Yamla Pagla Deewana

When I watched Apne, I was slightly disappointed. Not because it was a bad film, as a film - Apne was pretty decent. However, it shocked me to see the Deols together for the first-time and they're in an emotional drama. Of Course, that's not the fault of Apne but still I was thriving for that one film full of masala and action that the Deols provided millions in the past few years. With Yamla Pagla Deewana, we finally are treated to a wacky action comedy full of gags and spoofs on the Deol family themselves.

Paramvir is an NRI living with his Canadian wife, kids and mother. Paramvir's father had left them with Paramvir's younger brother many years ago. Through a coincidence, Paramvir comes to know that his father and brother are in Banaras and they're big cons. Paramvir goes to India to bring back his remaining family. Once Paramvir reaches there, things go haywire as other issues arise for Paramvir other than just getting his father and brother back. What happens next, is Yamla Pagla Deewana.

YPD does not promise logic. However, it stills provides a bit more than the usual mindless entertainer. The storyline also does not bring anything new. However, it's the moments, the chemistry, the dialogue and gags that blow one away.

The first half is actually plain ordinary. There are a few moments that may enlighten you but it's the second half where everything is properly packed. In fact, the post intervel portions make Yamla Pagla Deewana fun.

There are some minor blemishes here and there. Firstly, why exactly does Dharmendra leave the family is never properly explained. Also, the music is a sour point. The revised yesteryear song which is also the title track stays with you. Also, Tinku Jiya and that's about it.

The screenplay is okay in the first half but the the writers need to be aplauded on the jump they make in the second half. It's a joyride when our Deols get to Punjab. Dialogue is fresh.

Samir Karnik's direction is good. As mentioned, the second half is where he gets it right. From the sequence when Sunny and Bobby meet Anupem Kher for the first time till the climax.Terrific.

Dharmendra looks in great shape and gives an energetic performance. Bobby Deol is good in the first hour but it's really the second hour when he shines. Kulraj Randhawa is gorgeous.

From the characters, it's Anupem Kher who stands out as the crazy brother. He's brilliant. Not to forget two other actos who shine well - Mukul Dev as Billa and Amit Mistry as Binda. Sucheta Khanna as Poli is also first rate. Puneet Issar is wasted. Nafisa Ali is okay.

All said and done, the film rides on the strong shoulders of Sunny Deol. Sunny is in form and in the correct form after a long long time. It's great to see the talented macho man do everything from action to comedy. Just excellent! Overall, it's a treat to watch the 3 Deols together and that too in the right kind of movie. If you are free and need to be entertained, Yamla Pagla Deewana is for you.

If Deols were looking to redeem themselves from the disaster that was 'Apne', they certainly have with this one. The movie makes great use of Sunny's He-Man image with exaggerated but visually stunning action sequences(with a sensational Dhol+Electronic Guitar background music which they should have released with the album), Bobby's energy and Dharmender's mere presence on the scene.

First half, though, not nearly as mad as the second, is helped by Two good item numbers and Johnny Lever's cameo. Second half is riot. When all the Punjabi characters with their Punjabiness come to the fore. Anupam Kher is impeccable as ever in his comic timing. The Canada obsessed cousin was hilarious along with the Family friend, the Flashy clothes+Goggle sporting character. Kulraj Randhawa is cute and efficient. But undoubtedly, its Mukul Dev's drunkard guy that gets the best scenes and dialogs. Amongst others, Emma Brown- the wife that scares living daylights out of Sunny Deol of all people and the kids, especially the smaller one(with his limited vocabulary syndrome) are a treat.

10/10 as I went there to get entertained and I was.

Previously three Deols came together in APNE which was a boxing family drama. With YPD they venture into new territory - comedy. Is this attempt successful ? Yes !

This movie is about journey of sunny paaji to India from Canada in search of his father and younger brother. So first half is dedicated to formation of plot and is based in Benaras. Real fun begins in second half in punjab. With bizarre situation created they succeeds in making you laugh. Dharam paaji, sunny paaji, bobby all are good in there performances but special praise should go to Anupam Kher for his hilarious performance as eldest brother of heroine. There is no much innovation in story, music is average.

Overall a nice entertaining movie. My rating - 7/10

The Deol family is back after APNE giving you a Dabangian kind of a feeling in which even when you know that its all illogical, full of loop holes and also over the top, yet you do enjoy the most of it with a smiling face and also laugh at certain sequences occasionally. In other words I felt like watching a new DABANGG made in Punjab where we have Sunny Deol punching the villains and throwing them mercilessly like the rotten vegetable bags lying in the godowns.

Before writing further, I would like to say that its not at all logical at any place, so all the critics looking for some meaningful cinematic value in it may get disappointed. But at the same time its also not a silly or head-aching loud comedy made on the lines of Priyadarshan's last few comic ventures. Though it has a Priyan kind of a climax but overall the script uses its four ingredients - action, comedy romance and emotion quite effectively in the narration which in the end leaves you mostly satisfied. So, if you loved watching its trailer, then the chances are that you would surely enjoy the movie equally, if not better.

Starting with an expected solid Sunny Deol fight scene, the director Sameer Karnik makes his intentions clear that I am only interested in giving you entertainment and nothing else. Beginning from Canada, the film reaches Benaras when Sunny visits the city in search of his father and brother. Here Dharmendra and Bobby Deol are introduced as the famous con-men of the city but I seriously felt that the entry of our lovable Dharmendra could be much better.

