Its a shame that 'Shaandaar' fails to deliver. Director Vikas Bahl scored a century with his brilliant Queen, Lead-Actors Shahid Kapoor & Alia Bhatt have seen inspiring success off late, its produced by the so-called numero uno production houses - Dharma & The Phantoms & yet this BIG-BUDGETED Rom-Com lacks the fizz.
Reason? 'Shaandaar' stands on a faulty script & no film can rise above that. What is eventually served here, is a few moments that provide humour & the cast, who manage to keep you hooked, even when the script fails them.
'Shaandaar' Synopsis: Two loud, money-minded, big families come together for a wedding, that would turn them into in-laws. During this chaos, the wedding planner & the bride-to-be's stepsister, fall in love.
'Shaandaar' has a boring first-hour. The film begins tepidly & the interactions between the "families" is bland. The love-struck protagonists (Shahid & Alia) appear in the watchable bits, but then again, its just watchable, not entertaining. The second-hour picks up some momentum & even the climax is weirdly funny. Another glitch are the songs, which pop-up very frequently, but add nothing to the narrative.
Anvita Dutt Guptan's Screenplay is a letdown. Despite some funny moments & its lighthearted approach, this story, overall, has no soul. Vikas Bahl's Direction is listless. Seriously, Vikas? Cinematography is quite good. Editing is, at times loose & at times, crisp. Amit Trivedi's Soundtrack is good, but it doesn't add to the goings-on & hence it bores. We can hear the songs on our I-Pods instead! Art & Costume Design are overdone. Graphics are average.
'Shaandaar' is saved by its credible cast, who deliver admirably. Pankaj Kapur is simply FANTASTIC as Alia's father, who's constant Nok-Jhok with real-life beta Shahid, are among the better moments of the film. Shahid is decent, but is underused at most parts. Alia is effortlessly natural & immensely likable. Sanah Kapoor makes a fine debut, delivering a commendable performance as the overweight bride-to-be. Sushma Seth is perfectly wicked as the evil grandmother & Sanjay Kapoor enacts the unbearable Sindhi millionaire, with the correct amount of madness. However, Karan Johar's cameo is annoying & Naseeruddin Shah's voice-over is pathetic.
On the whole, 'Shaandaar' is anything but Fabulous! A Disappointment!
