Butt seriously,
the rustic Romeo out here can kick backsides and presto, cure chronic spinal
ailments. It’s just as well that he practised his magic craft way back in the
1920s, or else today he would have encashed gazillions of bucks at a cool
speciality clinic. No such luck.
Truly Firangi,
a period, purportedly kickass-drama set during the British Raj isn’t
worth a narangi. Directed by Rajiev Dhingra and co-produced by its TV
host-cum-actor Kapil Sharma, the outcome is a kind of Lagaan meets a Flat
Gagsfest. Moan, drone.
Kapil Sharma
Indeed once dear
Aamir Khan had required a team of jejune cricketers to combat the goras. In
this case, though, the Kick Maestro turns the wooden carved tables and more,
almost single-handedly. Not a daunting task that, anyway, since the Brits as
depicted by the director, are asking to be treated as nitwits.
Anyway, so there
you are crisscrossing between locations in Punjab and Rajasthan (reportedly),
yoked to Mangatram (Kapil Sharma sir), who irritates you like a hovering
mosquito. Why? Why? Because he has this unorthodox notion, that the
colonialists are super-duper peeps. Eeps. Serving as a disorderly orderly to
Vilayati officer Daniels saab (Edward Sonnenblick), you could call our Mangu a
Chamcha No. 1. Sad.
Kapil Sharma In Firangi
Surely, Mr Bharat
Manoj Kumar, would disapprove of him vehemently. In today’s Bollywood scheme of
thwangs, your pro-Brit also notches up a gallery of naysayers, ranging from the
gaon ki gori (Ishita Dutta) -- whom Mangu has fallen in love with, heads over
mojdis – to the village elders engaged in the mounting struggle for the
nation’s independence. When, o when, will your zero-hero rebel against his own
state of dependence
Patience,
patience. Since the running time of F’rngi is some 160 minutes, the changeover
takes a while, somewhat like a slow boat ride down the River Nile. At long
last, apna Mangu realises the folly of his slavish ways, and you’re sure
now, ab aayega mazaa. Sorry no fun, you just snore away lightly till
Mangu’s new-found patriotic fervour is done, and glorified.
Ishita Dutta And Kapil Sharma In Firangi
Apart from the
Brits, are there any other flies in the ointment on the scene? Sure there are.
Take the meanie-beanie Raja (the ubiquitous but always excellent Kumud Mishra).
In collusion with the British, the Meanie King, wants to take over the
beleagured villager’s bighas of zameen to build a liquor factory. Hic hic!
If this sounds
straight out of an amateur fairly tale, so be it. Meanie, by the way, doesn’t
quite believe that it’s all about loving your family. Oho, how come? Simply
because he’s quite jolly-ho even about organising the marriage of
his daughter (Monica Gill) to Daniels sire. Strange.
Ishita Dutta And Kapil Sharma In Firangi
As you might have
deduced, the screenplay is a cat’s cradle of confusion. If it’s meant to be
funny and zany, Rajiev Dhingra asserts he’s not the director to deliver the
goods. And if you’re looking for basic niceities like a brisk
tempo, a slick production design and imaginative camerawork, just
forget it guys.
As cardboardish
as they come, this showcase structured to exhibit the comic and romanceering
talents of the lead star once again after Abbas Mustan’s Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon
(2014), is an exercise in futility.
The supporting
ensemble strive to do their hard day’s work with due diligence. But that’s it.
If Kapil Sharma makes a point, it’s simply this -- he should stick to the TV
screen. Please, pretty please?
Unsolicited
suggestion: Snore at home instead. It doesn’t cost.
Image Source: Youtube/k9films