Movie review: Jugaad

What do you do when your building is sealed? Why,you just move into another,with the help of shady property dealers who come leaping out to help you,but only want to fleece you.

Your temporary shelter has no ‘bijli’ or ‘paani’,but your trusty middleman will fix it for you: all you need to do is to keep the money flowing. You try getting to the municipal officer who’s got,dreaded word,your file,but corrupt babus will first demand their pound of flesh. Many pounds.

This is a very Delhi story,based on the sealing drive that happened recently (and which still keeps landlords on tenterhooks).

Manoj Bajpai plays the advertising professional who’s made good and whose building is sealed. His chief cohort (Vijay Raaz) tries to help,but gets nowhere,confronted as he is by a scotch-swilling commissioner ( Govind Namdeo).

It’s all too familiar,and not particularly well-made. The lack of production values,and the inclusion of constant off-key jokes involving men and urinals,don’t help either.

It’s sad to see the talented Manoj Bajpai,who’s seen on screen after a long gap,reduced to doing a film like this: he deserves better.