Movie review: Phata Poster Nikhla Hero
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Ileana D'Cruz, Padmini Kolhapure, Sanjay Mishra, Saurabh Shukla, Darshan Jariwala.
Director: Rajkumar Santoshi
Ratings:
Shahid Kapoor is a 32-year-old actor. Despite being talented, he hasn't had much luck at the box office and subsequently fallen behind in the rat race of the next Bollywood star. Watching Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, you'll understand why Kapoor chose Raj Kumar Santoshi's film over Yash Raj Films' Shuddh Desi Romance. Phata Poster is a Shahid vehicle out and out. He dances, fights an army of men, gets to do lots of comedy and dialogue-baazi, and briefly indulges in drama and romance. This is Shahid Kapoor announcing that I am a contender too. For most part, he succeeds and gets audience's attention.
Narrative takes a backseat for contrived comic situations in Phata Poster Nikhla Hero. Vishwas Rao (Shahid Kapoor) has dreamt of being an actor since he was a kid but his mother (Padmini Kolhapure) is hell-bent on seeing him as a honest, diligent police officer. When Mumbai beckons Vishwas, he hopes to finally achieve his dream to be a reel-life hero. But Mumbai is not just home to Bollywood but even the big bad underworld. Thanks largely to an overenthusiastic social worker (Ileana D'Cruz, with little to do) who mistakes Vishwas for a cop and runs to him with reports of wrongdoings, Vishwas is forced to become a real-life hero. But when mommy finally sees through his deceit, things go wrong.
There's no space for threat in Santoshi's hunky-dory world. Even the so-called antagonists are a source of amusement. It is one of the reasons why Phata Poster struggles in the second half as it heads into serious and dangerous territory. The pace slackens, the twists and turns become predictable and the climax a drag. Even the songs - shot like music videos with the actors dressed as models in fashion catalogues - provide no respite.
Kapoor revels in the OTT comedy routine. Watch out when he suddenly turns into an angry young man in front of a director or breaks into a 1960s ladylike jig in a bar. But he is also occasionally guilty of going overboard with the animated faces. Some of the best humour comes when Kapoor shares scenes with experienced professionals such as Sanjay Mishra, who essays the role of a struggling screenwriter, Saurabh Shukla, the harmless don, and Darshan Jariwala, the joint commissioner of police.
Santoshi's zany humour comes from turning police officials into caricatures. He also makes references to many Hindi films such as Don and some of his own like Andaz Apna Apna. Salman Khan's cameo is a fun, surprising touch, taking back viewers to the memorable Aila! Uima! days. There are instances when Phata Poster Nikla Hero slips into a Rohit Shetty film with all the airborne bodies and slomo action sequences. But as Chennai Express' box office figures suggest, it's a successful ingredient to lure viewers. With Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, Kapoor demonstrates that he is capable of pulling off the popular action comedy avatar with ease.
Director: Rajkumar Santoshi
Ratings:
Shahid Kapoor is a 32-year-old actor. Despite being talented, he hasn't had much luck at the box office and subsequently fallen behind in the rat race of the next Bollywood star. Watching Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, you'll understand why Kapoor chose Raj Kumar Santoshi's film over Yash Raj Films' Shuddh Desi Romance. Phata Poster is a Shahid vehicle out and out. He dances, fights an army of men, gets to do lots of comedy and dialogue-baazi, and briefly indulges in drama and romance. This is Shahid Kapoor announcing that I am a contender too. For most part, he succeeds and gets audience's attention.
Narrative takes a backseat for contrived comic situations in Phata Poster Nikhla Hero. Vishwas Rao (Shahid Kapoor) has dreamt of being an actor since he was a kid but his mother (Padmini Kolhapure) is hell-bent on seeing him as a honest, diligent police officer. When Mumbai beckons Vishwas, he hopes to finally achieve his dream to be a reel-life hero. But Mumbai is not just home to Bollywood but even the big bad underworld. Thanks largely to an overenthusiastic social worker (Ileana D'Cruz, with little to do) who mistakes Vishwas for a cop and runs to him with reports of wrongdoings, Vishwas is forced to become a real-life hero. But when mommy finally sees through his deceit, things go wrong.
There's no space for threat in Santoshi's hunky-dory world. Even the so-called antagonists are a source of amusement. It is one of the reasons why Phata Poster struggles in the second half as it heads into serious and dangerous territory. The pace slackens, the twists and turns become predictable and the climax a drag. Even the songs - shot like music videos with the actors dressed as models in fashion catalogues - provide no respite.
Kapoor revels in the OTT comedy routine. Watch out when he suddenly turns into an angry young man in front of a director or breaks into a 1960s ladylike jig in a bar. But he is also occasionally guilty of going overboard with the animated faces. Some of the best humour comes when Kapoor shares scenes with experienced professionals such as Sanjay Mishra, who essays the role of a struggling screenwriter, Saurabh Shukla, the harmless don, and Darshan Jariwala, the joint commissioner of police.
Santoshi's zany humour comes from turning police officials into caricatures. He also makes references to many Hindi films such as Don and some of his own like Andaz Apna Apna. Salman Khan's cameo is a fun, surprising touch, taking back viewers to the memorable Aila! Uima! days. There are instances when Phata Poster Nikla Hero slips into a Rohit Shetty film with all the airborne bodies and slomo action sequences. But as Chennai Express' box office figures suggest, it's a successful ingredient to lure viewers. With Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, Kapoor demonstrates that he is capable of pulling off the popular action comedy avatar with ease.
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