MUSIC | PREVIEW | MUSIC REVIEW

             Bhagam Bhag is a perfect example of the final product failing to match the enormous hype. For the convoluted plot, a stream of uninspired star cast, ear-splitting-music and a torturous almost-three-hour length makes ‘Bhagam Bhag’ a heap of suffering. And if you want the dope on the much-looked-forward-to ‘comeback’ of comedy king Govinda, then the news is overweight by at least twenty kgs. Need I say more! If you want to be taken seriously as a leading man and you can’t control your weight and care to look good (that flab on the face is a good advertisement for a mutton shop), then you don’t have any business of being in the showbiz. Except for a few stray comic situations in a typical Priyadarshan fashion, ‘Bhagam Bhag’ disappoints. It will be difficult for even Akshay Kumar to salvage this crazy-race-to-nowhere.

Bunty (Akshay Kumar) and Babla (Govinda) work as actors in Sethji’s (Paresh Rawal) theatre company. Their ‘innocent’ flirtations with the lead (Tanushree Dutta) results in a precarious situation as the upset heroine leaves them in a lurch (literally) while they were ready to fly to London for a performance of their lifetime. The race begins in gusto to get a new heroine in London. Nisha (Lara Dutta), the damsel-in-distress is the answer. But she suffers from suicidal tendencies. Or does she! She almost comes under guide Gullu’s (Rajpal Yadav) English Taxi.

Bunty, the B.A in English lukha dude romances the sensuous Nisha only to realize that she is married to Vikram (Arbaaz Khan). Bouts of madness later she sets herself on fire…Allegations are thrown around….Race begins again….All this while there are volley of characters in search of pudiya (drugs) adding to the comedy-of-chaos. And then there’s Shakti Kapoor-Razzaq Khan combo. Each more stupefying than the other. After a point of time, the gags stop making you laugh. Not even smile. As for Govinda….It seemed as if he is acting out of his memory of the golden days when he ruled the roost. His role is nothing but an extended side-kick who pouts and preens, looks terribly haggard and out of sorts.

The moments when Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal share screen space, it seems as if it is ‘Hera Pheri Part III’ (without the wonderful humour though). Govinda is not the only casualty in this film. Paresh Rawal in an ill defined role looks totally out of place. For people who were regaled by this genius of an actor in films like ‘Hera Pheri’, ‘Hulchul’, ‘Hungama’, Malamaal Weekly’ etc. will be sorely disappointed. You can say Akshay Kumar is the best thing about this film but even he is far from his own standards that he set in films like ‘Garam Masala’, ‘Deewane Hue Paagal’ and ‘Hera Pheri III’. His escapades with Shakti Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav and Razzaq Khan bring out some wonderfully funny moments. And you don’t mind that they don’t have anything to do with the flow of the film.

Lara Dutta is passable while Tanushree Dutta is hardly there. She sizzles in the track ‘Pyaar Ka Signal’ at the beginning of the credit line and before you’ve settled in your seat she goes missing. For good

Pritam’s music is loud and bordering on crass at times. Except for Kunal Ganjawala powered ‘Tere Bin’, none of the numbers are high on Appeal Quotient. ‘Afreen’ is choregraphed beautifully but the Broadway Musical feel is way over the top as a music composition. Jeeva’s camera work is fine. The real culprit is the dialogue-peddler Neeraj Vohra who has got it all mixed up. His lines evoke half a laugh but not more. No, he is not in the same form as ‘Phir Hera Pheri’ or ‘Golmaal’

As for Priyadarshan, then he needs to reinvent himself fast. No, I don’t have a problem with him lifting ideas from Malayalam hits. But it has to make sense. If he wishes to make a film like ‘Bhagam Bhag’ again then he may soon run out of takers. Alright the film will partially appeal to the frontbenchers but it loses steam as it unfolds. I think ‘Malamaal Weekly’ was hilarious. Even ‘Chup Chup Ke’ was worth-watching for most part. But I don’t think I can say the same thing about ‘Bhagam Bhag’. For it’s a tired attempt at making you laugh. Santa isn’t gonna be hollering at the Box Office….Ho Ho Ho…