In some ways, it takes Bollywood’s penchant for wrongdoing a step further. In the past, many films have used handicapped people to evoke cheap laughter. Now, it seems to be the turn of people with alternate sexuality. Without ever making a serious attempt to express the psyche of people with a different predilection — the possible exception being Mahesh Dattani’s flawed but honest “Mango Souffle” — Bollywood directors, from Karan Johar on to the likes of Shetty, have not been averse to using gay innuendos to evoke cheap thrills.

Shetty’s film talking of an amnesia patient — again in a sick, irresponsible fashion — is actually a showcase for three seasoned actors, Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi and Irrfan Khan, to tell us they are human. And can err in their choice of subject. While Devgan plays an inspector without ever threatening to resemble one, Warsi plays a taxi driver, and manages to look the part. But post-Circuit of “Munnabhai” he is in danger of being typecast.

He is good at what he does, but will soon need to do more to prove he is no one-trick pony. Irrfan, plays a wannabe actors, who is often

ZIYA US SALAM

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail