Indian lesson for an American-born desi

CAST: Tabu, Ajay Devgn, Rakul Preet Singh

DIRECTOR: RATING:

Whenever Hindi cinema has ventured into anything that’s different from the tried and tested, filmmakers have gingerly tread on the path with extra caution, and have invariably refused to go the whole hog. Mostly on the pretext of having to face the wrath of audiences, they, perhaps, first introduce a few novel elements in the script, and then are quick to follow the formulae-ridden track the very next moment. De De Pyaar De was written by Luv Ranjan, and his misogyny was evident in his first film, Pyar Ka Punchnama, which he followed in its sequel too, and was also very much an underlying theme in Sonu Ke Titu ki Sweety. His latest, De De Pyaar De, directed by Akiv Ali, a serious issue of a middle-aged man who is separated from his wife, but wants to romance a 26year-old, is a multi-generational romcom that starts with a lot of promise, then crumbles by the time the film ends.

Fifty-year old Ashish Mehra (Ajay Devgn) leads a great life as an investment banker in London where he boxes in his free time, lives in a swank apartment where he entertains friends (he even arranges a stripper for his friend’s bachelor party!) and has the occasional flirtatious romp whenever he gets an opportunity. When he runs

AAkiv Ali

fter a long gap Allu Sirish’s film ABCD (American Born Confused Desi has released. This is a remake of a Malayalam hit film with the same title and with Dulquer Salman playing the leading role.

Sanjeev Reddy directs this Telugu version. Madhura Sridhar and Yash Rangineni are the producers.

Aravind (Allu Sirish) is born and brought up in America and doesn’t know the value of money. His father (Naga Babu) wants to teach him the value of money, so he sends his son to India for a month-long vacation.

It’s only when Aravind swipes his cash cards and they don’t work that he realises his father’s intention in sending him to India. His father sends him `5,000 and tells him he must manage his expenses with that amount.

Aravind and his friend Basha (Bharath) rent a small house in a slum area. He joins a college for his MBA and after a few incidents he becomes quite popular. He supports people from his locality for a cause and for that he has to take the support of a young politician.

The film is basically about how Aravind lives in India on a shoestring budget and what challenges he faces in the end.

The theme of a rich father teaching his son the value of money is not new in Telugu cinema. The makers of the Telugu film have merely bought the rights of a Malayalam hit film and changed a few things here and there to suit the local milieu.

Though it’s an interesting plot with loads of entertainment, director Sanjeev Reddy fails to make the most of it. He takes his own time to establish how the protagonist and his friend suffered in the slum area. The political part of the plot is uninteresting and there is no life or feeling in any of the scenes between Aravind and his girlfriend, or when he tries to support the local people for a cause or in the climax. The only saving grace is Vennela Kishore who provides some entertainment, but his role is very short. The story is completely predictable and the narration is also a bit boring. The film is supposed to be a full-on entertainer, but the director has just not delivered.

Allu Sirish looks good as a rich kid, but he has to improve his comic timing. His role requires a lot of energy and though he tries his best, he is not convincing in some scenes.

Bharath is just okay as his friend. Rushkar Dhillon is the female lead but we see little of her. The character of the young politician played by Raja is not conceived well and is not connected to the story.

Vennela Kishore as the TV news anchor provides some relief with his comic act, but his role too is limited.

The mu-sic and cinematography are average and the dialogues not very entertaining.

ABCD is not a good remake. Except for Vennela Kishore, the film offers nothing. Though it’s a good plot it is badly handled and ends like a dull drama.