Puerile plot

Cast: Zain Khan, Swini Khara, Sarika, Jackie Shroff, Lillete Dubey, Vijay Raaz, Saurabh Shukla

Showing at: E-Square, City Pride Kothrud, City Pride Satara road, Gold Adlabs, Adlabs,Fame Akurdi, Mangala

Warner Bros were getting antsy for nothing. Hari Puttar has nothing to do with the Harry Potter films, other than the fact that both have been filmed in England. Hari isn8217;t a young wizard with a scar zigzagging though his forehead. He8217;s just a 10-year-old who gets left behind in a large mansion, somewhere on the outskirts of London. Sounds familiar? Yep, it8217;s got a lot to do with Home Alone, with Zain Khan doing a desi McCaulay Culkin.

Hari is dumped on by everybody: His elder brother thinks he is a total wimp, his cousins laugh at his accent; in fact, the whole caboodle thinks he should be neither seen nor heard. His mom Sarika is the only one who dotes over her beloved puttar, but even she forgets him, as the family hares off somewhere, leaving behind our young hero, and his one cousin Swini Khara who likes him.

If you remember the first Home Alone flick, you know what happens: The youngsters Zain, last seen in Chain Kuli Ki Main Kuli, is likeable; Swini, last seen in Cheeni Kum, is not beat a couple of thieves back, with all their arsenal: Dragging them across lawns, throwing smelly liquids whooshing on their heads, shooting sharp pointed objects at various body parts, and so on.

And because it is a Hindi film, it has an item number, fronted by Shamita Shetty. A larger-than-life villain who has one false eye and a hideous Mumbaiya accent. A couple of hoods called Diesel and Filter Saurabh Shukla in waist-length rasta curls who lets loose noisy smells from his rear end at regular intervals, and Vijay Raaz in florid flowery suit. A scientist who8217;s working on a secret computer 8220;cheep8221; chip. And a script which doesn8217;t know the meaning of sense, and so full of holes that several large-size trucks can drive right through.

Who cares, though? Certainly not the six-year-old sitting right ahead, who chortled his way through much the film. Plot to have your tykes whisked off to the film by elder siblings, while you take in that film you8217;ve been wanting to: That8217;s what multiplexes are for.

Film: Rafoo Chakkar

Directed by: B H Tharun Kumar

Cast: Aslam Khan, Nauheed Cyrusi, Shakti Kapoor, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Tinu Anand, Archana Puran Singh, Meeta Vasisht, Yudisthar

Showing at: Citypride Kothrud, Mangala

And this one has nothing to do with that mid-70s barrel of fun-on-the-run starring Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, other than the fact that they share the same name: Rafoo Chakkar.

Two middle-aged sisters Archana Puran Singh and Mita Vashist have to marry within 24 hours to fulfill the conditions of their father8217;s will. Two ne8217;er-do-wells Yuddhistir and Aslam Khan fetch up at their doorstep, and are reeled in, kicking and screaming. In addition to this happy foursome are two curvy airheads Nauheed Cyrusi and Nisha Rawal, who claim they are penniless, but appear to be dressed if you call Nauheed8217;s plunging tees 8216;dressing8217; to the nines every time they appear on screen.

B H Tharunkumar8217;s previous outing Nayee Padosan had fake sets, loud actors, and a story which didn8217;t have a subtle bone in its body. Rafoo Chakkar takes all these ingredients, and ratchets them up a hundredfold, making it way beyond bad.

The lines are worse. Sample this exchange between the two fellows, about to be led off to their wedding night: 8220;Hamari bohni itni purane customers se nahin ho sakti.8221;

Yeah, it8217;s like that. All of it.