Jhootha Hi Sahi

I have to say outright that I did not quite find Abbas Tyrewala's directorial debut 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' quite appealing. The hype really propell... read more

I have to say outright that I did not quite find Abbas Tyrewala's directorial debut 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' quite appealing. The hype really propelled the movie to success rather than the content and not in the least, the songs which worked like a charm. With his second effort Tyrewala returns to the romantic-comedy genre and gives us a movie that is again only a mediocre effort inspite of holding far more promise than his first effort ever did.

Nerdy Sid (John Abraham) lives in London, works at a bookshop that sells only Indian books & lives with Omar (Raghu Ram) & his unwed but pregnant sister Aaliya (Alishka Varde). He also has a dominating airhostess girlfriend Krutika (Manasi Scott) who's quite unpopular amongst his friends and is often referred to as "Kutika". Due to some mistake he's assigned the old phone number of a suicide helpline apparently only for Indians (they perhaps do not give a hoot if anyone else wants to kill themselves). He receives calls through the night (again apparently because their statistics state that most suicides happen in the night, hence the agency works only in the "graveyard shift", how typically Indian!!! Jai B.P.O.!!!). When the mistake is identified, Sid chooses to continue taking calls and dissuade people from taking their lives (How the agency allows an untrained person to do so is beyond my understanding).

On one such call he stays awake the whole night and saves the life of Mishka (Pahki). Slowly from then on he becomes her confidant and gives her hope to live. He starts to fall for her but then Mishka happens to come to the bookshop where Sid works. He recognizes her but since she doesn't know his name, his identity is still a mystery to her. Over the phone, he starts to push her towards the real Sid and she too starts to fall for him slowly but surely (All the other callers can jump off the roof; Sid will talk to Mishka only the whole night). But how long will this facade carry on? How will Mishka react when she comes to know about who the person on the other end of the line really is?

The movie has a breezy tone to it but with a running length of nearly three hours the plot plateaus out pretty soon. You expect things to get interesting but Tyrewala expects the banter and camaraderie between the various characters to carry the story forward; which works for most part but cannot cover for the mundane plot. The characters are likeable enough and mostly seem realistic (according to Hindi film standards) which makes their interactions seem genuine.

The sub-plot about Aaliya's Brit boyfriend Nick and his incessant habit of asking her for marriage gets tiresome pretty soon. Even the introduction of Madhavan as Mishka's ex seems more than a little pointless.

I could very clearly see Abbas Tyrewala's ode to 'Notting Hill' (right from the Bookshop, to the street outside, to the group of friends & even the bumbling & mumbling Sid) & every Richard Curtis British Rom-Com ever made. I say an ode cause Tyrewala's been smart enough not to copy outright but place enough indications for his inspirations.

I quite liked a few songs especially 'Do Nishaaniyan'. The background score nicely accentuates the onscreen happenings and has a nice easy touch to it. London has been captured well though yet again the makers stick to a few tried and chosen locations.

John Abraham is agreeable enough as the mumbling nerd but a real actor could have made a ton of a difference. Pakhi looks cute and has a certain vulnerability that she uses well to express her character. Raghu Ram does a far better job than I expected him to. Madhavan looks constipated throughout. Omar Khan who plays Amit, another guy who works in the bookshop, gets a few priceless comic situations.

'Jhoota Hi Sahi' inspite of being far too long and repetitive in parts; has its moments. It works primarily because of the actors and their grounded yet witty banter.view less

This movie has been accused of being plagiarized from Friends. I would think its more of a takeoff on Notting Hill. It has the same bumbling kind o... read more

This movie has been accused of being plagiarized from Friends. I would think its more of a takeoff on Notting Hill. It has the same bumbling kind of book shop owner, his bunch of close friends and is set in London (more on that later). So the story is different but the movie has the same feel and look. Maybe they should sue instead.

I would definitely like to sue Abbas Tyrewala for the horrible hodge podge ending. After giving us a movie about normal people (At least, as normal as they can get in a movie) he goes and spoils it all in the end which is an absurd take on every movie which has planes about to take off or trains just leaving. What takes off here is totally wierd.

