What is it all about
The trendsetters of modern day friendship Excel Entertainment (Dil Chahta Hai, Rock On, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara) set their latest ode to Buddyisims `Fukrey' in saddi dilli where it doesn,t bother to reinvent the genre and just tries to cook the chucha (read formula) in its punjabi flavor giving the viewers the taste of fun but making their soul search for the memorable satisfaction in this friendship which might have lasted forever..
The Story
Writers Mrigdeep Singh Lamba (also the director) along with his partner Vipul Vig sets the tone right from the first frame where we are introduced to Honey (Pulkit) and Chucha (Varun) both adolescent young desperate dying to enter college and hang out with girls.. but how.. these two academic disasters are banking on Chucha's weird but funny dreams which Honey decodes as a professional numerologists and that lucky number always makes them winners... in the due course they meet Lalli (Manjot Singh) who also shares the same dream of entering the college but for his girlfriend and Zafar Bhai (Ali Fazal) a happening ex student of the same college who is now a failed musician who roams around the campus as his former girlfriend (Vishakha Singh) teaches there.
In this pursuit of collegness they meet Bholi (Richa Chaddha) a Punjabi goondi who invests in their plan courtesy Pandit (Pankaj Tripathi) the college watchman with a difference... making their life hell.
What to look out for
Mrigdeep Singh Lamba manages to make us feel for most of the characters and establishes their individuality.. Honey a good looking charmer and a smart operator. Chucha and his dreams provide the maximum fun and entertainment. Lalli a god fearing simple sardar who wants to be with his girl and excel in his father's business.. the bromance is felt and the audience sense the bonding among this band of boys. The writers Mrigdeep Singh Lamba and Vipul Vig do a smart job over here.. the execution is simple and believable. Punches are really good at some places..
Fukrey owes a lot for its highpoints to its actors display their unique comic strengths with elan.
Pulkit Samrat is charming and shows great confidence. Varun Sharma is highly entertaining.. he along with Pulkhit lift the movie from dull and boring moments. Pankaj Tripathi as Pandit is another highlight his sudden English expressions are brilliant.. Priya Anand is decent. Richa Chadda is excellent. Vishakha Singh is fine.
Technicalities are fine.
What not
Fukrey is not a bad film but we expected much more from the producers Farhan Akhtra and Ritesh Sidhwani the b-town trendsetters of dost, dosti and brotherhood.. this time the dosti formula doesn,t work beyond some gags and fun moments.. the movie fails to find its independence.. it appears like a Dibakar Banerjee movie talks like a teen comedy and attempts to be grown up coming of age adage with ode to friendship.. in its motive to make us laugh Mrigdeep Singh Lamba uses tried and tested gags and uses references which doesn,t has any connection with the story like the senior citizens laughter club.. a father who abuses his son with or without provocation. Adolescent man curious about sex... a simple descent girl falling for a street smart romeo.. plus a character I this foursome Zafar Bhai (Ali Fazal) who fails to register any emotion or connection with audience in spite of all the melodrama around his story and purpose to enter the gang... the first half gets exhaustive after the introduction of the characters.. music is ok while one watches the film.
Conclusion: Fukrey may not be the film you see every time but while watching it you may get the feel that some of the proceedings in the film are getting repeated every time making the movie fail to shine in the already glittering club of Friends like `Dil Chahata Hai,' Rock On' and of course the pioneer of Btown band of boys Sai Paranjape`Chashme Buddoor'..
Rating **and 1/2
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