Telling the incidents that happened one night, 'Utt Pataang' is an intelligent film that entertains while maintaining a fun element right through its 100 minutes duration. What makes these 100 minutes special is the back and forth narrative that is the USP of 'Utt Pataang'. So what one gets to see are numerous scenes that are revisited later in the film while bringing with them an altogether different connotation, something that one never saw coming.
It is this narration style that makes 'Utt Pataang' stand a distance away from many other thrillers. Where 'Utt Pataang' scores is the storytelling pattern more than anything else. This is what makes this Srikanth V. Velagaleti directed film an innovative piece of cinema.
Vinay Pathak breaks up with his girlfriend (Mahie Gill) only to get hooked up with another girl (Mona Singh) with help from his friend (Saurabh Shukla). However when a French inspired gangster (Vinay Pathak again, now in a double role) joins them all, there is total mayhem that leads to an unexpected end.
For a film like this with just five principal characters to boast, it is of paramount importance to keep the duration in check. This indeed happens in case of 'Utt Pataang' where care is taken to ensure that there is not much 'utt pataang' in the very narrative.
Still, there are portions in the film where one wishes that things moved faster. Case in point being the entire French inspiration in Vinay Pathak's gangster character which is a little too stretched and actually seems irrelevant in the core context of the film. Also, Mona Singh's character stays on to be quite dull while also being a little unbelievable.
However this is compensated to a fair degree by Saurabh Shukla who makes the best use of the opportunity. He is fantastic. Vinay Pathak is good as a simpleton but just fair as a French inspired gangster. Mahie Gill looks bewitching throughout and adds oopmh to the proceedings. Mona Singh is just about average. The film is marred by barely average production values though. Also, it doesn't have any scope for music. Editing is good though, something which was required to complement the narrative and genre of the film.
30 minutes into 'Utt Pataang' and you regret the fact that why wasn't the film promoted at all. In the times when number of undeserving films are backed by an intense marketing and promotional campaign, a sweet but not so simple film like 'Utt Pataang' has come virtually unannounced. Now that's disappointing for a film which is a good comic thriller that has various moments that make one nod in appreciation.
Rating: ***
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