Sunday, September 03, 2006

LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI/CARRY ON MUNNABHAI - Pure popcorn entertainment

LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI is an outstanding Bollywood feel-good comedy. I haven't had such a good time in the movie theatre in a long time. This isn't really a sequel to the original smash-hit movie, MUNNABHAI MBBS. Rather it is another movie in a franchise that riffs on the original formula. Munnabhai is a Bombay goon who kidnaps people, beats people up and generally lives a disreputable life. He is played by the charismatic and versatile Hindi actor, Sanjay Dutt. Munnabhai has a side-kick called Circuit, who is played by the supreme comic, Arshad Warsi. These guys have real comic chemistry and timing - and the comedy is broad - witty, crude dialogue and physical slapstick. In this new movie, Munnabhai is in love with a radio DJ played by the beautiful Vidya Balan (last seen in PARINEETA). In order to impress her, Munnabhai pretends not to be a doctor this time but a Professor of history. He wins a radio quiz with his knowledge of Mahatma Gandhi and hopes to win her heart. Unfortunately, as the hallucination of Gandhi who follows Munnabhai around tells him, she's in love with the professor, not the goon. So follows a simple, honest, but utterly charming slapstick comedy with the usual mistaken identities and Heart-Warming ending. It may not be rocket science, but I see enough unfunny comedies and Movies with a Meaning that are just manipulative and empty to know a winner when I see one.

LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI/CARRY ON MUNNABHAI is on release in India, Australia, the US and UK.

1 comment:

  1. Couldnt agree with u more, Bina!!
    Great review!!
    :)

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