(Also published in http://fwa.co.in/SitePages/Housefull.aspx)
The makers of Houseful 2, Sajid (Khan) & Sajid (Nadiadwala), clearly believe they can laugh their way to the bank as the audience is a fool. Funny. One wouldn’t be surprised if they are proved right. Not funny.
In Houseful 2, they merrily create a big, expensive zoo starting with a crocodile and a python, which quickly turns into a circus with several jokers who fail to crack you up. Dabboo and Chintoo (yes, Randhir Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor allow themselves to be called by their pet names) Kapoor are brothers in arms over Dabboo’s illegitimacy. Chintoo calls himself the ‘real ‘ Kapoor. The brothers swear that they will find the richest son-in- law for their daughters to spite the other.
Hatred runs in the family. Dabboo’s daughter, Bobby, (Jacqueline Fernandez) with a python, and Chintoo’s daughter ,Heena (Asin) with a crocodile make venomous eyes at each other and eventually at muscleman, John Abraham and heroic Akshay Kumar who prance around with the respective crotch biting python and bum biting crocodile and eventually land into a boat unconscious with the girls. They wake up on an island, have a hand to hand combat over a coconut and as quickly hug and make up.
The two hulky bulkies are hired by teeny weeny Riteish Deshmukh, son of rich JD (Mithun Chakraborty) to impersonate him since he cannot walk straight (literally) to his tycoon but simple, Maharashtrian father who is perpetually tending to a harmless, white horse.
So now, there is one ‘real’ JD’s son, and two fake ones created for the Kapoors’ benefit and 50,000 pounds. JD happens to have a shady background and Akshay is the only “kamina”, (son of a rapist, Ranjit) who can help solve the comedy of errors. A fourth comedian, Shreyas Talpade is brought in whenever the jokes fall flat, which happens most of the time. The circus ends up at JD’s palatial London bungalow, continuing to hoodwink the Kapoor brothers along with JD. When all else fails, item specialist, Malaika Arora is brought in to gyrate to ”Anaarkali disco chali” and add more confusion.
The concept itself that involves several lies to cover one lie, is usually not a bad one by itself and provides several situational areas to entertain. The genre of a slapstick comedy provides a large platform for taking liberties and have general fun and has plenty of scope here to be used. But in Houseful 2, the story (not bad, Nadiadwala) sticks to predictable situations, convoluted plot, too many caricature characters that have been done to death before. An unimaginative screenplay cluttered with too many subplots and back stories (Sajid Khan,Tushar Hiranandani) and silly, non funny dialogues (Sajid,Farhad) like “mere baap ki hat-ti hai toh meri phat-ti hai” and “langoors, have my angoors’ fail to add the mildest entertainment.
As far as performances go, Akshay and John try hard to look crazy and stupid. The ever jovial Rishi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor, who unfortunately could have been a big draw and might have shown potential to make a great pair for future films together, don’t succeed in lifting their characters much. It’s sad to watch the famous actors of yore dancing to Sajid&Sajid’s circus tunes. Mithun is neither convincing as JD, the tycoon nor Jagga the daaku. It’s sickening to see him chasing a dwarf woman around a tree in one sequence and falling all over Malaika in the next. Boman Irani ‘s usual squeal takes on various pitches that fall flat.
Shreyas and Riteish are the most natural of the lot and totally admirable for their effortless antics. The poor rich cousins - Jacqueline Fernandez and Asin don’t go beyond colurful contact lenses. Zarine Khan and Shazahn Padamsee simply need to look themselves to act sweet and dumb. Johnny Lever irritates more, performs less with his usual set of expressions. Chunky Pandey makes you laugh as little as his moustache can twitch. Ranjit as the famous rapist, is by far the most convincing, so established he is by his incredible and impressive past movies CV and consistent leer maintained in his brief appearance as his own spoof in Houseful 2.
The songs are better than the movie, with light music by Sajid-Wajid and decent, situational lyrics that do justice (Sameer Anjaan) like “Papa to band bajaaye” and “Anaarkali disco chali”.The cinematography and edit are pretty much functional. Costumes like hot pink and bright yellow shirts make their presence felt more than those sporting them.
A loud, fun and over the top masala entertainer is always welcome until it becomes a mammoth waste of megabucks on retard fare. This slapstick comedy slaps more, sticks less. A visit to a real zoo and a circus might provide more value for the money than the story of the ‘real’ Kapoor and the “real’ son of ….JD.
The makers of Houseful 2, Sajid (Khan) & Sajid (Nadiadwala), clearly believe they can laugh their way to the bank as the audience is a fool. Funny. One wouldn’t be surprised if they are proved right. Not funny.
In Houseful 2, they merrily create a big, expensive zoo starting with a crocodile and a python, which quickly turns into a circus with several jokers who fail to crack you up. Dabboo and Chintoo (yes, Randhir Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor allow themselves to be called by their pet names) Kapoor are brothers in arms over Dabboo’s illegitimacy. Chintoo calls himself the ‘real ‘ Kapoor. The brothers swear that they will find the richest son-in- law for their daughters to spite the other.
