Bol Bachchan: Loud, Funny and Unfunny

Rohit Shetty is a Hrishi Da fan. It’s a fact that he tries too hard to prove which might even make it look like a fixation. He borrows not only the story but also the footage of the famous comedy GolMaal but can only do what a Rohit Shetty can do out of that. By now we all know what to expect from his films. Loud comedy which is occasionally funny and unfunny where grown ups mouth inane dialogues like “Maine Aapke Tooth Paste Khaya”, gravity defying stunts with automobiles running into each other or over each other and of course Ajay Devgn.

Bol Bachchan is the kind of film, which you would enjoy if you were prepared enough to let your grey cells go for a ride for the entire duration of the film. Once you have set your benchmarks and are willing to suspend your disbeliefs it is an enjoyable fare. True, it takes time in setting up and the gay comedy is a bit overdone but it still has its moments when it evokes laughter. But make no mistake, by no means is this even a patch on what Hrishikesh Mukherjee has done with this comedy of errors.

Abhishek Bachchan gets a meaty role after a long time and with no difficult regional dialects to master, he appears comfortable and very enthusiastic in his portrayal of Abhishek Bachchan and Abbas Ali. His gay act and the dancing sequence are the stuff of hoi polloi and elicit guffaws. Ajay Devgn seems to be having fun speaking terrible English and an accented Hindi but his role seems to be written like an extended cameo made into a full fledged one as an afterthought. The women get a raw deal with underwritten characters providing little scope to perform or impress. There are a couple of forgettable songs injected into the narrative, which slacken the pace, and the Welcome/No Entry style ending is getting too predictable. However Shetty is in his elements with his over the top action sequences, which are fun to watch or ridiculous to believe depending on which side of the benefit of doubt you give the film. And for a comedy of errors this has decent writing but too many conveniences in the narrative spoil this for the discerning.

In all Bol Bachchan is the kind of film, which you wont feel too sorry for stumbling upon. Just make sure to keep the volume down and be prepared for a mild assault on your intellect.