Yamla Pagla Deewana

Once again we get to see the Deols after Apne, which did a decent box office business. No doubt the music of 'Yamla Pagla Deewana' deserves to be i... read more

Once again we get to see the Deols after Apne, which did a decent box office business. No doubt the music of 'Yamla Pagla Deewana' deserves to be in lime-light but frankly the movie itself is a onetime watch. This time the trio on the canvas of Samir Karnik, who is known for many misses like Heroes, Nannhe Jaisalmer and Vada Raha did a better job but still there are many loop-holes in his latest flick as well. The story loses momentum after half-time and gets confusing for viewers. It's a senseless comic flick in which Dharmendra plays the role of a conman. As an audience you will get to see the trio making fun of each other but the biggest problem is that the story is stretched so far that at one point of time it looks like never-ending.

The narration could have been crispier even the gags are sporadically funny so not that appealing. Bobby Deol has long roles but he did not live upto them. One good decision taken by Samir was to pitch in five music directors. They not only gave their best but also lifted a bar for the movie. Every song comes with Punjabi flavor and honestly I loved it.

Samir Karnik could have portrayed each character in a much better way and that would have hit the bulls eye. Even the script by Jaswinder Singh Bhath did not support the whole idea of YMG that well. Movie also introduces Kulraj Randhawa who did a decent job. Dharam Ji, India's evergreen macho man delivered his best but film-makers did not use his potential in a proper way. Sunny was the one who looked like having most fun on the sets as it was visible onscreen as well. Bobby was mainly there for songs and romantic sequences but was inexpressive at times.

Footer: Though the movie will not be a block-buster but the tracks are already and will be heard in clubs & parties for sure.
view less

The promos cut for hindi films these days are absolutely brilliant. YPD had a brilliant first promo which compelled me to watch this movie. I had m... read more

The promos cut for hindi films these days are absolutely brilliant. YPD had a brilliant first promo which compelled me to watch this movie. I had my apprehensions after finding out that Samir Karnik had directed this movie. Samir has an impressive bad movies list on his resume. But alas I love giving second chances and lo I was drawn into watching YPD with some sort of expectations.

The central plot of YPD is Apne meets Baap Numbari Beta Dus Numbari. Add extra garnish of Yashraj punjabi and Sajid Khan humor to it and you get Yamla Pagla Deewana. YPD starts off on a funny note and then nose dives into (Yawn) boring the audience. In patches some of the scenes are hilarious and in most parts snoozy and silly.

Dharam and Gajodhar are the father son duo who con people with utmost ease. The other half of their family, Dharam's wife and elder son Paramveer were separated when Paramveer and Gajodhar were little. Paramveer who has now settled in Canada comes to know of his father's existence and goes to India to look for his lost family and get them back. What follows is some mad cap comedy and a silly love story.

The movie finds difficulty in concentrating on one core storyline. It keeps jumping from family drama to comedy to con artists to a love story. But at least the movie has some story to it unlike the mindless brainless Akshay Kumar comedies we have been seeing lately.

Music wise this film is poorer than the poor. It is highly difficult to sit through the songs. In an already slow movie, these songs feel like road blocks.

Acting wise Sunny makes a strong impression. He demonstrates his funny side and I was pleasantly surprised by his comic timing. Bobby overdoes his naive, lover boy act. Dharmendra just looks way too old for the character and it was sad to see him doing such a role. The three when together though do create some magic on the screen. Kulraj looks beautiful and is good in her part. Anupam Kher was at his hilarious best.

Writer Jasvinder Singh Bath saved this movie from being a total disaster. Some of the jokes and few one liners were really funny. One scene that stood out for me was when Sunny gets drunk with a bucket full of whiskey and calls out Anupam Kher and his brothers. The inconsistent writing though marks the movie's downfall. Director Samir Karnik, once more gave me reasons not to watch his movies in the future. The pace of the movie is way too slow and by the second hour of the movie I could not wait for it to finish.

Overall, you can watch it once if you have nothing else to do.

Reasons to watch:
The 3 deols together and some funny one liners.

Reasons to skip:
Too slow and long.
Does not live up to its hype.
Overdose of punjabi.

Repeat Value: None. view less

Sameer Karniks production house is called Top Angle and he must be looking at his scripts with that same angle. The tag line of the film is In Punj... read more

Sameer Karniks production house is called Top Angle and he must be looking at his scripts with that same angle. The tag line of the film is In Punjab, Do as the Punjabis do for the director it would read as when working with Deol, do as the Deols want.

