Guddu Rangeela (2015) Review!!

Synopsis – Based in the dusty plains of North India, Guddu Rangeela is a story about two cousins trying to make ends meet in the crime infested surroundings. Orchestra singers by day and informants by night, acquiring measly pay offs from the information provided to local gangsters about the richest families in town, has fetched them an easy and safe way to subsist without getting their hands dirty in the bargain. Lucky enough, one such opportunity comes knocking, which they immediately snag and in the process finds themselves confronting the vicious and tyrannical Billo. What follows is a chaotic tale of redemption and payback. An ambition, a plan, a kidnapping and a to and fro tale of victory and defeat leading up to a dramatic climax.

My Take – Director Subhash Kapoor has a nack for making social dramedies (drama with comic elements) & after two successful attempts in the form of Phas Gaya Re Obama & Jolly LLB (which also starred Arshad Warsi in the lead). This time around takes on khap panchayats, the extra-judicial village councils that top Bollywood’s list of Current Issues to Tackle. The film itself was supposedly inspired by the murder in 2007 of a married couple named Manoj and Babli on the orders of their local village council, and is set in the state from which the victims hailed. Haryana provides Kapoor, who also wrote the screenplay, many opportunities to deploy colorfully coarse language about posteriors. But yet despite the presence of top performers & intriguing storyline something is a miss in this venture. That can be contributed to the fact that the film turns into a blood thirsty revenge drama from social comedy in the second half.

As a film goer, the film never fails to entertain no matter how erratic the proceedings get, but yet being a loyal fan of director Subhash Kapoor, I must say I am a little disappointed. The story follows orchestra runners Rangeela (Arshad Warsi) & his cousin Guddu (Amit Sadh), who in order to make ends meet & to finance their case against Billu Pehlewan (Ronit Roy), also work as informants for thieves (They provide a money estimate of the wedding-homes they play at and the exact time to carry out the theft). Billu Pehelwan who dishes out punishments for inter-caste romantic entanglements with the glee of a gulag supervisor. His victims have previously included Babli, the wife of Rangeela & Guddu’s father. But, as Ballu has a political support, they can’t do anything. But one day, in order to clear their debts they are offered a chance to kidnap Baby (Aditi Rao Hydari). The film showcases the falsified concept of honor ingrained within the minds of the Khap Panchayat and has sprinkles of humor throughout the 2 hours. It covers multiple genres – Action, Social Message, Suspense, Comedy and Drama. The film starts off on a wholly different note from the one on which it ends. As Rangeela belts out a delightfully contemporary religious song that makes references to email and Facebook, the movie promises to be an unoriginal but nevertheless entertaining rustic adventure featuring two ne’er-do-wells who carry trouble in their pockets. The film has probably one of the best scenes in a while in the form of a bathroom scene where Guddu (Amit) and a constable are playing Antakshari, in order to insure he doesn’t escape. The humor-laden scenes often hit their spot, especially when Rajiv Gupta’s bumbling police officer Gulab Singh is around, and the cast is well directed.

But the film is undermined by a tonal inconsistency and anything-goes approach. Arshad Warsi is one of the most underrated actors of Bollywood. He is simply perfect for the role. Amit Sadh suits the character of Guddu. His equation with Arshad is very enjoyable. Aditi Rao Hydari spreads her charm spreads on the viewer’s mind in just her 10-15 minutes role. Ronit Roy, is always a delight to watch. His expressions, his entry sequence, his anger, his voice, his style – everything is so perfect. But yet I wonder until when will he continue doing similiar roles. Two policemen are simply fantastic. The caretaker of the house in Shimla and Bangali – these two characters are also enjoyable. On the whole, ‘Guddu Rangeela’ is on its an enjoyable flick, but considering director Subhash Kapoor previous efforts, its a let down! Even though its clear the director wants to convey a social message through drizzles of humor and without sounding too-preachy. If you are in mood for something light heated & low plot points. Those who think that this is a comedy movie, then they are wrong. It’s on serious issue with some kind of entertaining factors. Give this film a watch for these factors or else skip it.