|
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
By Taran Adarsh, September 26, 2003 - 17:07 IST
There are some films that defy logic. The director's funda is clear while attempting films of this genre – simply don't tax your brains, just sit back, watch and laugh! N. Chandra's XCUSE ME falls in this category. The film takes you on a roller coaster ride, what with logic taking a complete backseat.
XCUSE ME is about two friends Chantu [Sharman Joshi] and Bantu [Saahil Khan], who are up to some pranks all the while. After completing their graduation, the two join a hotel in the catering department.
But it's not an easy ride for Chantu and Bantu, as they encounter the hotel manager [Saurabh Shukla], the housekeeping department head [Mushtaq Khan], who robs the guests of their valuable belongings, a fraud who claims to be the Maharani of Janakpur [Shashi Sharma] and the two owners of the hotel, who are absolute weirdos.
Ironically, Chantu and Bantu fall in love with the daughters of the hotel – Chundadi [Jaya Seal] and Mundadi [Sonali Joshi]. But there's a catch!
The fathers of the two girls – the owners – throw a challenge on Chantu and Bantu to revive their resort in Goa, which had been forced to shut down since a notorious gangster Pedro [Pratap Singh] and his brother Sahiba operate their own resort in the same vicinity.
Chantu and Bantu accept the challenge and not only do they take the gangster to task, but also win the whole-hearted approval of their prospective fathers-in-law in the end.
XCUSE ME – the sequel to N. Chandra's successful STYLE – is inspired from the Hollywood smash AMERICAN PIE to an extent. Lacing the film with bizarre incidents [they do succeed in tickling your funny bone!], the film lives up to the tag of 'timepass entertainment' that is the mantra of an average cinegoer.
A few sequences in the first half [Sharman in the garb of a 'sex-kitten' and the entire Maharani track are simply hilarious!] and a few moments in the second half [Sharman and Saahil trying to be one up on the other to boost the resort's business] are the best part of the enterprise.
But there are times when you feel that the writer is actually forcing the comedy down your throat. The climax, for instance, when the entire cast assembles at Pedro's hideout, looks wacky but after a point, the comedy falls flat.
Director N. Chandra's flair for comedy was evident in STYLE and he carries it forward this time around. However, the film stands on a waferthin storyline and there aren't any twists and turns in the sequel [STYLE had style and substance!] to catch the viewer unaware and that's where the film loses some of its sheen.
Sanjeev-Darshan's music is functional, although the two tracks that have been extensively promoted – 'Ishq Hua' and 'Yeh Tu Kya Kar-rayla Hain?' – are the pick of the lot. Cinematography is first-rate. The locales of Mauritius provide a good setting for a theme like this. Dialogues are well penned, catering to the masses completely.
Sharman Joshi is a complete natural. He leaves a strong impression when he impersonates a Maharaja and also when he plays the game of one-upmanship in the second half. Saahil Khan shows vast improvement over his first film. He's much more relaxed facing the camera this time around. Both the boys are the mainstay of this enterprise!
The two leading ladies – Jaya Seal and Sonali Joshi – don't really get much scope to exhibit histrionics. Pratap Singh has done very well. Given the right roles, he should prove to be an actor of calibre. Mushtaq Khan is efficient. Saurabh Shukla is simply hilarious.
On the whole, XCUSE ME is a fair entertainer that should appeal to the youth mainly. But the tough oppositions this week and also next week may cut into its business.
  
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
