Banner: Rohit Shetty Productions & Mangal Murti Films
Producer: Rohit Shetty & Sirshak Shrestha
Director: Rohit Shetty
Star Cast: Ajay Devgn, Parineeti Chopra, Tabu, Arshad Warsi, Tushar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Kunal Khemu, Prakash Raj, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Nana Patekar, Johnny Lever Mukesh Tiwari, Sanjay Mishra, Sachin Khedekar, Murali Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Vrajesh Hirjee, Besant Ravi et al
Music: Amar Mohile, S. Thaman, DJ Chetas, Abhishek Arora – Nucleya & Amaal Mallik
Director Rohit Shetty, the so called action director, has tried to tread on a new genre, namely that of a mix blend of comic – horror in his latest franchise outing Golmaal Again. This latest venture is the IV installment of the blockbuster Golmaal Franchise. In fact the makers of Golmaal Again have tried to be daringly different to take up the challenge of giving the audiences a superb combo of laughs & terrors.
The scripted scenario of Golmaal Again reveals the saga oriented story of 5 friends who encounter strange occurrences when they visit their orphanage. Gopal (Ajay Devgn), Madhav (Arshad Warsi), Lucky (Tusshar Kapoor), Laxman Prasad Apte (Shreyas Talpade) & Laxman Sharma (Kunal Kemmu) are orphans who grew up in an orphanage owned by Jamnadas (Uday Tikekar). As kids, they were close to each other but then they became rivals. Gopal & Laxman Prasad Apte separated while Madhav, Lucky & Laxman Sharma went their own way. When they all grew up, they start working with land sharks and their job revolved around getting the plots vacated. This also created further friction amongst them. But when they learn that Jamnadas has passed away, they decide to iron out their differences & go together to the orphanage to pay their respects. They stay at Colonel Chouhan’s (Sachin Khedekar) bungalow located right next to Jamnadas Orphanage, where their childhood friend Anna (Tabu) is also residing. Anna has a special power, she can communicate with the dead. At the Colonel’s bungalow, Gopal gets attracted to the caretaker Damini (Parineeti Chopra). Meanwhile, Vasu Reddy (Prakash Raj), a builder & a close friend of Jamnadas announces that Jamnadas gave away the land to him where the orphanage is situated. He also says that he has decided to shift the kids at Bengaluru where he’ll provide them with better facilities. Gopal is a ghost – fearing person and he starts to see the spirit of Jamnadas’ dead daughter (Ashwini Kalsekar). However, the truth is something else and when the 5 friends find out, it shocks them like never before.
Director Rohit Shetty’s story is interesting & a bit complicated too thanks to so many characters. But it’s put together well. Yunus Sajawal’s screenplay does justice to this complex storyline. The horror is such that it won’t scare the hell out of the viewers. At the same time, it’s not even amateurish. A nice balance is maintained and that’s definitely praiseworthy. Few sequences however are taken from the previous Golmaal films, especially Golmaal 3. A section of audiences however might not like that as the jokes get repetitive. Farhad – Sajid’s dialogues are hilarious & provide non – stop. laughter albeit at varied junctures. But shockingly, at a few places, they fall flat. This is especially in the beginning portions of Babli (Sanjay Mishra). Rohit Shetty’s direction is interesting and it’s good to see him trying to attempt something different. Notice the flashback sequence in the 2nd half when a prominent character is bumped off & it’s depicted in black & white. Also, the sequence where Lucky, Madhav and the 2 Laxmans are reading the diary while Gopal is out there fighting the baddies. These sequences are executed very well and it shows that Rohit Shetty has evolved. Golmaal Again is totally different from the previous Golmaal films, not just because of the horror element. There’s a lot more drama & emotional moments than what one would expect. However, it works more or less although a few sequences lack punch, especially in the 2nd hour. The 1st half is 1.30 hours long & neatly incorporates comedy, madness & also the horror bit. One of the highpoints of the film is how Gopal, Laxman & Lucky gets possessed and start speaking like Nana Patekar. It’s sure to bring the house down!!! Also hilarious is the sequence where the 5 friends fight over a samosa. But the best is reserved for the intermission point, the film reaches on a high in this sequence!!! The 2nd half however gets a bit serious although Pandu’s sequence provides laughs. The climax is well helmed but the audiences might have reservations since they must have ventured into the theatre expecting an out & out comic caper.
The music of the film is strictly average. The Title Track is exciting and the same goes for “Maine Tujhko Dekha”. “Hum Nahi Sudhrenge” is decent while “Itna Sannata Kyun Hai” is played during end credits. Amar Mohile’s background score is exhilarating especially in the post – interval sequences. Bunty Nagi’s editing is nothing much to rave about. Jomon T John’s cinematography is satisfactory. Sunil Rodrigues’ & Rohit Shetty’s action design is appealing although it’s not novel. One has seen it before in Rohit Shetty’s own films. Also, the trademark cars toppling & explosion scenes are missing this time. Swapnil Bhalerao, Tajamul Shaikh & Madhur Madhavan’s production design is very nicely done & it is certainly noteworthy. N Y VFXwaala’s visual effects are rich.
Performance wise it is naturally Ajay Devgn who scores a brownie point besides he’s quite good in the dramatic portions in the 2nd half. While Parineeti Chopra has a mysterious character right from the 1st ever scene itself. She even looks glamourous and carries it off excellently. Arshad Warsi is picture perfect in his cunning avatar. Tusshar Kapoor is brilliant &impresses a lot with his mute act in fact he is absolutely natural in the scene where he gets possessed. Shreyas Talpade has attempted something daringly different & leaves a mark thanks to his lisp which contributes to the laughter at several places. Kunal Kemmu is wasted but he certainly proves his worth. Tabu seems to be quite reserved yet she does gove a good account of herself. Neil Nitin Mukesh is exellent in his villainous avatar. Prakash Raj excels in his negatively comic avatar. A scene worth mentioning is the sequence where he dances like a madman. Johny Lever as usual delivers the goods in his comic role that certainly adds to the comic oriented entertainment quotient. His speech during Jamnadas’ “tervi” is too hilarious. Sanjay Mishra is superb but in a limited way. Vrajesh Hirjee is fairly repetitive. While the others like Mukesh Tiwari, Ashwini Kalsekar, Murli Sharma, Sachin Khedekar, Uday Tikekar & Vijay Patkar contribute their might in the comic proceedings with their cameo acts.
Tail Piece: Golmaal Again is a perfect cinematic joy ride albeit which delivers the perfect entertainment quotient without any logic. No doubt Golmaal Again is an out & out entertainer, to light up the viewers celebratory festive mood. And at the Box – Office turnstiles, the movie has all it takes to emerge as a sure – fire Blockbuster. Period!!!
