Indian movies

Comedies are the flavor of the season and RAMA RAMA KYA HAI DRAMAAA follows the rules and guidelines earnestly. But let's not mistaken this film to be an offshoot of PARTNER and WELCOME. The idea is to recreate the Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee kind of cinema by handling a serious topic [marital problems] in a humorous format.

Although the topic it touches is serious in nature, debutante director S. Chandrakant weaves humor in the plot so that the goings-on don't get heavy at any point. Also, you don't really expect the moon from the film, so you aren't disappointed either.

To cut a long story short, RAMA RAMA KYA HAI DRAMAAA isn't a great comedy by any chance. But you continue to smile, not squirm, as the reels unfold!

The story revolves around three married couples -- Prem [Aashish Chowdhary] and Khushi [Amrita Arora], Santosh [Rajpal Yadav] and Shanti [Neha Dhupia] and Mr. and Mrs. Khurana [Anupam Kher and Rati Agnihotri]. Santosh marries Shanti, a small-town girl, and later realizes that Shanti is not the 'perfect wife'. Petty differences start popping up and Santosh starts day-dreaming and imaging other women as his wives.

The marriage of Prem and Khushi is also not smooth-sailing, since Khushi is too demanding as a wife. How the two couples make up in the end forms the crux.

A simple plot with equally simple execution -- that's the right way to sum up RAMA RAMA KYA HAI DRAMAAA. The arguments and tiffs between the newly-married couple [Rajpal, Neha] seem real at times. Also, Rajpal's over-active imagination -- of imagining other's wife as his -- make the goings-on interesting.

On the flip side, the writer hasn't spelt the reasons that put Rajpal and Neha in the war zone. Why are they constantly bickering? The other couple's [Aashish, Amrita] relationship is also not well-developed. Aashish is an excellent husband, but Amrita seeks divorce in the end. It should've been the other way round.

Debutante S. Chandrakant shows a flair for comedies. But he could've done with a tighter script. Siddharth-Suhas' music is a plus point. The songs are easy on the lips. Dialogues are funny at places.

RAMA RAMA KYA HAI DRAMAAA doesn't demand histrionics, so everyone's over the top, in keeping with the mood of the film. Rajpal Yadav is the scene stealer. Neha too acts well. Aashish has a Salman Khan hang-up. He ought to be natural. Amrita Arora gets minimal scope. Anupam Kher and Rati Agnihotri are adequate.

On the whole, RAMA RAMA KYA HAI DRAMAAA is a fair entertainer.

It started with PARTNER eight weeks ago. Then HEYY BABYY three weeks back. It's DHAMAAL now. Howlariously funny, Indra Kumar's latest outing completes the hat-trick of laughathons that succeed in entertaining you from start to end. Like its predecessors, DHAMAAL is abundantly rich in humor and most importantly, has the right set of actors to carry off those roles with aplomb.

DHAMAAL lives up to its title. It's non-stop dhamaal for the next two hours. Sure, there're inane situations and jokes that cater to the popular tastes, but when did Indra Kumar and his team of writers [Paritosh Painter, Balwinder Suri, Bunty Rathore] ever set out to challenge Einstein? The mantra is simple: Let the auditorium reverberate with laughter. And DHAMAAL succeeds in its mission!

Any hiccups? The post-interval portions aren't as funny as the first hour. More on that later! But the film works in totality and that's what matters at the end of the day. With MASTI, Indra Kumar proved that he knows how to tickle the funny bone. With PYARE MOHAN, he tripped and ended up bruising himself. With DHAMAAL, he sprints back to the junta's hearts.

So what's the final word then? Go, watch DHAMAAL and have dhamaal. But do carry a rumaal since this madcap comedy is quite kamaal in parts. You'd cry laughing!

Roy [Riteish Deshmukh] believes that he is the best detective in the world. Manav [Javed Jaffrey] actually happens to be the biggest idiot in the world, but is blissfully unaware about it. His brother Adi's [Arshad Warsi] half knowledge about everything only adds to the great expertise of this group. The final component is Boman [Aashish Chowdhary], who's Mr. Scared.

These four idiots live and work together. Their idea of work? Doing small-time con jobs! The thought of earning an honest living has never even crossed their minds. One day, while trying to save a dying man, Bose [Prem Chopra], they get their big break. Their life is made! Unfortunately for them, Inspector Kabir [Sanjay Dutt] has been chasing Bose for the last ten years. He finally finds him. Only dead!

Desperate for his promotion, he questions the suspicious-looking foursome he finds next to the body. Inadvertently, they blurt out the secret before managing to escape. Now begins a marathon chase.

DHAMAAL begins with gusto. The introduction of the four characters at the very start makes the viewer aware of what to expect from each of them. The sequences that follow [taking the horse painting at condolence meetings] are rip-roaringly funny. Ditto for the sequence when they're mistaken as gangsters and arrested by the cop [Murli Sharma]. Another sequence that's sure to bring the house down is Asrani's vintage car going up in flames and also Sanju tying the four to a tree. The first hour rocks big time!

The writers continue to inject humor in the second hour as well. Only thing, the jokes work at times, but look forced at places. Take, for instance, the track of the robbers inside a bus and their interaction with Ritesh. Non-happening! The aircraft portion [Asrani, Aashish] is excellent, but one should know where to end a joke. Never stretch it beyond a point, but the writers do. Resultantly, the impact gets diluted. Sanju's accident and the entire cliff track, again, is mediocre. The search for the 'Big W' in the park, beneath which lies the treasure, is funny, not hilarious.

Directorially, Indra Kumar is in form. Opting for a new team of writers this time around, he gets it right on most occasions. The two songs at the very start [Adnan Sami] are interesting. Vijay Arora's cinematography is nice. Dialogues are excellent.

The one performance that stands out from the rest is that of Javed Jaffrey's. He's magnificent in a role that seems tailor-made for him. What timing! The viewers are sure to go into raptures. Arshad Warsi is not in his element. Also, why is he looking so tired? Ritesh Deshmukh is dependable yet again, although his track suffers in the second hour because it lacks meat. Aashish Chowdhary is a revelation. Confident and easygoing, he shows a flair for comedy. Sanjay Dutt is alright. Asrani is mind-blowing. It's a treat to watch this veteran in a meaty role again. Suhasini Mulay, as the landlady, is first-rate.

On the whole, DHAMAAL is one joyride that should keep its investors smiling!