Music: Pyarelal, Anu Malik, RDB, Sandesh Shandilya, Rahul Seth, Sanjoy Chowdhary
Cast: Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Anupam Kher, Nafisa Ali, Johnny Lever, Puneet Issar, Kulraj Randhawa, Himanshu Mallik, Sucheta Khanna, Emma Brown Garett
After the melodramatic APNE in 2007, Dharam paji ka pariwar is back together in Samir Karnik’s Yamla Pagla Deewana once again. And the outcome, well I never thought I would be able to say this about a Samir Karnik film – BRILLIANT. The film doesn’t fail to entertain for one single moment and the audience are definitely in for a wonderful laugh riot, a rarity in Hindi Cinema nowadays.
Story: The story starts with Ajay Devgan providing the voice-over about the films of the seventies where the family splits under very unusual circumstances and everyone is reunited once again for a Happy Ending (the footages of B.R. Chopra’s Waqt, Nasser Hussain’s Yaadon ki Baarat and Manmohan Desai’s Amar Akbar Anthony are shown). Understandably, this is supposed to belong to that cliched genre, yet a successful seventies Hindi Cinema formula.
Paramveer Singh Dhillon (Sunny Deol) is a Indian settled in Vancouver (Canada) with two kids, a foreign wife and mother (played by Nafisa Ali). He is leading a happy and comfortable life except that he does not know the whereabouts of his father Dharam Singh (played by Dharmendra) who runs away with his brother Gajodhar Singh (played by Bobby Deol) during his childhood.
One fine day, a family who newly moves into his neighbourhood visits them and one of the members from the family recognises Dharam Singh from the photograph hanging on the wall. He complains that he was robbed by this man when he was in Benaras not less than six months ago. So, Paramveer sets off to Benaras to find his missing brother and father.
The rest of the story is about how he finds them and how he tries to reunite his family with a to be solved brother’s love story problem which leads to event after event that has everybody in splits.
Performances: The story had enough scope for all the lead cast and nowhere in the movie would one feel that the Deols were forced into the script. Each one delivers thir best. It was a respite to watch the veteran Dharmendra (our He-Man) back on screen with a bang. Dharampaji delivers a brilliant performance which includes a lot of funny one liners.
Sunny Deol was at his usual ease with the character of a Sardar. There is no yelling of dialogues that we usually get to see in his performances. Sunny Deol understood his role well and delivers a subtle and niche performance. All his soft dialogues are well compensated by his macho fights, not to forget the scene in the climax where he just shouts and the goons begin to fly.
Bobby Deol was very good as both a conman and lover boy. He is absolutely comfortable when acting alongside his brother and father. The re-enacting of the tanki scene from Sholay and the Gabbar style scene are nice.
Kulraj Randhawa (Saheba), whose earlier works were only in Punjabi makes a neat and clean debut and she is at ease.
Anupam Kher as Joginder Singh is simply brilliant. A wonderful role for the veteran performer after a long time and he makes sure that the audience love this Sardar’s character absolutely. His scenes with a revolver in his hand at all times are simply superb.
Johnny Lever does a cute little cameo and he is impressive. Sucheta Khanna (Poli), the heroine’s brothers and their friend Binda (played by Amit Mistry), Emma Brown Garett (as Mary), the two kids and Puneet Issar are all good.
Technical Aspects: This is not a new story and since the story involves the Deol pariwar, the audience might feel they know what they are in for. But, let me tell you – you will be surprised with what you will get. Instead of an action-packed melodrama, director Samir Karnik wields a wonderful comedy and the audience are sure to walk out of the cinemas with a sense of satisfaction.
The music was good with the title song standing out. Cinematography and screenplay are decent. Editing could have been better. Fights are both hilarious and filled with action. Watch out for the luka-chupi episode in the climax – wonderful.
This Lodhi, watch Yaadon ki Baarat and Amar Akabar Anthony the Andaz Apna Apna style.
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