Click to play videoCast: Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Tara Sharma, Ranvir Shorey
Direction: Dibakar Banerjee
Also at the cinemas this week is a small but delightful comedy called Khosla Ka Ghosla about a middle class family in Delhi whose patriarch Anupam Kher has recently invested in a plot of land with his life's savings, in order to provide his family a better home and a better life.
But when that plot is illegally grabbed by land-shark Boman Irani who demands a fat sum of money in exchange of the land, the family is shattered. Like they say, jab ghee seedhi ungli se nahin nikalti tab ungli tedi karni padti hai. So after several unsuccessful attempts to recover their land using legal and lawful means, Anupam's family finally resorts to a trick as crooked as Boman himself.
Take any good comedy ever made and you'll notice that it's either the plot or the characters that work. Those are - believe me - the most vital ingredients to get right when doing a comedy. The writing HAS to work.
You're willing to overlook shabby sets, jerky camerawork, even bad acting if the story keeps you engaged. Now the remarkable thing about director Dibakar Banerjee’s Khosla Ka Ghosla is that the plot is refreshingly original AND the characters are meticulously sketched out.
As a result, everything else falls into place, and you can literally see all the elements working in tandem to create a hugely entertaining picture. Writer Jaideep Sahni finds inspiration not in other films or books, but in real life itself, which he borrows from heavily to give his characters that coat of believability.
It's not often that directors give off any evidence that they're in full control of all their departments, but hurrah, bring out the bugle for Dibakar Banerjee who matches his script with a killer soundtrack, some bang-on casting, and such crisp editing that there's never a dull moment in this drama.
Even actors with relatively smaller roles perform their parts so well that you're convinced nobody could do them better. Kiran Joneja playing Anupam's wife, Vinay Pathak as the fixer who hits upon the perfect plan, Naveen Nischol as the theatre vet with cold feet, Tara Sharma as the supportive girlfriend of Anupam's younger son, and that actor who plays the rogue broker - they're all top class.
Of the more prominent cast members, Anupam Kher is grade-A stuff as a man angered by the injustice he's been meted out, but still a little embarrassed by the means his family employs to set things straight.
He's a parent just about everyone can identify with, because he conveys that paradox so expertly. Then there's Boman Irani playing the smarmy, oily landshark. I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that Boman's performance in this film is a notch well above what he delivered in Lage Raho Munnabhai.
Boman adds these little touches to his character - you know adjusting his crotch every now and then, the unusual laughter - these little things that elevate his performance considerably and take him straight into the gallery of the greats.
And finally, for the second week in a row, making a big, big impression with his truly incredible flair for timing is Ranvir Shorey. In last week's Pyaar Ke Side Effects he stole the show from under the nose of that film's lead actors, and in this week's Khosla Ka Ghosla he stands tall, shoulder to shoulder with such seasoned comic geniuses as Anupam Kher and Boman Irani. Ranvir Shorey is a talent to look out for, and Bollywood ought to do itself a favour by using him more regularly.
My yardstick by which I measure good films is by the extent to which they can take you away from your own life. When a film makes me forget my work, my immediate concerns, my lunch, my family - then that film's working for me.
And Khosla Ka Ghosla just draws you out of your body and transports you into its own little world. It's a film Delhi-ites will enjoy immensely because they'll recognize themselves, their friends, and their family in the characters on screen.
But really it's a film everyone will enjoy if you're seeking a good time. Often we make excuses for our comedies. How many times have we described David Dhawan's films as movies you'll enjoy if you leave your brain behind at home?
Well, the thing about this film is that you don't need to leave your brain at home, and you'll still enjoy it immensely. The humour is never contrived, it's always bittersweet. That's a must-watch recommendation for director Dibakar Banerjee 's Khosla Ka Ghosla, so real yet so funny that you'll understand what they mean when they say, cheer up, it's only life!
Rating: 4 / 5 (Very Good)
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.