Blurb
Another Malayalam movie remake, Priyadarshan fails to understand that humor cannot be remade again and again and again. This time Bhagam Bhag did cause a little legal glitch, with the Malayalam movie producer going overboard with copyright violation suit. But as with all Priyadarshan comedies, after all the confusion it ultimately ends up all fine. If you thought the slapstick comedy king Govinda was making a comeback, I guess he’d only be breaking through his clothes with at least 20 pounds of flab extra. It is a disappointment nonetheless.
Story
Bhagam Bhag as the title suggests is a run around story, but tell you what, the speed is never steady. It’s a trio again and this time minus Suneil Shetty and Govinda dons his mantle but the common man’s sincerity and innocence is no longer there. Bunty (Akshay Kumar) and Babla (Govinda) are actors in a theatre company owned by Sethji (Paresh Rawal). The company gets an opportunity of a lifetime to perform in London with an all paid trip. But, the lead actress Tanushree goes missing and no girls can fit that bill perfectly. With no sleep lost they reach London and are confident to find a replacement there. They do manage to get Lara with suicidal tendencies but there’s danger lurking. There’s a murder mystery, a narcotics racket and lots of slap stick humor thrown in.
Performances
Akshay Kumar is the only saving grace in the movie, playing the street smart Bunty. Yet, you would miss the perfect timing as in ‘Hera Pheri’ and ‘Garam Masala.’ Paresh Rawal has hardly grown an inch from Babu Bhai in Hera Pheri. He’s made to wear the same look , almost the same lines and hardly anything to look forward to. Govinda on the other hand does not add any new flavor. He tries hard to make us laugh, but the sudience can only force out a toothless grin. Lara Dutt and Arbaaz Khan have given constrained performances. Tanushree Dutt is hardly there, one blink and you miss her. Rajpal yadav can’t get any dumber. Shakti Kapoor , Jackie Shroff and Asrani are all passé.
Technicalities
Priyadarshan has tried his hand at the same formula the umpteenth time but fails to impress. Lots of confusion, some makes you feel forced into the motions. The humor is bad and it does not evoke the kind of response Priyadarshan is known for. The first part is too much forced laughter and the second part is just not given ample time to develop. The murder mystery is hardly given a thought; it is just copied frame to frame from the Malayalam original. Pritam’s music is crass and comes nowhere close to even Dhoom 2. Sabu Cyril, Priyadarshan’s fav does a good job with sets. The London sights adds some relief to the eye while the mind is made to loop through endless convolutions.
Judgment
It is a leave-your-brains-at-home kind of movie. There’s nothing great in the movie. If you can laugh your way through illogical situational jokes, you can have a look at BB. Priyadarshan must look at something fresh rather than remakes. Audience may easily give this one a pass. Govinda can return to politics or until David Dhawan makes his kind of movies. He just does not fit the bill. Call it comedy if you like!
