Rating: πππͺπͺπͺ
Oh, Bollywood! How you love to dangle the promise of a hilarious comedy in front of us, only to yank it away and leave us with a half-baked tragedy. Iβm your Review Rani, ready to dish out the latest scoop from the world of Hindi cinema. This week, weβre diving headfirst into the quagmire that is βPad Gaye Pangeβ.
A tale of a retired maths whiz, Shastri Ji, and his star pupil, Ayush, who discover they share more than just a love for numbers, they also share the grim diagnosis of cancer. Sounds like a laugh riot, right? But waitβ¦thereβs more! Throw in some bumbling property sharks who moonlight as criminals, and youβve got yourself a classic Bollywood comedyβ¦or so they thought.
Our dear Shastri Ji, played by the usually reliable Rajesh Sharma, has been reduced to a caricature. While his comic timing is on point, the script does him no favours. Rajpal Yadav, as Jahaaz Singh, tries to keep the sinking ship afloat, but alas, the script is a hole too big to plug.
Ayush, portrayed by Samarpan Singh, seems to have confused comedy with constipation, and his performance lacks the zest needed for this supposedly humorous venture. As for the token glamour quotient, we have Varsha Rekhate as Charu, whose character seems to have wandered into the plot from a different film altogether. The only saving grace is Rajesh Yadavβs Jaggu, who brings a much-needed spark to this damp squib.
Despite the vibrant backdrop of Punjab (which, for some unfathomable reason, the makers decided not to mention), βPad Gaye Pangeβ squanders its potential for genuine hilarity. The dialogues often seem funnier than the situations theyβre written for, making one wonder if the scriptwriters decided to take a break mid-project.
The music, which could have been the silver lining, is as forgettable as an umbrella on a sunny day, rudely interrupting the narrative flow. The comedy, which should have been the filmβs saving grace, is as rare as a snowfall in Mumbai. Even the charactersβ repeated suicide attempts, which could have been mined for dark humour, fall flat.
Raniβs Wrap-Up
So, the final verdict on βPad Gaye Pangeβ? Itβs a comedy that forgot to pack in the laughs, a tragedy that forgot to tug at the heartstrings, and a film that forgot its genre halfway through. One can only hope that the audiences donβt forget their way out of the cinema hall before the end credits roll! π π π
