AAGEY SE RIGHT.. IS JUST ALRIGHT!
By Eye TV India Bureau
Critic's I-view
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Bollywood could now be called a true cousin of Hollywood! India's tinsel town has made tremendous progress and achieved a status in the global entertainment sector. Of late, and especially after almost two-month long stand off between Bollywood producers and the multiplex owners, seems that the movies being released are poor quality (don't mean low budget) movies. Granted that the industry has also been hit by the economic slowdown, and big banners and big movies are generally avoiding the earlier clash of the titans. Most producers today want to ensure competition-free market for their releases.
Consequently, movies that had been in the can for years have had a golden opportunity to be exhibited and do whatever business they can. It's definitely not healthy and has resulted in Bollywood viewers shifting to regional cinema or even foreign films, say some analysts. This has waned the power and reach of Hindi cinema that had for 100 years been seen as unifying the country with its national language. Among the changing trends in Bollywood has been the growth of or emphasis on crime and comic in our movies. Romance is the essence, but subjects are diversifying. Sometimes this mix sells well even without big stars that demand a hefty fee.
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That's enough background and lets focus on the movie titled 'Aagey Se Right'. Indrajit Nattoji's 'Aagey Se Right' is a story of goofed up cop Dinkar Waghmare (Shreyas Talpade) who within three days of his starting service loses his gun to a gang of three misbehaving youths in a jeep. One wonders as to the use of the term Punjabi Psychos! The cop knows how to look for his gun for it carries a sticker of Lord Hanuman on it. Well, let's just say that the cop was under advice of his overbearing mother (Bharti Achrekar).
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While in pursuit of his gun, Waghmare encounters several characters. There's the silk lungi wearing don Raghav (Vijay Maurya) speaking Mumbai tapori language in a South Indian accent. A weapons dealer who helps a jihadi called Jaanu Bhai played by ace actor Kay Kay Menon. The movies has the jihadi giving lessons on love to the reformed terrorist who's fallen for a bar singer played by Shehnaz Treasurywala. And, then there is also a TV reporter played by Mahie Gill. Add a film set shooting a Bhojpuri version of Spiderman, and there's ample scope for laughs.
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Amidst all this slapstick farce, Dinkar keeps finding his gun only to lose it again. This poor hero ends up saving the lives of possible victims and this makes him a local hero in the eye of Mahie who plays the role of a reporter. Nevertheless, with a predictable climax, Dinkar finally finds his gun and is successful in defusing the bomb at the Police Day function. Yet, by the time the film reaches its climax, it ends up being a somewhat tedious and a bit of a boring flick. The film does tend to be humorous off and on. But the funniest portions are when Jaanu mixes words like `item' (that, Raghav teaches him, is a respectful way of calling out to a woman) and kalti with his immaculate, smooth Urdu. Or when the coveted gun gets mixed with the dozens of fakes on the film set. Sadly though, these moments of humour come after several flat jokes.
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One may argue that a hardened terrorist experiencing a change of heart is not credible enough. Or that the don giving up his vices to surrender to God and a new catering service doesn't follow logic. But this is a comedy after all, and not one where you can question character motivations. You just need to go with the flow and enjoy each bizarre development. The stellar cast does exceedingly well. Shreyas Talpade as the ditzy, unlikely cop is excellent. Kay Kay Menon too is wonderful as the Urdu-spouting lover boy trying to learn a bit of Mumbai street language. Vijay Maurya, despite the hamming, is entertaining as the don with a heart of gold. Shehnaz Treasurywala is charming enough. Mahie Gill does well despite the miniscule role.
Well, check this! If you can withstand irrationality, 'Aagey Se Right is good for some great performances and a few scattered laughs.
