Ek Main aur Ekk Tu - Movie Review

There are Rom-Coms and then there is Ek main aur Ekk Tu. Having heard that the storyof this rom-com was similar to "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" and Kareena's character was similar to Geet's character in "Jab we Met". However, it was a pleasant surprise to see that though some parts of the story have been inspired by them, but overall, the film holds its own.

The movie starts with Imran classifying the types of children, The smart ones who make a show of obeying their parents, the average obedient ones who obey their parents and the rebels who care a damm. Rahul Kapoor (Imran) is a good looking, "Perfectly Average" guy, whose entire life has been planned by his parents to perfection. His Father (Boman Irani - Effortlessly portrays the ambitious father for whom winning a silver means that you lost the gold!!!!! ), wants him to become and architect, get experience and then join the family business. So he is constantly goaded by his father to do his best while his mother (Ratna Pathak- looking suitably the Socilaite like in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai), gives him tips on  his dressing and hairstyle. They both are not averse to fixing him up with their associates daughter's so that business can mix with pleasure - union of businesses...and ofcourse a marriage of convenience...

Well, as always well laid plans are always are meant to go astray and so the same happens here (if it didnt the movie would be mind numbingly boring).  Rahul loses his job on christmas eve, goes to a pyschologist, bumps into Rihanna Braganza (Kareena Kapoor playing the Sober form of Geet- Was it the LA Effect???), who mistakes him for something else and then starts the story. ......

Rahul - the straitjacketed inexperienced guy, prim and propah, Rihanna - the older, carefree and obviously experienced gal get together, have a blast in Vegas and then get married- just like that. What happens thereafter is predictable to an extent, but is protrayed sensibly and does not go over the top (with tears that could put Ganges to shame and force you to wipe your eyes). Their budding friendship and its subsequent ramifications are interesting and .... oh..let me not spill the beans...go and watch it.

Overall, the movie had the KJO touch, with songs merging very well with the story ( my favourite is Auntyji), some excellent understated acting by Imran Khan and a mature, but bubbly performance by Kareena. For the first time, this rom-com does it differently and that makes it worth a watch...

Rating - *** and */2 for the twist...:).You can read the Kaveree Bamzai review and the Rediff Movies for a second opinion

The Auntyji Song

Gali Gali Mein Chor Hain - Satire without the Fizz

 
Everyonce a while, comes along a movie that has a lot of promise, but somehow does not live up to it.. However, all said and done, this movie's  screen play (a satire on the times we live in) starts off on a promising note and like a tired long distance runner... gives up in the end.

The movie is has three plots running side by side and all converge towards the end. Akshaye Khanna (Bharat) is a boring cashier, married to a jealous Shriya Saran (Nisha- A school teacher). They both stay with his father - Satish Kaushik, in Bhopal. The movie starts off with a wandering sadhu (who wanders every week to their house to collect oil and is obliged by the lady of the house). As Bharat keeps grumbling about the cost of oil, the sadhu makes a prophecy that Bharat is about enter one of his darkest phases in his life and is going to be beset by several Misfortunes. The only way to deflect the impending crisis that "Shani Dev" has to be appeased....

The first  track is that Bharat  is a amateur Ramlila actor (playing Hanuman), the second track is that he has given shelter (as a paying guest) to Mugdha Godse (his bosses niece) and cannot tell her to go as he would get transferred to a village and the third track is that he refuses to give a room in his house to the residing MLA's volunteers. So I guess you would have got the plot.....

Just because he refused to give the room to the MLA (insipid performance by the MLA Tripathi and his brother) and his father giving the room to his opponent Mohanlal (Singapore returned NRI wanting to do good), the MLA's brother ropes in the police to harass Bharat. Annu Kapur as the constable and a host of other characters (the portly pan stained pan vendor - the witness,  a thief, a government lawyer, the SHO, all hatch a plot to harass him over  trivial issue (Supposedly a fan stolen from their house which they have to identify in court) and ends up costing him Rs 31000/- in chai paani, bribes and the works. (This entire portion of the movie is"Inspired" by Office-Office and is really tiresome after sometime.

There are enough instances for Nisha to suspect that something is brewing between Mugdha and Bharat( the lipstick mark on his cheeks when she thanks him, the midnight rendezvous at the refrigerator ....) and she leaves home because of that. After that Shani dev takes over and Bharat and his dad are convinced that the FAN   (which turns out that it wasnt theirs after all) is the cause of all worry. The MLA's bro who is playing Ram in the Ramleela, is getting jealous of all accolades that Bharat is getting and is tryng to sabotage him. Bharat's pop wants him to ditch the FAN but every attempt by Bharat to ditch it (throwing it in the lake, leaving it in the bus, ditch etc) all fail and it comes back to him.

In the finale, Bharat gets his bag with the fan mixed up with another bag which has RDX and the terrorists are trying to get it, and finally during Ramleela, dressed as Hanuman, unknowingly is able ditch the bag in the pond and then blah ..blah..he gets arrested , his dad has to grease many people to get his son off..

The movie reinforces the belief that if you are straight, you are going to get kicked and how. If you want your work to be done, u need to be pragmatic. All politicians are goondas and chors and there is nothing one can do about it!!!!!  The feeble attempt at showing some aggression at the end does little to salvage the movie.

Veena Malik's Channo song is decent, and she looks hot...but by that time you are so bored that even she fails to enthuse you.....

Concluding, The movie is a bore, cliched and not very original or inspiring. The satire is there but is tiresome as it is stretched to the limit. A definite Office - Office rip off.... Redeeming factors - Shriya looks really good..but does not get much chance to show off her talent, Akshaye is consistent and good , Annu kapoor is irritating and thats it. Mugdha looks tired and uniterested in a pathetic role, satish kaushik is wasted, the MLA and his bro are terrible (seems like a Dabangg rip off) and the list goes on.......... (I almost slept off writing this review...)

Rating - * */2