Punjabi talkies

A Punjabi boy who only dreams of becoming a Punjabi film star. He has a pretty girlfriend who is a doctor,and an “accidental” wife who is determined to get even with him. There is also a sarpanch who is hellbent on getting people married. On the face of it,this week’s Punjabi release,Fer Mamla Gadbad Gadbad (FMGG),seemed to have a reasonably sound plot.

The film’s hero,Jassi (Roshan Prince),pulls every trick in the book to make money and act in a film. To achieve that,he takes zippy shortcuts in cahoots with Rambo (a terribly irksome Rana Ranbir) by staging an act,amplifying a bit of drama and breaking up marriages in return for a quick buck. But things go awfully wrong when he lands up at the wrong wedding,that of Geet (Japji Khaira). The story takes a turn,and Jassi finds himself in double trouble,juggling two girls — Geet and Roop (Bhanushree Mehra) — and managing a melee of extras: friends,family,goons and those who’ve hired him to stall their weddings.

PTC Motion Pictures first film,FMGG is let down by poor direction,a lazy script,average music and ham dialogues. The film tries very hard to crack a joke,even throw in an item number,but lands up looking and sounding caricaturish. While Prince and Khaira try to lift the spirits,Ranbir and Rana Jung Bahadur (who plays a don called Ghuggi) only add to the nuisance value. In his usual comical avatar,BN Sharma as Pooja is amusing,especially when he looks in the mirror,tweezes his moustache and sings,Pooja kiven aa.

The beauty of a Punjabi romcom lies in a multitude of characters it weaves in its story in order to keep the audience in good humour,but FMGG is boring,and instead of a chuckle or even a squeal of laughter,draws a yawn. If only Friday matinees in Punjabi cinema were not another round of Friday comedies.