Love ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega (2001)
Starring: Saif Ali Khan, Fardeen Khan, Aftab, Sonali Bendre, Twinkle
Director: E Niwas
Music Director: Vishal
Synopsis: Not so comical reworking of Ruthless People is "time pass" material at best.
Reviewed by: Faiz Khan

 

Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega is an out-and-out comedy inspired by the Bette Midler film Ruthless People, put together with an ensemble cast that works reasonably well as a team. It revolves around three fairly useless individuals, all desperate to make some money.

Prakash (Saif Ali Khan) is an unemployed MBA graduate who sees marriage to Sapna (Sonali Bendre), the daughter of a wealthy businessman, as his way forward in life. Unfortunately, his father-in-law controls the family business and treats him with complete disdain. Rahul (Fardeen Khan) and Hari (Aftab Shivdasani) are also unemployed. Rahul is in love with Twinkle and desperately wants a job, while Hari simply dreams of living the good life. Rahul is offered employment but needs two lakhs to secure the position through bribery and also to marry the girl he loves. Prakash wants to branch out on his own but cannot persuade his father-in-law to finance him, while Hari merely wants enough money to enjoy himself. All three, therefore, need cash.

Rahul and Hari decide to rob their way to success and end up holding up Prakash. Since Prakash has very little money in his pockets, he sees an opportunity to enlist the help of these supposed underworld figures in carrying out a plan of his own—the kidnapping of his wife.

The two boys arrive the following day and abduct Sapna, who puts up a spirited struggle before they finally overpower her and hold her for ransom, exactly as Prakash had intended. Having informed his father-in-law of Sapna’s kidnapping, Prakash sets about trying to extract the ransom money from him. Predictably, matters do not go quite according to plan.

Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega is a valiant attempt at an out-and-out comedy, but suffers because director E. Niwas repeatedly deviates from the central plot and places far too much emphasis on the subplot involving Aslam Bhai (Johnny Lever). A comedy of this sort needs either to move at breakneck speed or remain relatively short. The film fails on both counts, and as the pace slackens, particularly in the second half, much of the comic effect is diluted.

Slapstick is an art and extremely difficult to carry off successfully; the timing has to be perfect. Niwas never quite achieves that rhythm and the film begins to drag considerably after the interval. The dialogue is often witty, but it does not come fast and furiously in the manner of Hera Pheri. A sharper screenplay would have given the film considerably more punch.

What keeps the film afloat are the performances. Saif Ali Khan plays his part completely straight and does it very well. Fardeen Khan has perhaps the most ordinary character of the three, while the best lines are reserved for Aftab Shivdasani, who is genuinely very good. Sonali Bendre, playing the rather dim-witted wife, has a relatively short role but is moderately amusing. Twinkle Khanna has very little to do.

The music is average but suits the general feel of the film. There are, however, far too many songs, most of which interrupt the flow rather than help it along.

Not a great film, but perhaps worth catching on DVD during a lazy evening at home.