Hatred runs in the family. Dabboo’s daughter, Bobby, (Jacqueline Fernandez) with a python, and Chintoo’s daughter ,Heena (Asin) with a crocodile make venomous eyes at each other and eventually at muscleman, John Abraham and heroic Akshay Kumar who prance around with the respective crotch biting python and bum biting crocodile and eventually land into a boat unconscious with the girls. They wake up on an island, have a hand to hand combat over a coconut and as quickly hug and make up.
The two hulky bulkies are hired by teeny weeny Riteish Deshmukh, son of rich JD (Mithun Chakraborty) to impersonate him since he cannot walk straight (literally) to his tycoon but simple, Maharashtrian father who is perpetually tending to a harmless, white horse.
So now, there is one ‘real’ JD’s son, and two fake ones created for the Kapoors’ benefit and 50,000 pounds. JD happens to have a shady background and Akshay is the only “kamina”, (son of a rapist, Ranjit) who can help solve the comedy of errors. A fourth comedian, Shreyas Talpade is brought in whenever the jokes fall flat, which happens most of the time. The circus ends up at JD’s palatial London bungalow, continuing to hoodwink the Kapoor brothers along with JD. When all else fails, item specialist, Malaika Arora is brought in to gyrate to ”Anaarkali disco chali” and add more confusion.
The concept itself that involves several lies to cover one lie, is usually not a bad one by itself and provides several situational areas to entertain. The genre of a slapstick comedy provides a large platform for taking liberties and have general fun and has plenty of scope here to be used. But in Houseful 2, the story (not bad, Nadiadwala) sticks to predictable situations, convoluted plot, too many caricature characters that have been done to death before. An unimaginative screenplay cluttered with too many subplots and back stories (Sajid Khan,Tushar Hiranandani) and silly, non funny dialogues (Sajid,Farhad) like “mere baap ki hat-ti hai toh meri phat-ti hai” and “langoors, have my angoors’ fail to add the mildest entertainment.
As far as performances go, Akshay and John try hard to look crazy and stupid. The ever jovial Rishi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor, who unfortunately could have been a big draw and might have shown potential to make a great pair for future films together, don’t succeed in lifting their characters much. It’s sad to watch the famous actors of yore dancing to Sajid&Sajid’s circus tunes. Mithun is neither convincing as JD, the tycoon nor Jagga the daaku. It’s sickening to see him chasing a dwarf woman around a tree in one sequence and falling all over Malaika in the next. Boman Irani ‘s usual squeal takes on various pitches that fall flat.
Shreyas and Riteish are the most natural of the lot and totally admirable for their effortless antics. The poor rich cousins - Jacqueline Fernandez and Asin don’t go beyond colurful contact lenses. Zarine Khan and Shazahn Padamsee simply need to look themselves to act sweet and dumb. Johnny Lever irritates more, performs less with his usual set of expressions. Chunky Pandey makes you laugh as little as his moustache can twitch. Ranjit as the famous rapist, is by far the most convincing, so established he is by his incredible and impressive past movies CV and consistent leer maintained in his brief appearance as his own spoof in Houseful 2.
The songs are better than the movie, with light music by Sajid-Wajid and decent, situational lyrics that do justice (Sameer Anjaan) like “Papa to band bajaaye” and “Anaarkali disco chali”.The cinematography and edit are pretty much functional. Costumes like hot pink and bright yellow shirts make their presence felt more than those sporting them.
A loud, fun and over the top masala entertainer is always welcome until it becomes a mammoth waste of megabucks on retard fare. This slapstick comedy slaps more, sticks less. A visit to a real zoo and a circus might provide more value for the money than the story of the ‘real’ Kapoor and the “real’ son of ….JD.
Another nasty but hilarious review. Another movie I need not bother to watch, thanks to you! Reminds me so much of Khalid M's reviews from the 1970's and '80's. I'd suggest you leave one line space between paragraphs. Difficult to read the text otherwise.
ReplyDeleteCheers ... Chari. (svrchari@blogspot.in)
Thank you,don't mean to be nasty really:)being compared to the great Khalid M is a huge compliment.Will do the needful about the spacing,thanks for the feedback.
ReplyDeleteबढ़िया रिव्यू लिखा है। मस्त !
ReplyDeleteShukriya,Satishji:)
ReplyDeleteWas any thing else expected from these film-makers? What is it, besides the motivation for making big bucks, that makes such guys create such circus? What does it say about them if they consider the audience as fools? Are they?
ReplyDeleteWell,the box office figures show that the makers are smart enough to cash in on an audience desperate to come out of their miserable lives just to laugh at anything passed off as a joke.
ReplyDeleteDesperate audience. Miserable lives. So it does mean that audience accept trash since they don't have any thing better to do, or maybe they tend to be lazy or...slow.
ReplyDeleteHowever the question remains unanswered about the 'smart makers' - what is it about them, besides huge money, that keeps them aiming for LCD? Also, many try to emulate the formula and fail but these (smart) buggers working hand-in-glove with the 'stars' do churn out stuff that is...trash. But a 'hit'.
Isn't this dangerous - the more the hits they make, the more they shall come out with? We shall keep getting such dope and the more film-makers will be focusing on such stuff than trying to do something constructive. Though yes, we all deserve 'em.