The trailer promised us a fun entertainer which would be a story about two con men but the film just another attempt to salvage Bobby Deols career with both father & brother lending able support. The first half is an exercise in patience filled with two item songs, a boring love track and some amateur writing. It is only in the 2nd half that the film finds its rhythm but by then its too late. Because of an exhausting first half you cant even laugh at some good jokes post interval. Only in the climax do you see the madness which should have been there throughout the film. This is Samir Karniks 5th film and it looks like he has taken upon himself to give Bobby Deol a hit film. Maybe this time his prayers will be answered. But as a director he still hasnt made the cut yet. Bobby is quite comfortable playing a role which he has played in most of his earlier films. What he desperately needs is a solid script with which he can bounce back. This one is not that script. There is also a nod to his earlier films like Barsaat & Kareeb in the climax. Dharmendra looks ill and tired and plays a caricature of himself. It is sad to watch him do roles like these. The last time someone gave him the respect he deserved as an actor was by Sriram Raghvan in Johnny Gaddar. Then, it is left to the dhai kilo ke haath wala action hero to salvage this film. He looks a dude in that 3/4th shorts and a pagdi. His roar scene is the highpoint of the film. Anupam Kher is fun as JoPaaji. Sucheta Khannas ( she made her debut with a film called Naam Kya Hai)scenes made me smile the most in the film. For me, she was the star of the film. She gets the best scenes than even the heroine Kulraj Randhawa who doesnt have much to do except show her newly done nose job.

Final few words: enter after interval and you will get a half decent entertainer. Watch it from the beginning and you are doomed.

My rating: ** (Average)

Ticket Meter: worth a 100/- buck
view less

20 minutes before the End, Anupam Kher urf Jo Paaji screams, "Ye to kisi ghatiya hindi film ka godown lag raha hae !" I could barely suppress a chu... read more

20 minutes before the End, Anupam Kher urf Jo Paaji screams, "Ye to kisi ghatiya hindi film ka godown lag raha hae !" I could barely suppress a chuckle. The Deols have used every goddamn filmi antic that they have popularized over the years to come up with a half-decent flick. A glimpse at some:

1) Dharam paaji's tanki act from Sholay
2) Sunny Deol's superhuman strength
3) Sunny Deol's stainless steel bones
4) Sunny Deol's high decibel shriek
5) Sunny Deol's handpump
6) Bobby Deol's nothing
7) DDLJ's Mandira Bedi and SRK try-angle (Ohh wait ! Did that have any Deol Connection ?? Never mind)

A bright spark was Kulraaj Randhawa as Bobby's love interest, and that too because I have an internal bias for her - She used to star in a sitcom on Star One 5 years ago. The rest of the act could have used a little snipping to make it of manageable length - with a runtime of 2 hours and 40 minutes, it starts stepping on the audience's nerves after a point.

The story - Dharmendra and Bobby are thugs, and Sunny Deol is a Canneda return bhai who comes to India looking for them. After a listless first half, the action moves to Punjab @ Kulraaj Randhawa's home, with a whole gamut of actors introduced (Anupam Kher, Puneet Issar etc.) The second half is comparatively much higher on entertainment and fun, but the fatigue has already set in by then.

During promotional activities, Dharam paaji commented, "We should have made YPD 10 years ago." He was bang on target - it simply doesn't have the edge needed to satisfy multiplex audiences.

I would advise you against visiting the theatre till next Friday, when Kiran Rao releases Aamir Khan. view less

A gag, when stretched beyond limits, turns into a pain in the unmentionables. Yamla Pagla Deewana is perfect example for this. Director Sameer Karn... read more

A gag, when stretched beyond limits, turns into a pain in the unmentionables. Yamla Pagla Deewana is perfect example for this.

Director Sameer Karnik's comedy caper gets the Deols back on screen. Dharmendra and Bobby are a father son duo estranged from their now NRI brother Sunny, who is back from Canada to look for his lost family. What ensues next is a series of mindless and juvenile gags strung together with the flimsy glue of the Deol charm.

Apne, the family's last outing, was a decent box office wonder, which worked mostly and almost only on the Deol khaandaan's innate charm and screen presence. YPD though suffers from the very fact that the Deols are way past their expiry date now.

Bobby hogs the most screen time in the film, a disaster considering that Dharam and Sunny are definitely better actors and that all Bobby can manage is a fixed set of three constipated expressions.

The film begins on a not so bad note, and one laughs and chuckles here and there. But then, thats about it. There is a limit to laughing at inane insane buffoonery, and with this film, that limit gets crossed post the first half hour.

Sameer Karnik needs a rethink on his style. The film neither boasts of flourish, nor even a basic minimal pretense of being a linear narrative.

Watching YPD makes me cringe at the thought that such a large film industry cannot come out with a decent laugh worthy comedy. Does it reflect on our bankruptcy of ideas? Or is it that we just have lost the touch??


view less