Pataakha Movie Review: Sanya Malhotra, Radhika Madan's Explosive Sibling Acts and A Scene-Stealing Sunil Grover Add Enough Sparks to This Vishal Bhardwaj Comedy
Pataakha has its moments, especially in its first half, and the lead cast is superb.
I am a fan of vintage Vishal Bhardwaj films, you know, the ones that give more prominence to the content and characters, than focus on the big names in the cast. With Pataakha, Vishal Bhardwaj is back to telling small stories with a big heart. With an interesting cast in Sanya Malhotra, Radhika Madan, Sunil Grover and Vijay Raaz in the lead, I was expecting something of a Makdee or a Blue Umbrella. Well, with that kind of cinema in mind, Pataakha works in parts.
Champa (Radhika Madan) and Genda Kumari (Sanya Malhotra) are sisters but behave like enemies for lives. Their violent fights are often stirred up by the Narad Muni of their village, Dipper (Sunil Grover), who is also their friend. Their frustrated Bapu (Vijay Raaz) even makes them end their education so as to stop their fights in school. Bapu needs money to bribe some government officials. When he doesn't get loans for the same, he arranges to get Champa married to a lusty rich man in the village after the latter lends him enough money. One more reason for this decision was to end the in-house squabbling between the sisters.
However, Champa elopes with her boyfriend (Namit Das) two days before the marriage. The father then arranges the younger daughter to the same groom on the same day. Genda also ruins his plans and runs away with her lover (Abhishek Duhan), in both cases, Dipper being the common helper. Unbeknownst to the sisters, they both end up as sisters-in-law in the same house. Here's where the interval point arrives and here's where the better part of the fun ends.
I have not spoilt any twist in Pataakha for you in the above plot narrative. The proceedings are exactly the same that they have shown in the trailer. They are also similar to the short story that the movie is based on, Do Behnein. Even though I was familiar with the narrative here, the first half of the film was very enjoyable what with its quirky treatment and enjoyable characters. The rural setting and its characters, even the peripheral ones, feel believable and interesting. The sisters' rowdy fights have genuine believability in them, and the actors give their best performances here. Pataakha Trailer 2: Sanya Malhotra and Radhika Madan's Life Post Marriage Becomes Hilariously Miserable, Thanks To Sunil Grover!
The humour works the best in these portions. Every time, Sunil Grover's Dipper turns up on the screen, he raises mirth with his quarrel-inducing ways. His character is the secret spice mix of the film; we just can't put a finger on his intentions. He may have helped the sisters run away with their lovers, but he is also responsible for nudging the idea of getting them married in Bapu's mind. He finds pleasure in seeing people fight and having seen such characters in my village, Dipper ended up being the most favourite character for me in Pataakha.
Even apart from Dipper, Vishal Bhardwaj manages to induce laughs through subtleties. A scene under a peepal tree has the girls smoking beedis, while an old man, sitting adjacent to them, checks his mobile. A picture of PM Modi hugging US President Trump raises unexpected hilarity. Vishal also does a fine job of making the sisters uncouth in a natural way, be it in their fights or in their mannerisms or their dressing sense. However, I do feel he tries to shove these features deliberately into our faces at times. Those close-ups of Kumari sisters' dirty teeth are not a pleasant sight (Radhika Madan even seems to roll her upper lip, in case you didn't notice them). Pataakha Song Hello Hello Out: Malaika Arora Sizzles in Rustic Avatar Once Again in Sanya Malhotra-Radhika Madan’s Film.
The multiplex audiences might have some quibbles with the idea of the girls falling for two men with creepy tendencies (one is a voyeur and the other has a forceful nature, something the movie completely ignored to make them sympathetic). But the girls are no angels either!
Watch the trailer of Pataakha here -
In the second half, the director gets into unexplored territories with the premise, and here's where things start falling apart. The plot gets needlessly stretched, the fights feel repetitive and the best idea (of the girls being successful with their ambitions) is shown through a montage. Even Vijay Raaz and Sunil Grover's characters get sidelined here. No offense to the terrific female leads, but their presence was needed to spruce up things. Things get better in the climax, but the imbued message about how enemies can turn friends if they want to doesn't work. Save for a little scene or two, we hardly get the idea that these sisters even care for each other. Also, the whole sensory impairment subplot feels out of place. While the movie doesn't need to explain the reason for the sibling rivalry, we can't help ourselves but ask if it is out of competitiveness or jealousy.
The second half is not devoid of niceties, though. There are some sparks of comic brilliance, like the scene where the neighborhood mourns the damage of a television set. Or how the sisters seek jealousy of their other sibling through their favourite contraption (mobile and television). These scenes, though, are embedded in a tiresome narrative in the second half that nearly loses the sheen of the first.
This might be a personal view not restricted to just Pataakha, but we have seen some films in Bollywood that are using the local dialect of the region where they had set the film. I am all for authenticity, but it would also be helpful to have subtitles if your aim is to reach a pan-Indian audience.
The Performances
There is not a fault to say in any of the performances of the lead cast. Sanya Malhotra was rather subdued in her debut, Dangal, but here she gives a Pataakha of a performance. She is highly believable as the tomboyish girl with aims of being a teacher. Television actress Radhika Madan is equally impressive as the other sister, showing sufficient range in her performance. Both the girls complement each other well, even if their characters are often loggerheads with each other.
Finally, we have one director who manages to utilise the comic skills of Sunil Grover in a good way (He was way OTT in Baaghi). It is a pleasure to watch this man revel in his talents to make us laugh and I hope other film-makers write better roles for him. From his dialect to his impromptu dances, Sunil Grover is a scream.
Vijay Raaz is subdued but excellent as the hassled father. Saanand Kumar as the rich man wanting to get married is a good find. Namit Das and Abhishek Duhan are also decent performers. Duhan's broken English flirting will leave you in splits.
Yay!
- The plot in the first half
- The performances of the lead cast
- Some sparkling writing
Nay!
- A tiresome second half
- Repetitive scenes
- Some behavioural changes are least expected
Final Thoughts
Pataakha has its moments, especially in its first half, and the lead cast is superb. Compared to previous Vishal Bhardwaj masterpieces, Pataakha has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to its treatment and impact. And yet, it can surprise you with some unexpected hilarity. Easily, Vishal Bhardwaj's funniest film!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 27, 2018 09:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).