Maan Gaya Mughal-E-Azam

In an elaborate prelude, we are told why this film is set in 1993, just a few months before the Bombay blasts. But nobody explains why ‘Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam’ was made: that mystery remains unravelled.

A ‘naatak mandli’, on the outskirts of Goa gets embroiled with spies and mafia dons. It’s just the kind of mad subject that Sanjay Chhel could have had fun with, but he’s a dialogue writer, not a director. So Mallika, out-thrust bosom and all, plays a misbegotten Anarkali to Paresh Rawal’s unfortunate Akbar (poor Salim is a sidekick). Rahul Bose tries his hand, badly, at being a RAW agent, and a Bhai. And Kay Kay does a hammy ghazal singer, who’s sold out to the desh-drohis. The second coming of Rahul and Mallika (after the very funny ‘Pyar Ke Side Effects’) is beyond bad. And if you do not believe how the supremely talented trio of Paresh, Kay Kay, and Pawan could make you want to cry, this is your chance. Go for it.