45 crore, barely manages to add another Rs 6.1 crore over the next four days to end its first week with Rs 18.55 crore.

     

    Margarita With A Straw, released at limited screens, fared okay at multiplexes in metros to end its first week with a collection figure of Rs 3.15 crore.

     

    Ek Paheli Leela collected Rs 2.15 crore in its second week to take its two-week tally to Rs 20.85 crore.

     

    Dharam Sankat Mein collected Rs 1.15 crore in its second week. With this, the film’s two week total stands at Rs 8.75 crore.

     

    Detective Byomkesh Bakshyi takes its three week total to Rs 26.68 after three weeks.

  • ‘Jai Ho! Democracy’: Freedom misused

    ‘Jai Ho! Democracy’: Freedom misused

    MUMBAI: Jai Ho! Democracy raises some hope because of a few names in its cast and credits. The film is written by Ranjit Kapoor, the co-writer of the all-time classic comedy, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), and also has some talented actors in Om Puri, Annu Kapoor, Satish Kaushik and Seema Biswas.

    However, as the film unwinds, rather than entertain, it goes on to belie your expectations.

    There is an incident at the border. A hen lands up in no man’s land and an Indian army cook is asked to go retrieve it. Once in no man’s land, the Pakistani soldiers start firing at him. The Indian troops contemplate whether to retaliate. The media gets wind of the situation and turns it into a ‘on the verge of war’ story.

    Concerned with the media outcry, a committee is set up to look into the matter. The representatives come from various parties and states. The idea is to create comedy through the conflict of communicating due to language barriers. The committee goes by the rule book and instead of discussing the situation, gets entwined into technicalities.

     

     

    A contradiction to the committee’s communication problem is displayed in no man’s land where an Indian and a Pakistani soldier come face to face. They have no problem communicating as both speak Punjabi. They start in Punjabi for which no subtitles are deemed necessary. Both soon embark on a nostalgia trip about the pains of partition and crave for an undivided country.

    The film is only 96 minutes long and yet feels like 36 minutes too long. The script is a total let down and its attempts to create humour fall flat. Of the star cast, which turns into caricatures, only Annu Kapoor does the Tamilian politician act well. Rest fill the bill.

    Direction goes the same way as the script: nowhere.

    Jai Ho! Democracy is a let-down and waste of talent.

    Producer: Bikramjeet Singh Bhullar

    Director: Ranjit Kapoor

    Cast: Om Puri, Annu Kapor, Satish Kaushik, Seema Biswas, Adil Hussain, Aamir Bashir, Grusha Kapoor, Benjamin Gilani

     

    ‘Kaagaz Ke Fools’: Yawn Some

    Kaagaz Ke Fools is a film about a husband-wife relationship, which is always sour. Strangely both love each other but it never shows.

    Vinay Pathak aspires to be a writer but being the honest and principled man that he is, he won’t write anything cheap or filthy. He works for a small advertising agency, writing copy for lingerie and other such products. He is not ambitious while his wife, Mugdha Godse, nurses all the ambitions.

    Producers: Faisal Kapadia

    Director: Anil Kumar Chaudhary

    Cast: Vinay Pathak, Mugdha Godse, Saurabh Shukla, Raima Sen

    Vinay is supposed to be a talented writer but since he won’t break his rules about clean writing, no publisher is willing to publish his work. As a result he is still sitting on the very first book he has penned. Mugdha is a full time nag and the amount of nagging she does to egg him on in his writing would have made any man commit suicide. He loves his wife immensely and tries to placate her every time she starts off.

    There is a gathering at Vinay’s friend’s house where one his friends provokes Mugdha asking about Vinay’s book and how his own book has sold about 1.75 lakh copies. To bring luck, Mugdha even asks a Feng Shui specialist to rearrange her house. Vinay is against all these things and again an argument starts. Vinay is not the suicide type so instead he leaves home trying to find alcohol and shelter in his friend’s house.

    There again he comes across the same friend whose book has sold 1.75 lakh copies. An argument ensues and is about to become violent when Vinay is asked to leave.

    Vinay meets a friendly rickshaw guy who takes him to an illegal bar cum whorehouse cum casino. Here, he is asked to try his luck at game of cards egged on by Raima Sen, a prostitute who hooks her customers from this place. Vinay wins some real money. Seeing a prospective client in him, Raima takes him to a friend’s house to seduce him. Vinay is totally sozzled by then and keeps uttering Mugdha’s name while keeping Raima at bay.

    After some forced sequences which are meant to be comic, Vinay’s book is published, the title having been changed from ‘Ek Thehrisi Zindagi’ to ‘Ek Tharkisi Zindagi’ and, predictably, it becomes a bestseller.

    The problem with the film is that the script is totally contrived. Characters are supposed to be Punjabi and actors trying to use Punjabi slang is hardly funny. Direction is poor with unnecessary cutting and shifting of scenes. Music seems inspired from old time Asha Bhosle repertoire. Cinematography is average. Editing is non-existent.

    Vinay Pathak does what he does in all his films, playing an honest simpleton which, for him, does not take much effort. Saurabh Shukla’s playing of a pucca Punjabi is jarring. Mugdha’s nagging is overdone. Raima makes faces, which cannot be passed off as acting.

    Kaagaz Ke Fools is a poor fare with no hope at the box office.