The President Is Coming

I trembled while resisting the worst possible rating for this film but in all fairness I've seen worse. At least the promos were creatively misleading and since it's important to actually sit through the ENTIRE film before laying claim to a comprehensive review, I admit I threw up and walked out on this one within the first hour. Let's take it up one by one:

The Acting: is at best shoddy and reminiscent of a self-congratulatory, Mumbai-based English-theatre performance. For those who don't know what this means, it's the equivalent of Timothy Dalton playing Bond or Arnie playing a mother. (Maybe I'm cribbing because I've seen some of these performers botch a perfectly good script on the Mumbai stage as well). The characters are so cocooned in caricaturisation that they you can't connect with them any more than you would with Puff-the-magic-dragon.

The Direction: is amateur and unimaginative. Sorry KRK but the reality- TV style is losing its sheen unless you bring something to it. Those forced silences and awkward moments just don't work if you're not going to bring an element of the panopticon to it.

The Production: Cut, cut, cut. I read someone say this film is slick but in my opinion you could trip on the gaps between cuts. I could hear myself grind my teeth between bad performances because for some reason the producer wanted me to notice they were BAD.

It pains me to write this because I actually knew KRK back in college and loved his stage performances and steady supply of off-stage wit but I'm thoroughly disappointed at the hack job that's been put together with "The President is Coming". Let this be a lesson to all foreign dignitaries to steer clear of this country just so we don't have to be subjected to another one of these abominations.

I saw President at its NYC opening at SAIFF. I found it both pleasantly entertaining and original. As a non-Indian I may have missed some of the specific Indian humor contained in a few scenes but all in all I found myself laughing pretty consistently throughout the film. If you're looking for a film with great characters, witty dialogue, and a slick editing I highly recommend it. The other thing that stood out to me was the caliber of acting and the great on screen chemistry between the characters. At its core the film pokes fun at both India and the U.S. and the strange relationship that exists between these two great countries.

Given that original ideas are becoming more limited in Indian cinema, Kunal Roy Kapoor's satirical comedy 'The President Is Coming' comes as a breeze of fresh air. Not only that, but it is one of the funniest films of recent time. The writing is just terrific. The themes are well introduced with a touch of humour and the clever dialogues are laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Kapoor has also finally exposed the hidden comedic flair of Shernaz Patel (she actually looks quite hot here) and Konkona Sen Sharma (very sexy too). These two actresses are known for their portrayal of intense characters and it was a pleasant surprise to see them in comic parts. While Patel's role demands her to be more physical with comedy, Sen Sharma's role demands both subtlety and 'physicality'. The women are a riot. Would love to see these two in more comedies. Shivani Tanksale as Samantha's pushover rival and Anand Tiwari are hilarious. The rest of the cast also get to draw their fair share of laughter and they are just as wonderful.

The film was made on a low budget which works in its favour and it is suitably executed like an episode of a reality show. Thus, the editing and cinematography might not be the kind you witness in slick high-tech movies but that's pretty much the point.

Kunal Roy Kapoor proves to be a talented director because he does a very commendable job. I would surely look forward to his future projects if he stays on the same track. As for, 'The President Is Coming', I wouldn't recommend watching it with kids or parents but it's a great film for mature people looking for laughter (although ). Out an out howlarious!

I saw this film in New York City for the South Asian Festival. How wonderful to see the first of it's kind and an Indian mockumentary. The film was good fun - the audience loved it and laughed the whole way through. The actors were all very strong - and the script was fast paced and very theatrical.

Always a pleasure to watch Konkona Sen Sharma strutting her stuff. Anand Tiwari is absolutely hysterical - he's one to watch out for.

The cast work very well together as a whole - and the animated sequences are a real treat - that make you think that you are watching some sort of reality TV show - that people get voted out of.

I think this film will do very well in India and abroad!!!!

The best thing about "The President is Coming" is that its story is original. In this regard, it has to be commended. Unfortunately, being a low-budget film, the overall product is not of a high quality. The dialogues and acting are amateurish. The English spoken by the Indian actors is not properly enunciated and the accent is thick most of the time. It would have been better if the dialogues had been in Hindi.

I would say that it is worth a watch but don't expect a high-quality work. The jokes may make you chuckle at regular intervals but be prepared for the uneven quality of the acting. The ending is special and that leaves a somewhat sweet after-taste in your mouth.

My verdict: good try; do better next time.