Bachke Rehna Re Baba

For those who believe in realistic/serious cinema, for those looking for logic in every movie, for the hard-nosed critics/moviegoers, venturing into BACHKE REHNA RE BABA is akin to finding themselves in alien territory.

But if you have an appetite for masala flicks, which throws logic to the winds and all that matters is getting transported to a dream zone for the next two hours, chances are you might like BACHKE REHNA RE BABA as an entertainer that makes no false promises. It delivers what it promised in its promos!

Director Govind Menon follows the same path that David Dhawan followed at a point of time and made a success of his career. BACHKE REHNA RE BABA is aimed at the masses/frontbenchers completely: There's skin show in abundance [courtesy Mallika Sherawat], ample glamour [Rekha], two funsters [Paresh Rawal, Satish Shah] and situations that drive you nuts.

In a nutshell, the director and his team of writers have one thing clear on their agenda: Entertain the viewer, no matter what!

Leave your thinking caps at home before you buy the ticket to this sex-comedy and you'd not feel disappointed. As a film that doesn't test your intelligence, BACHKE REHNA RE BABA works fine.

 

When it comes to conning millionaires, the aunt-niece team of Rukmini [Rekha] and Padmini/Paddu [Mallika Sherawat] are real pros. First, Rukmini leads them to the marriage path. Then Padmini lures them into seduction... and a hefty divorce settlement!

After that, it's on to the next unfortunate victim.

Rukmini and Padmini play the games with a Punjabi big-shot [Paresh Rawal] initially and with a Sindhi entrepreneur settled in Mauritius [Satish Shah] subsequently.

The one rule that must not be broken is never ever to fall in love, but Padmini loses her heart to Raghu [Karan Khanna], a rich restauranteur.

But there's chaos: There's a dead body to tackle, plus the jilted Punjabi businessman lands up uninvited, also Padmini is torn between her aunt and lover now turned husband…

Director Govind Menon borrows heavily from director David Mirkin's comic caper HEARTBREAKERS [2001; starring Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt]. And the Indianized version does tickle your funny bone at places.

Menon merges liberal doses of sex and comedy in the narrative, but the glue that holds the film [in most parts] is the choice of actors to carry off the roles. More on the actors and their performances later!

The execution of a few comic sequences does stand out. Although a section of moviegoers may find the statue ['nanga mazdoor'] track obscene, it works in a big way because it gels well with the mood of the film. Also, the sequence, when Paresh confronts Rekha, who is carrying Satish Shah's dead body, is simply hilarious.

BACHKE REHNA RE BABA is also high on the sex quotient. Mallika romping on the beach in beachwear and the blatant display of her natural assets throughout will only please her [male] fans, who expect skin show aplenty from a Mallika Sherawat flick. Also, the smooches in the film, like her earlier films, are hot and passionate.

Not that BACHKE REHNA RE BABA has no loose threads. The effort to make you laugh doesn't work at all times. There're times when the comedy falls flat. Most importantly, the humor is such that it would find patronage from the masses mainly, with the gentry/elite scoffing at it. Also, the post-interval portions are quite lengthy and long-winded and desperately in need of a skilled editor.

Director Govind Menon drew a blank in his last film KIS KIS KI KISMAT [similar genre], but succeeds in his 'mission' this time around. Comedy is a difficult emotion to capture on celluloid and Menon does handle the genre well this time around. Everyone seems to be going over the top, playing to the gallery, but that's what the subject demands.

Music [Anu Malik] is in sync with the times. 'Sharafat Chhod' [Mallika's introduction] and 'Tera Husn' are two erotic tracks that have been filmed imaginatively. The title track is foot-tapping as well. Cinematography [Thomas Xavier] is eye-pleasing, with the lensman doing justice to the babes as well as the beaches [of Mauritius].

BACHKE REHNA RE BABA belongs to Rekha, who delivers another knockout comedic punch as the protective mausi. Her outfits and makeup are exemplary. Mallika Sherawat may not be great shakes as an actor, but the lass oozes tremendous sex appeal. Her uninhibited antics are sure to send the guys into raptures.

Paresh Rawal doesn't get much scope in the first half, but stands out in the latter half. Satish Shah is outstanding, handling the role of a Sindhi tycoon with precision. Karan Khanna needs to loosen up in front of the camera and also work on his physique.

On the whole, BACHKE REHNA RE BABA is a masala entertainer with the masses as its target audience. At the box-office, the film should satiate the appetite of the hoi polloi, with its reasonable price being an advantage for its investors.