CineGoer.com - Bollywood Movie Reviews

Another Comedy From Priyadarshan

APK | September 22, 2007

Rating: *** (***** Very Good, **** Good, *** Fair, ** Average, * Bad)

User comments

Cast: Tanushree Dutta, Rajpal Yadav, Kunal Khemu, Tusshar Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, Om Puri, Payal Rohatgi, Arbaaz Khan, Murli Sharma, Rasika Joshi, Asrani, Tareena Patel, Tiku Talsania, Farida Dadi, Prerna Virender and Others.
Art: Sabu Cyril.
Choreography: Longines Fernandes-Pony Verma.
Director Of Photography: Piyush Shah.
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil, Ashiesh Pandit, Mayur Puri & Amitabh Varma.
Music: Pritam.
Screenplay & Dialogues: Manisha Korde.
Director: Priyadarshan.
Producer: Percept Picture Company.
Release Date: 21st September, 2007.

Boys' comedies seem to be the flavor of the season. Priyadarshan's Dhol is in the same league, having followed the road from Style to Masti and the recent Dhamaal. Dhol is definitely better than the mediocre comedy that was Bhagam Bhaag. It is entertaining, but has no repeat value. It's not a Hera Pheri which you can watch again and again. Time-pass.

Rajpal Yadav, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Khemu and Tusshar Kapoor

Rajpal Yadav, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Khemu and Tusshar Kapoor

Plot Four unemployed guys try to win their rich new neighbor's heart. Ritu comes to the small town to figure out why her brother Rahul committed suicide some time back. The foursome pretend to be her brother's friend and befriend her. Confusion, comedy and finally the truth follow.

Story, Screenplay or Direction This is a remake of the Telugu movie Madhura Nagarilo and the Malayalam In Harihar Nagar. This is a typical Priyadarshan comedy. Situational comedy is good, and the dialogues are well-written. It drags only a little during the climax, where it becomes a little serious. The pace slow down suddenly with one or two scenes, and then it ends.

This follows a format. Unemployed men, a girl, a sub-plot, cops, goons and confusion. Within the format, it is good. It doesn't make for memorable cinema and it is a one-time watch.

Flaws: Rahul Tripathi is supposed to be a boxing champ, but doesn't look it. The whole episode about the 'dhol' doesn't make sense, because no one suspects that there's more to it than that meets the eye. The don opens his lighter in a gas-filled kitchen. Doesn't he smell it?

Highlight Scenes: The havan scene, the scene where the boys make two gangs following them against each other, Rajpal Yadav's character and Ritu's grandparents' mistaken identities of three of them.

Sharman Joshi and Tanushree Dutta

Performances Rajpal Yadav steals the show. His expression, energy and consistency is amazing. Sharman Joshi is not new to comedies and Tusshar Kapoor too. They deliver convincing performances, and their timing with Yadav and comedy genre's new entrant Kunal Khemu is very good. Asrani, Tiku Talsania (as Yadav's mama), Om Puri are good. Farida Dadi as Om Puri's wife and Arbaaz Khan are adequate. Tanushree Dutta is good as is Murali Sharma as a don.

Song and Dance The title song is good, while the rest are passable.

Last Word Priyadarshan gives good comedies. It has situational comedy and the dialogues are funny. The characters and the timing between them is good. The first half is full of fun, while the second half has some seriousness in it. Overall, it is watchable. But it's not Priyadarshan's best yet.