Frankly speaking YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA is one of those few movies whose second half is better than the first saving the film on the whole. The first half is just fine entertaining you in bits and parts. But it starts dragging after an hour with few un-required songs (why 2 item numbers in the bar) and a not so impressive romantic angle which should have been deleted at the editing table itself.

Post intermission the film moves at a great speed and has many more entertaining moments (with only 1 song) as compared to its first half. And that's what saves the movie literally and wins the game. The writer Jaswinder Singh Bath is highly inspired by the folk story of MIRZA SAHIBA along with movies such as DDLJ and JAB WE MET which clearly shows in his second half.

Especially the second half belongs to two more performers other than the Deol family. And they are Anupam Kher, as the girl's father and Mukul Dev as the girl's elder brother. Anupam Kher is simply too good in the character of Joe Bhaaji. He is comic, he is loud, he is hilarious and yet elegant in his own impeccable style which is another achievement by the veteran actor once again.

Accompanying him impressively is Mukul Dev speaking Punjabi so fluently as if he is a regional actor taken from the Punjabi theater. I really doubt that the viewers would even recognize him in his Punjabi getup having long hairs.

Both Dharmendra and Sunny Deol give a very controlled yet effective performance, which remains the highlight of the film. They both are sure going to get all the claps and seeties in their own north belt undoubtedly. In short Sunny is going to be loved and Dharmendra is going to be cherished by his fans after a long time. Coming to the youngest of the three, Bobby Deol, he gets the maximum attention in the story as the main character for whose love interest, the whole drama is played in the second half. Bobby looks smart and does fine both in the get up of a con-man in the first half and as a Sikh NRI in the second.

In the remaining cast Kulraj Randhawa scores the best looking gorgeous on the screen much better than many famous big names of the Industry. Johny Lever and Sucheta Khanna are great. Nafisa Ali and Amit Mistry make an impact in their brief roles. Emma Brown Garrett, as Sunny's foreign wife is surprisingly good with her two Sikh Kids. Most of the audiences really laughed out loud whenever one of the kids used to say "Ditto". Himanshu Malik is OK but Puneet Issar gets wasted having nothing substantial to do in the script. Cinematography of YPD is eye- catching capturing the outdoors of both Benaras and Punjab. But the dialogues and the action are the real jack here which fit in perfectly matching all the Punjabi characters.

Coming to the biggest weak point of YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA, it is the music which should have had more Dhol and Punjab in it instead of 2 item numbers (in the bar) and 2 romantic songs. In the whole soundtrack I found only one song "Charhaa De Rang" having the much required melodious notes in it. Other than the soundtrack its a lengthy movie of almost 3 hours of duration which essentially required editing at many places. Moreover, the writers could have thought of another climax moving away from the usual Priyadarshan kind of an ending and the director at least could have shown the role of Police in our system somewhere in its 3 hours (There is no Police anywhere in the movie throughout).

However another merit of the movie I would like to mention here is the appreciable sarcasm incorporated beautifully in its script regarding the passion of Punjab with NRIs and VISAS. I really hope the people living in Punjab would take a note of it while watching this.

In all, it's entirely a masses entertainment movie on the lines of DABANGG, which should be loved by all fans of Deol family especially the viewers in the North Belt of the country.

The USP of 'Yamla Pagla Deewana' should definitely be the sharing of screen space by the Deols and the fact that a large portion of the movie is based in the home ground amidst the Jats/ Sardars/ Punjab. The taste buds of Deol's fans + North India + Overseas market is satiated to great lengths. The Santa/ Banta jokes are aplenty. To fire up the screens, not one but two item songs are thrown in for good measure (cashing on the success of "Munni Badnaam" vocalist of to croon both "Tinku Jiya" & "Chamki Jawaani").

░ Dharam Paji:: The 75+ star manages to pull off a good performance, though as expected wrinkle lines are obvious. A few of his nostalgic lines are bound to draw whistles in the cinema halls.

░ Sunny:: His character is confined to play the macho man who stutters the moment his better-half turns him into battered-half. The "Dabbang"'isque action is revisited showcasing the "dhaai-kilo-ka-haath" in full glory.

░ Bobby:: Not quite there. Wish he could put in that little extra to pull-off the "Gajodhar" character.

░ Kulraj Randhawa:: The Preity Zinta impersonator has a charming screen presence. Though the romantic track is not fleshed out adequately.

░ Anupam Kher:: His comic timing deserves a mention and his character seemed Santa-Banta rolled into one.

░ Puneet Isaar:: Not enough screen-time.

░ Mukul Dev & Himanshu Malik: I failed to recognise them both in the Sardar get up.

░ Johnny Lever:: Not even worth a mention. Thankfully very limited screen-time.

░ Nafisa Ali & Emma Brown:: The role can be termed as special appearance.

The plot is very much 1970's and the voice-over from Ajay Devgn serves the disclaimer of "lost & found" script at the very start of the movie. On that note, the writing should have been further polished. The screenplay is the weakest link. Additionally the editor could have trimmed at the right place to make a lasting impact of the scene.

"Yamla Pagla Deewana" has been marketed well, especially the promos which managed to create a buzz (and more or less encapsulated the funny moments!).

Samir Karnik seems to know how to hold the reigns, the only thing he needs is to hold them tight!

PS: The original Rafi's title track has been re-mixed quite well.