Dream Girl
Hindi cinema goes through phases and it seems we are looking at times where the hinterland of UP is order of the day. UP all said and done has always interested our filmmakers but with a tinge of negativeness be it lawlessness, corruption, hooliganism, rowdiness or consciencelessness of its underbelly, but now UP gets a different profile and is coming of its shilloute which is more humane and much loved. Its time for Mathura, Banaras, Bareily, Kanpur to shine. Dream Girl is set in the bustling town of Mathura.
And if a movie has to do with anything below the belt (sex/gender) it has to have Ayushymaan Khurana in it, and rightly so. So here he plays a womanโs role in a manโs world, literally and figuratively. He is Sita of Ramayan, Radha of Krishna Leela, Draupdi of Mahabharat (on stage and as he later discovers to his own dismay - off stage too) and he voices himself/herself as Pooja on not-so-hot radio channel. Inadvertantly, he cooes in his girl friendโs brotherโs ear, he seduces his own father, he charms a shayar-cum-policeman, he sweeps a Great Jatt of his feet and he wins an unlikely heart of a man-hating virago.
First half is breezy and the second half tries to be stormy but its a storm in the proverbial tea cup. Threatening to blow over but ends up in a fizzle. Typical bane of Hindi Cinema, wrap it up maan, we need to finish it up. The movie is replete with at times smart and most of the time not-so-smart one liners, the dialogues are goofy and tries very hard to be. But some blows lands very right.
Actors are cast right and most do justice to the job on hand, Ayushyymaan is once again takes up all load on her feminine shoulders, ably supported by Vijayraj, Anu Kapoor, Sharma (the boss) and other suitors. Nusrat Barucha is the lady lead, and no one knows what she is upto. Her part is sketchy and is not at all fleshed well. She is a non existing show-piece on a bare mantle.
So how you sum up an attempt which is three quarters good while rest is passable, however one thing is sure you dont feel like you ve been cheated of your hard earned money. Its paisa vasool and then some more.