Badmaash Company - Movie Review

Badmaash Company
u/a; romantic thriller
Dir: Parmeet Sethi
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Vir Das, Meiyang Chang, Anupam Kher, Pawan Malhotra
' 1/2

What's it about: Bunty Aur Babli for dummies! I am sure that's what the hard bound script of Badmaash Company must have read. If not, how can one explain the similarities between two movies coming out of the same production house? So there are three Buntys (Shahid, Chang and Vir) and one Babli (Anushka) in BC. Jalandhar andu00a0 Palanpur make way foru00a0 Bangkok and Vegas, where these con men come up with an ingenious idea of importing branded shoes and passing them off at a higher price than estimated. They don't do this the ordinary way, but come up with a cracker plan that makes them overnight Donald Trumps. But fame and fortune don't come easy we all know, soon the lavish Yashraj locales have to fade and their Aki Narula designer suits have to come off. The B Company soon parts ways, as Anupam Kher lectures us to use our minds in the right way to become a 'bada aadmi'. Phew!

What's hot:u00a0Given the fact that Parmeet Sethi (DDLJ anyone?) makes his directorial debut, the guy plays by theu00a0 Yashraj rulebook ufffd scenic locales, scorching kiss between the leads, a beach song for the heroine and a virtuous mummy-daddy jodi. Since the film is set in the early '90s, Sethi gets the art decoration right by using props and backdrops of the period as constants. The casting is fresh ufffd a welcome change for the banner that is definitely trying to rework the safe formula. First half has a few entertaining moments, especially when the Company starts their first con job. Sadly the excitement isn't retained for more than a gag.

What's not: Problems start early on for the film. The promos had us expecting a riot, a smartly plotted heist job, or something that gets us interested. Instead, the characters take way too long to settle down. Shahid-Anushka's romantic track doesn't work, further deviating the story from its basic premise. Even though the four leads are drastically different from each other in appearance, there is nothing that makes them stand apart or give them an edge above the other.u00a0 Put together they look like a box of chalks than crayons. Music is disappointingly weak with not a single track or tune hummable. The Jingle Jingle and Fakira tracks are unnecessary diversions and drag an already stalling plot. Wonder how Chang let the writers crack some insensitive jokes on the Asian community. How is calling a Chinese guy 'chipkali' meant to beu00a0 funny?u00a0 Shahid looks restless in close-ups and doesn't fit the part at all. He seems the most happy when he is hiding behind designer shades or doingu00a0 cool dance moves. Anushka is uninspired but tries hard to try and look the part (sadly her much talked about chumma with Shahid looks gimmicky). It's sad to see Vir Das - a great stand up guy - have to say some really flat lines. Chang should stick to singing and hosting, but at least he got a funky haircut in the bargain! Second half needed to be tighter, the climax looks stretched and just doesn't seem to end.

What to do: Throughout the film, Shahid keeps crossing his fingers each time he wants something really bad. I did the same, hoping the movie works; sadly I just ended up with a bad sprain!u00a0u00a0