Hungama (2003)
Cast: Akshaya Khanna, Aftab Shivdasani, Rimi Sen
Director: Priyadarshan
Music Director: Nadeem Shravan
Synopsis: Attempt at old-fashioned slapstick comedy goes rather awry
Reviewed by: Faiz Khan

 

Priyadarshan tries to undo the horror of Yeh Tera Ghar Yeh Mera Ghar with another attempt at a slapstick laughfest. Unfortunately, this one falls foul of the adage that too many cooks spoil the broth.

Jeetu (Akshaye Khanna) wants to start his own business, but his miserly father refuses to give him any money. So, in desperation, he robs his own father and sets up a hi-fi business. Nandu (Aftab Shivdasani) is a struggling singer who, crooning away in Kumar Sanu's voice, sends his listeners running for cover (probably the film's funniest unintentional joke) and promptly loses his job.

Looking for somewhere to stay, he teams up with Anjali (Rimi Sen), a runaway from her village who also needs a job and cheap accommodation. The two take an instant dislike to one another but are forced to pretend to be husband and wife because the only affordable lodging is available exclusively to married couples, under the watchful eye of a landlord who keeps an equally watchful eye on his much younger wife.

Meanwhile, Anjali lands a job at the mansion of wealthy businessman Radhesham (Paresh Rawal), where Jeetu mistakenly assumes she is Radhesham's daughter. Ever on the lookout for a rich bride, he cannot believe his luck when she also turns up looking for work at his hi-fi shop. Seeing an opportunity to marry into wealth, he begins to court her.

Unfortunately for him, Nandu has also fallen for Anjali and starts devising increasingly ridiculous schemes to make her jealous, inadvertently involving the landlord's flirtatious wife. Jeetu insists on driving Anjali home every evening, forcing her to hide in the bushes outside Radhesham's house until he leaves, all to maintain the pretence that she lives there.

Naturally, matters become hopelessly confused. Radhesham's wife spots Anjali lurking in the bushes and assumes her husband is having an affair with the girl. Radhesham, in turn, believes his own wife is secretly seeing Jeetu. To make matters even worse, Radhesham's wife also happens to be called Anjali, adding another layer of confusion to the already tangled proceedings. Throw in another two or three subplots running alongside the main story and what you end up with is one enormous convoluted mess.

Priyadarshan sets out to make an all-out slapstick comedy in the tradition of the madcap Hollywood farces of the 1960s. I was immediately reminded of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, which was genuinely zany and uproarious. This, sadly, is not.

While the opening half is engaging enough, the sheer number of subplots gradually bogs the film down to the point of tedium. Had the director concentrated on just the three or four principal characters, he might well have recreated the wonderfully orchestrated comedy of errors that made Hera Pheri such a delight. Instead, everything becomes hopelessly overstuffed. It's a real shame because the potential for a genuinely hilarious film is clearly there.

That isn't to say the film is entirely without merit. It certainly has its moments, and the first half generates several genuinely amusing situations. But comedy depends upon pace or wit. Unfortunately, this film possesses neither in sufficient quantity.

Whatever credit the film earns belongs largely to its cast. Akshaye Khanna continues to display an admirable knack for choosing interesting roles, and he plays Jeetu with an endearing mischievousness that makes an otherwise manipulative character surprisingly likeable. Aftab Shivdasani continues to grow as an actor and shows a genuine flair for deadpan comedy. As he did in Awara Paagal Deewana, he almost steals the film. If this movie works at all, it is primarily because of these two performances.

Paresh Rawal is amusing, although one had hoped for rather more from his role, while Rimi Sen is perfectly passable. Nadeem-Shravan's music is refreshingly different from their usual Bhatt camp output, which makes for a pleasant change.

Not one to avoid altogether, but ultimately a definite let-down.