Gali Gali Chor Hai Review

Instead of being a crisp two hour long film, 'Gali Gali Chor Hai' ends up being a lengthy two hour duration soap opera that doesn't change any pattern in the second half either. Reason being that while one would have expected the 'fan' episode to form a part of the film, as it turns out, it eventually extends to being an entire film. This is where the problem lies! Moreover the film doesn't quite maintain a tight grip since there are ample points where narrative tends to loose focus (more about that later) and audience attention gets strayed.

Let's begin with the good part first. The fact remains that 'Gali Gali Chor Hai' is a film that one can easily relate to. Director Rumi makes viewer privy to the life and times of Bharat (Akshaye Khanna) who has to go through quite a few hassles due to his his father's (Satish Kaushik) idealistic stance. Once his family decides to support an opposition party during elections, all hell breaks loose as a local politician (Murli Sharma) and his brother (Amit Mistry) begin torture of a different kind on him.

Now begins the fun part because just when one would have expected some routine sequences where Akshaye would be accused of some wrongdoing, just the opposite happens as he is declared as a recipient of a stolen property. However the twist in the tale lies in the fact that this property is a measly table fan for which Akshaye is required to make endless rounds of courts to 'settle' the case. This is where he interacts with a corrupt cop (Annu Kapoor), a thief (Vijay Raaz), a witness (Rajat Rawail) and a SHO, lawyer and judge, each of whom wants his share of fortune from him.

While first half goes into getting hold of a fan, the second half is all about dumping it away, something that fails to sustain a charm after a while. Yes, there is a sub plot added about a bomb and Akshaye being labelled as a terrorist but that doesn't cut much ice either. What is particularly annoying in this entire affair is a forced inclusion of a love triangle of sorts. Really, something better could have been thought of instead of Mugdha Godse being fitted in as a paying guest with Shreya Saran, playing Akshaye's wife, suspecting her husband of having an affair. 

Thankfully the supporting cast makes up for the lack of substance in the female characterisation. Whether it is Satish Kaushik, Annu Kapoor, Vijay Raaz or Amit Mistry - each of them is fantastic in his part and adds value in practically every scene. Akshaye is truly believable and comes across as a middle class common man quite well. Shreya looks pretty indeed and deserves to be seen more often in Bollywood. Mugdha hardly has a part to play and could do with a better film. Music, except for the title song, hardly stays with you while Veena Malik's item number has to be one of the most vulgar songs in a Bollywood film.

Unfortunately 'Gali Gali Chor Hai' doesn't really have a true culmination and it's ending appears to be rather abrupt. Okay, so neither was one expecting the leading man here to turn heroic nor was any solution expected. Still, from the story point of view, one doesn't any get of completeness which is the reason why there is no feeling of being content or euphoric once the end credits start rolling.

Rating: **1/2