A section of trade and moviegoers often complain that our makers don’t make enough masala films or films that are relatable and ‘Hindi films’ in real sense. In that regard, Sweetiee Weds NRI is that Hindi film that can appeal to a vast section of moviegoers. It has romance, a crazy family, music, madness and villains as well. But still it emerges as an apology in the name of Hindi cinema. The script is amateurish and third grade and it’s bewildering how it got approved in the first place!

The story of the movie: Bhoolabhai Desai (Darshan Jariwala) is a rich man based in Vadodara whose only dream is to get his daughter Sweetie (Zoya Afroz) married to an NRI. Sweetie however is in love with Akash Patel (Himansh Kohli) from her college. Akash is an orphan and has no clear plans for future which prevents Sweetie from confessing to her father about their relationship. She tries a lot to ensure no potential NRI comes to see her. But sadly, a prospective groom, Rasiklal (Ankit Arora) arrives and all hell breaks loose.

Sweetiee Weds NRI is a dud from the word ‘Go’. From loud background score to overacting to supposedly funny dialogues that are anything but funny, the film has many such elements that don’t work in today’s times. The romance is half-baked too. Suddenly, a villain’s track is introduced in the film in the second half. The film reaches a highpoint in the pre-climax when baaraatis start running helter-skelter a la climax of a Priyadarshan flick. One assumes that it’s the end but no! The film still goes on and on needlessly leading to another bhagam-bhag style sequence which was indeed the finale.

What works are few performances and songs. Himansh Kohli has a great screen presence and is quite good. The character however doesn’t allow him to do much. Zoya Afroz looks stunning and delivers a fine performance. Darshan Jariwala is okay in most scenes but overacts in some of the sequences. It’s sad to see that an actor who has played Mahatma Gandhi and who even won a National Award is playing such a silly character. Shreyas Pardiwalla (Einstein) is decent in a supporting role. Ankit Arora (Shekhar) and Shekhar Shukla (Amit Shah) leave a mark. Others like Kiran Juneja (Jigna), Adi Irani (Jazz), Babloo Mukherji (Bubba) and Shruti Gholap (Bubba’s wife) are okay.

Music is melodious. Songs are not just well composed but well shot as well. Amar Mohile’s background is loud and outdated. Udaysingh Mohite and Madhu S Rao’s cinematography is quite good. The locales of Vadodara are beautifully captured. Tariq Mohammad’s story is poor but could have still worked if screenplay was better. But even that fails. The conflicts in the second half make zero sense. Dialogues are childish. Hasnain Hyderabadawala’s direction is strictly okay and with such a bad script and dialogues, there’s little he could have done with his execution.

On the whole, Sweetiee Weds NRI should be avoided at all costs.

My rating - * out of 5!

EXTREME DELUGE OF RELEASES TOMORROW

It’s that time of the year again when multiple small films will try their luck at the box office. What’s unique about tomorrow is that these Hindi films not only have to contend with themselves, they also have to face competition from Hollywood biggies like Baywatch and Wonder Woman and a big Marathi film (FU, starring Sairat actor Akash Thosar). My analysis of these films:

DOBAARA: It is the official remake of the well-loved Hollywood horror film Oculus. It stars real-life siblings Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem. The trailer looks good and if it’s as good as the remake, then it can make a mark in the metros at least. The hype however is limited and looks quite niche. Hence, the reach will be limited despite good response.

A DEATH IN THE GUNJ: It marks the directorial debut of Konkona Sen Sharma and stars Vikrant Massey, Konkona Sen Sharma, Ranvir Shorey, late Om Puri and many others. It is a period film based in 1979 in a small gunj. The film has been screened at various festivals and response has been highly positive. Sadly, it’s a very niche film and such films never succeed commercially.

DEAR MAYA: It marks the return of Manisha Koirala after a hiatus. The trailer promises an interesting fare. Again, the excitement is zero and this will surely lead to very poor collections.

HANUMAN DA DAMDAAR: It is an animated film and based on Lord Hanuman with a difference. That’s because the gods here are seen in talking in contemporary Hindi. Salman Khan himself has voiced Lord Hanuman. However, this casting coup hasn’t yielded any results and the film is all set for a poor opening.

SWEETIEE WEDS NRI: It stars Yaariyan actor Himansh Kohli along with The Expose heroine Zoya Afroz. The trailer is decent and the songs are eye catching. But the hype isn’t much that will pull audiences to theatres. The collections in fact can be disastrous.

MIRROR GAME: Getting audiences to see a psychological thriller is always difficult. And when the star cast is weak (but talented) like Parvin Dabas, Pooja Batra and Omi Vaidya, the chances of its success are even weak. Mirror Game can have the poorest collections of all these films sadly though it can be a thrilling fare.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ANY OF THESE FILMS AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

India’s star voice Arijit Singh and Pakistani singer Atif Aslam to feature in a Bollywood song together
Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; May 30, 2017)

Pakistani musicians used to be active in Bollywood until the September 2016 Uri attacks strained diplomatic and cultural ties between India and Pakistan. In the wake of the incident, the exchange thinned, with only a couple of films continuing to feature songs by Pakistani singers. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan crooned Aazaadiyan for Begum Jaan and Atif Aslam sang Hoor in Irrfan Khan-starrer Hindi Medium.

Now, young composer Palash Muchhal, who has worked on upcoming film Sweetiee Weds NRI, is reaching out to talent across the border, with a track rendered by top Indian singer Arijit Singh and Aslam.

Titled Musafir, the song has four versions in the film, one of them features the duo. “It’s a heart-touching and emotional track. I tried my best to bring out the ‘dard’ in the song,” says Aslam.

Explaining why he thought of chosing Arijit and Atif, Palash says, “They are extremely talented musicians and my favourites, too. I have grown up listening to Atif and I love Arijit’s voice. Both express pain, and I needed that for Musafir.” The composer adds that when the singers heard the tune, they instantly agreed to record it.

His sister, singer Palak Muchhal, has penned the lyrics for the number.

Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; May 13, 2017)

Soured relations between India and Pakistan over the past several months have dealt a major setback to artistes from across the border, resulting in minimal exchange of art. However, Pakistani artistes have off and on found a way to reach out to fans. In the latest instance, singer Atif Aslam has sung a Bollywood song — using the virtual medium.

Titled Musafir, the number features in the soundtrack of Himansh Kolhi-starrer Sweetiee Weds NRI. The music has been composed by Palash Muchhal.

What’s interesting is that the Be Intehaan singer recorded it at a studio in Pakistan with Palash live on FaceTime. “When I spoke to Atif about the song, he loved the track and wanted to record it. The song was recorded through a video call and I directed him via FaceTime. It was a different experience and also the first time I worked on a song in such a unique manner,” says Palash.