Falling back on the phoren connection

Try to figure this one out. An Indian migrates to England, mints money, builds a palatial house in London and gives his only granddaughte...

Try to figure this one out. An Indian migrates to England, mints money, builds a palatial house in London and gives his only granddaughter the best available phoren education and lifestyle. Then, suddenly, he discovers to his horror that the girl 8212; who has grown up in England 8211; knows nothing about the virtues of the great Indian way of life, culture and religion.

So, the old man decides to fix the problem the Indian way 8212; by getting his wayward8217; granddaughter a 100 per cent desi husband who can straighten her out. Nice, very nice. But why did Dadaji forsake his own glorious land for foreign climes in the first place, only to extol its virtues from thousands of miles away? Perhaps because it suits Bollywood8217;s best-selling I love India, long distance8217; mantra remember Dilwale Dulhania8230; and Pardes?.

Whatever the reason, Purushottam Harnam Agarwal Paresh Rawal packs Niki Namrata Shirodkar off to India, with the family butler Cadbury Shakti Kapoor in tow. AtDelhi airport, they are greeted by Topi Master Kader Khan and Romi Arshad Warsi who run a tourist taxi service a lucrative occupation post-Raja Hindustani. While Niki never meets the man she8217;s supposed to marry, her grandfather threatens to commit suicide if she doesn8217;t come back with her husband.

Naturally, Romi is always available to step in. After a quick contract marriage, Niki returns to London, new hubby in tow, with the intention of packing him off at the earliest and tying the knot with boyfriend Rohit Parmeet Sethi. But as it turns out, old granddaddy is thoroughly impressed with her choice and in due course, Niki too falls for Romi.

Director Aziz Sajawal obviously decided it was wise to cash in on saleable formulae who needs a script anyway? Anu Malik8217;s music 8212; barring the title song sounds like an half-hearted effort. Of the cast, Namrata Shirodkar is okay, Kader Khan and Shakti Kapoor irritating, while Paresh Rawal looks lost in a role that does no justice to an actor of hiscalibre. Arshad Warsi is impressive in an otherwise ordinary concoction. Here8217;s an actor who can go a long way, provided he puts himself in the right hands.

Director: Aziz Sajawal

Starring: Arshad Warsi, Namrata Shirodkar, Paresh Rawal, Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Parmeet Sethi

Showing at: Satyam