(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) It is hard to take on a film franchise that legions love. After all, there must have been something in these ridiculous monsters that even self-respecting critics say they laugh from wherever they watch in on their repeat shows on TV.
Maybe it is the perspective that you lack, to watch a film for its genre, and then take it as mere 'time-pass.' But how long do we go with the same pedestrian formula? If mainstream Hindi film can reinvent itself, as many recent films show, including this weeks' release Secret Superstar, shouldn't Bollywood look inward and look at comedy, even the oddball variety, with fresh eyes and give you something other than 'Madrasi' jokes?
Director Rohit Shetty revels in this sort of drivel. After trying all things nonsensical in real-life, in Golmaal Again (and again and again, looks like), we have extra-ordinary forces out to make you laugh or cry or cow under your seat in horror, not because the ghosts scare you but because of how low and elementary our esteemed actors and crew descent in their attempt to 'make a comedy.'
So as usual we have characters with physical challenges played by Shreyas Talpade and Tushaar Kapoor (guess the kids the film targets are still laughing at all this), as well as the terminally underdeveloped rest-of-the-cast including Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi and Kunal Khemu.
We have Ajay being introduced with a stunt scene that I believe must have been shot on the sidelines of Shah Rukh Khan's Chennai Express, perhaps switching the villains/goons from one set to another, or having the same people fly over and over again against a green screen.
Anyway, this man is like the absolute powerhouse - who can bend other's fingers and knock out an army with one swoop. Arshad plays the slyer one. Leading Kunal and Lucky, he makes money by cheating others with ghost-tricks (oh yes). Of course, on the receiving end there are many South Indians - trying to reinforce the old Bollywood clichs and stereotypes.
We hope things would get better with the lead ladies. But we don't have much luck in that - even in Tabu, who plays some sort of a ghost whisperer while Parineeti Chopra looks as lost as the plot.
Golmaal Again seems surprisingly cloned out and modified from some Tamil horror-comedy flicks, but then we are not talking originality here, are we? In nutshell: You are going to watch five orphans who had for some reason parted ways and are coming together to resolve a 'ghost tale.'
Shockingly mediocre for most of the run-time, the film should have gotten some life from its actors. But Ajay Devgn could very well have been sleepwalking in this role (and his character apparently sleeps a lot and has to be woken up using Tamil actor Vijay's songs), while Tabu - good ol' Tabu - tries to bring some gravitas but doesn't really deliver much impact.
The over-the-top acting that the others deliver is hardly anything noteworthy but if their fans are happy, who are we to complain? Why is an oddball comedy being reviewed, one might ask: The fact is, even if we sit in there, watching it through Rohit Shetty's eyes, you can't but bemoan how little Bollywood has changed even when everything around it has.
Golmaal Again Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Arshad Warsi
Directed by Rohit Shetty
Now playing at theatres in the UAE
Rating: 1.5/5
MENAFN2110201700490000ID1095969586
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.