Review: Kamaal Dhamaal Malaamaal

Indian Express Rating:*

I went into this latest Priyadarshan outing wondering how long it would take me to want to crawl under my seat. Because that’s been the only desire in his past few films,in which he has taken his own worn template and ground it further : a village,a boy and girl,violent siblings,’gaon-walas’ shuttling between silly and stupid,and everything moving at snail pace.

Nothing about this ‘Kamaal Dhamaal Malaamal’ made me change my mind. Not Shreyas Talpade as the lazy,cowardly Johnny,who is also called Bakri,and who does nothing but buy lottery tickets and get beaten by his lady love Maria’s (Madhurima) psychotic brothers. Not his poor farmer father played by Om Puri. Not his father’s old enemy played by Paresh Rawal. And certainly not Nana Patekar who plays a mysterious stranger with a dark past. Not one of these actors,each of whom is capable of excellence,is played to his strengths : Patekar especially is given hobnailed boots and made to trample over his role. The dialogue is long-winded and tedious. A scene that should get over in a minute takes ten. And a film that should have been wrapped up quickly and deftly,the qualities that Priyan once had,takes over three excruciating hours.

shubhra.gupta@expressindia.com