Movie review: Fatso

This film was made in 2009 and took nearly three years to hit the theatre. After watching it, you’ll be left wondering if it was worth the wait. Although it’s supposed to be hilarious, there are very few instances proving it so. In some way, it’s more of a supernatural-cum-romantic drama. Even the title is a bit misleading given the protagonist is just another obese guy who loves to eat and doesn’t do much about it.

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Directed by Rajat Kapoor, the plot revolves around a circle of five supposedly yuppie friends. Throughout the film, you keep guessing what exactly they do for a living but don’t succeed.u00a0

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Two of them, Navin (Purab Kohli) and Nandini (Gul Panag), are all set to get married whereas Yash (Neil Bhoopalam) and Tanuja (Gunjan Bakshi) come across as a couple where the former is facing commitment issues. This leaves Sudeep (Ranvir Shorey) fat, alone and the odd man out. The status quo is disturbed when Navin gets killed in an accident and his soul is taken to a place where people generally go to after death (according to the story).u00a0

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Here, we learn that it was Sudeep who was supposed to die, not Navin. And the volunteer angel Vijay (Brijendra Kala) goofed up. This comical episode is followed by some intriguing sub-plots that pique your interest but falter at times due to the film's predictability and effete dialogues.

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To Gul Panag’s credit, she sets a precedent in onscreen kissing and can certainly teach a lesson or two to fellow Bollywood actresses in this regard! Both Bhoopalam and Bakshi are decent. Interestingly, Brijendra Kala remains the only one in the entire cast who effortlessly tickles your funny bone.u00a0

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Though Kohli is the lead attraction in the first half, Shorey’s padded paunch convincingly carries the baton forward. What’s not convincing is Nandini falling so easily for Sudeep in the end. However, the high point also occurs during the climax when Sudeep breaks into a soliloquy about all the things he loves, thereby exposing the real message of the film: Appreciate life while one is alive.