The movie is set in London and to use the song in the movie- kay kay kayku why foreign mein movies shoot karte hai hum? The friends are Indian, the doctors are Indian (of course the NHS is actually full of Indian docs), the neighbors are Indian, the co -worker is Indian, even his book shop has Indian books. (And this bunch of people say grace at the dining table!) Why not place it in Bangalore, Delhi or good ol Mumbai? I guess our lives here are too pathetic for the film makers to use or they are all having a good time on a fat expense account.

The story though not very original is still fresh. John (in this Hugh Grant-ish avatar) answers a call on a suicide helpline and then falls in love with the girl. Only he keeps two identities-as the friend on the helpline and the guy from the bookshop who woos her. The complications get further complicated by an ex boyfriend (Mahadevan, fat) who pops up. The friends are the saving grace with strong performances from the duo who play the Pakistani brother sister pair.

The movie could have been much shorter. That would have saved us the agony of seeing Johns pained expressions that constitute his acting. And he is wearing lots of clothes so no consolation there. Stick to your core strengths, boy and we are happy. Pakhi, who plays the heroine (she is also the directors wife) has bright eyes, a bad haircut and probably a paunch that she hides under the loose dresses she favors. She also looks a bit old and jaded. But mostly she looks too bright for a person who is suicidal, a lot like Priyanka in Anjaana. Maybe they have bipolar disorder or something to get over lost loves and go out into the world well dressed, singing songs and finding new men really quickly.

Music is middling. I liked the kay kay song (though hearing Mumbai Hindi on London Bridge is mind boggling) and the Radha Krishna song has a good beat. The others are forgettable or maybe will grow on hearing (I have to keep making concessions for Rehman)

I think I have ranted enough for you to get the general drift on my feelings for this flick. Jhoota hi sahi is sahi mein a bit of a bore. See it if you are a true John fan (i.e. you care for his mind and not his body).
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Sigh. It sucks that the lead actress is married. Boy, is she cute !!! And Johnny baba holds his act surprisingly well this time. Welcome to a naugh... read more

Sigh. It sucks that the lead actress is married. Boy, is she cute !!! And Johnny baba holds his act surprisingly well this time. Welcome to a naughty little story with a lot of spunk.

Siddharth (John) runs a Indian bookstore along with his friends Omar(Raghu) and Amit. Due to a misspelled phone number, he unwillingly becomes a counsellor for a suicide helpline, persuading people to give life another chance. On the personal front, he seems to be doing quite well, both financially (unbelievable that one rag-tag bookstore is able to sustain 3 people) and personally, with a very diverse set of friends - a Pakistani best-friend, his pregnant sister, her Japanese boyfriend, 2 gay dudes, and a steady but bad-tempered girlfriend. Enter Mishka, an on-the-edge PYT who needs emotional support, which Sid has surprisingly become quite good at (he had celebrity callers like Imran Khan, Riteish Deshmukh & Abhishek Bachhan for practise). Slowly, he starts falling in love with her, and they accidentally meet in person.

Thus start a series of lies, wherein as a phone-friend, he manipulates Mishka into fallng in love with real life Siddharth, overlooking his sweet little idiosyncrasies, the most prominent one being his inability to speak without stammering in front of good looking women (borrowed from a US Sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory', I think). No surprises in the end, here.

Jhootha Hi Sahi reminded me of 'Karthik calling Karthik' and 'Anjaana Anjaani', and yet proved to be much more watchable than both of them. The film has loads of intelligent and comic sequences and dialogues, some of which will really make you laugh out loud. The side characters are all very well-etched out too - even the teeny tiny role by Anaitha Nair, who reprises her first outing from Chak de India - complete with streaked locks and a devil-may-care attitude. Raghu 'Roadies' Ram acts surprisingly well as a Pakistani bookseller promoting the Bhagavad Gita, and add to the mix obnoxious Amit, a brash sister, and her lovelorn boyfriend to complete the package. Pakhi Tyrewaala is unconventional for Bollywood - going by her dressing sense and hairstyle, but still a pleasant surprise. John looks different with glasses, albeit he loses them quite early.

The music is good, but not chart topping. It is actually meant to blend into the film without drawing too much attention. 'Cry Cry' is better than the rest. Coming to the background score, the Director uses it minimalistically, emphasizing on the dialogues - in the first half, you will rarely hear any.

