JHOOTHA KAHI KA: Movie Review

Comedy has always been a favourite hit formula for filmmakers. Add a tadka of lies and mistaken identity to the menu, and the film surely becomes worth a watch. Punjabi director Smeep Kang (who has made a couple of Punjabi films) remade his own super hit Punjabi film Carry on Jatta (which became one of the highest grossers of Punjabi Cinema) into a Hindi film which released this week called Jhootha Kahi Ka. Is it worth a watch or avoidable? Let’s analyse.

Jhootha Kahi Ka tells a story of two friends of which one friend falls in love with a girl. The girl wants to marry a man who has no family and who is ready to stay in her house after marriage (as her father is wheelchair bound). How the boy lies to the girl about his family and what happens next forms the crux of the story.

Comedy is a serious business actually! The 90s saw a series of blockbuster comedy movies by David Dhawan which became a brand. Apart from actors, especially Govinda, the real backbone of those films were the writers. It is because of those talented writers that David Dhawan's films have a great degree of repeat value even today. It is exactly the same area where Jhootha Kahi Ka falters!!

Direction: Smeep Kang chooses an easily relatable story that has seasoned actors, such as Rishi Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma, Lillette Dubey, and Manoj Joshi. Unfortunately, the movie falls flat because of a poor screenplay. Kang's direction is average, and the film fails to hold ground just within a couple of minutes. We feel bored as the story does not take much turns and twists. The climax is the biggest letdown, and we feel cheated at the absence of a possible drama towards the end.

Technical Departments: Cinematography of the movie is average. Editing could have been sharp. Although the screenplay is weak, few dialogues have good punch lines. The makers seem to force the audience to laugh by creating situational comedy scenes, but that does not help much. The film's highlights are the scenes between Rishi Kapoor and Rajesh Sharma. Music is just bearable.

Performances: You may bring the best of the actors on board, but if the characterisation and screenplay are weak, it cannot save the sinking ship of the film. The ever charming and veteran Rishi Kapoor tries hard to make us laugh and succeeds also (especially in his scenes with Rajesh Sharma) but he is handicapped by a faulty screenplay. Rajesh Sharma gives a decent performance. Lillete Dubey and Manoj Joshi play their parts well. Unfortunately, Rakesh Bedi is completely wasted. Both the lead casts (males and females) have been mediocre with regards to their acting. Jimmy Sheirgill shines. It’s always good to see him on screen, be it in any kind of role. He has a charisma of lifting up even the worst scenes.

WMR Verdict:

Jhootha Kahi Ka targets the youth and may succeed somewhat initially but will not sustain much due to inadequate comic punches and weak screenplay. A onetime watch if you are diehard fan of comedy films.

WMR Rating: 2.5/5.0

Writer Credits: Tapan Pattani