One helluva fun movie, suitable for ages 8 to 80. Very highly recommended. view less

Lying is common, extremely common. Its done in the West, its done back home. In this day and age, who hasnt lied? And trust me, if its to win over... read more

Lying is common, extremely common. Its done in the West, its done back home. In this day and age, who hasnt lied? And trust me, if its to win over someone you love, it definitely makes sense. Fortunately or unfortunately, lying is also quite common in romantic comedies. After all, why else would the lead pair NOT be able to get together till the end? That secret that separates the two has to come out into the open about twenty minutes before curtain call. One argument, one sad song, and one extremely over-the-top reconciliation later, you go back home a happy viewer.
Sadly, this seems to be the blueprint that most romantic comedies follow these days. And although Abbas Tyrewalas second directorial feature after his charming debut, also joins this predictable bandwagon, it still manages to impress thanks to elements like good acting, witty dialogues and a general breezy treatment (Wow. That sounds strangely similar to Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, doesnt it? Well. I guess old habits die hard).

Sid (Abraham) is a nerdy (yeah, really) guy who leads a boring life in London, stammers in the presence of beautiful girls, works in a bookstore named Kaagaz Ke Phool which sells only Indian books and has a weirdly dominating girlfriend Krutika (Manasi Scott) fondly refered to as Kuttika. A strange mix-up later, his number is mistakenly given out in the form of a suicide helpline for Indians. After a few apprehensions, he agrees to become a middle man of sorts for the agency first offering free advice, and if the poor desperate souls persist, then pushing them onto actual volunteers. Amongst the many callers he manages to save, is Mishka (Pakhi). Sid soon becomes an anonymous telephonic confidante for her, helping her every step of the way. But a chance encounter in person ensues a web of lies, and now Sid must lead a double life. One as himself, and one as Mishkas fidato. Further trouble is caused as Sid starts to fall for the damsel in distress and starts using his position as the counselor to push Mishka towards his real self.

Comparisons to numerous romantic comedies is inevitable and quite likely , but all said and done, it is a little disappointing to see Tyrewalas heavy borrowing from Hugh Grant-Julia Roberts starrer Notting Hill, and his meshing it with his own creation, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. Quite honestly, youll wonder whether he takes inspiration or simply suffers from a lack of ideas. Numerous parallels will take you back to the hit film and its predecessor Four Weddings and a Funeral. The script is redundant and unsurprising. It is actually difficult to understand why this film has been set and shot in London at all, and couldnt be placed in any metro city in India (leaving aside the Tower Bridge sequence). Plotholes like Mishka sudden transformation to lucid from complete basket-case, why she wouldnt ask for her dates phone number earlier and how an untrained person like Sid can offer advice to people with suicidal tendencies, amongst many others) must be forgotten to get anything close to paisa-vasool from this film. Add to that an excrutiatingly stretched climax.

Still, Jhootha Hi Sahi soars past predictable and illogical thanks to a superb ensemble cast, and some deliciously sharp dialogue. John Abraham seems to be getting better with each film. Hes strangely believable as the bespectacled nerdy Sid (the Clark Kent of this story) and his transformation to a somewhat Superman is quite appealing. Although sadly for the girls, theres hardly any skin show on his part. Pakhi Tyrewala perhaps plays the female lead better than the writer of this film. And although she looks a bit aged than the rest of the cast, shes quite spontaneous, has good dialogue delivery, and is generally promising. But the ensemble cast is aided by Sids friends a surprise package in the form of best friend Omar (Raghu), his pregnant sister Aliya (Alishka Verde), her firangi boyfriend, and two other gay friends. This assortment of talents becomes believable thanks to the immense chemistry, camaraderie and extremely well-written banter. Kudos to the Tyrewalas, the real life couple, for that. Anaitha Nair as Mishkas friend Sushi is impressive in her small role. Madhavan is unnecessarily beefed up, and wasted in an unlikable character.

The music by Rahman once again isnt one of his best, but Cry Cry and Mayya Yashoda are quite pleasurable, although almost all the songs have been picturised well. The background score is perfectly apt. The art direction and styling is good. Cinematography is brilliant, and obviously London looks beautiful. The editing could have been much crisper.

At the end of the day, Jhootha Hi Sahi is quite like Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, full of mush and friendly fun. Sure its predictable, but it manages to capture your heart thanks to the brilliant repartee and great acting. And if these two reasons are enough to keep you going beyond its almost 3-hour runtime, its definitely worth a watch. Grab your friends for some unapologetically sappy and mushy rom-com time.
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This movie has been accused of being plagiarized from Friends