Golmaal Returns is probably one of the most awaited films this year. And simply for one reason that Golmaal was a huge hit. Frankly I never liked the first part. There were too many gags, the comic timing was off and the dialogues fell flat at many places. So it was with a certain amount of reserve that I entered the auditorium for Golmaal Returns. Also two of my favourite actors Paresh Rawal and Sharman Joshi were missing from the sequel… It seemed like the director Rohit Shetty was simply trying to cash in on the success of his debut venture.

Twenty minutes into the film and I found myself laughing out loud. Golmmal Returns like its predecessor revolves around four men whose lives are inextricably intertwined. Gopal (Ajay Devgan) is married to Ekta (Kareena Kapoor ) who is a K-soap addict. She's convinced her husband is cheating on her. Tusshar Kapoor plays Ekta's dumb brother who's unable to speak. He survives by speaking gibberish and really funny gestures. At one point Gopal spends the night outside the house. But due to Ekta's suspicious temprament he can't tell her the truth. Unfortunately for him his worst enemy gets murdered that night. And as Gopal struggles to establish his innocence, the noose around his neck just seems to get tighter and tighter.

It's more than two years since Golmaal released and the director has taken his own time to emerge with the sequel. And a lot of effort has gone into the script. Essentially the film remains a comic caper but the timing is perfect. Every sequence is well scripted and tightly edited. So despite the fact that the 30 minutes of the film the director is just establishing the characters and their various personalities the film doesn't drag. Actually you keep waiting to see what is likely to happen next.

Tusshar deserves the credit

If Tusshar was good in Golmaal he is excellent in this film. He's back with his favourite dialogue 'Mayar Oot'. For those who haven't seen the first part they can figure out what it stands for. And thankfully the director has used it with a great deal of restraint so every time he utters this curse you find yourself laughing all over again.


But it's not just his stuttering dialogues. Since he can't speak he uses his whole body to convey emotions. And the expression in his eyes changes from minute to minute. In all probability Tusshar Kapoor will walk away with most of the awards for best performance in a comic role.

Kareena Kapoor looks very good in the film. And she succeeds in looking thin without looking haggard. And she manages to ooze sex appeal irrespective of what she is wearing. But her role itself is very limited so there's nothing much she can do in this film.

Shreyas Talpade is the new entrant instead of Sharman Joshi. And luckily his chemistry with the earlier trio Arshad Warsi, Ajay Devgan and Tusshar Kapoor clicks perfectly. They are all simply amazing.

Ajay Devgan is a very effective counterpart to Tusshar's effervescence and ebullience. And Arshad Warsi as the gleeful inspector is a sheer delight. Most of the kids in the audience start giggling the minute Arshad appears on screen.

Four men dressed in drag

There's one sequence where all four men appear dressed up as women. And unfortunately more often than not these sequences in Bollywood tend to be executed in a cheap and lewd fashion. There's a very fine dividing line between crass and vulgar. And the director does not cross this line. In fact seeing Arshad Warsi dressed up as a famous lead actress (I refuse to tell you the name) had me in splits of laughter.

The director has taken potshots at a few well-known directors such as Sanjay Bhansali and Aditya Chopra. There are a few jokes on films also particularly Saawariya, Tashan and Black. In fact Munni's character is a take-off on Rani Mukerji's role in Saawariya. But it's been done in good taste. Spoofs needn't always be loud in your face.

Long live the tattoos

Saif Ali Khan may or may not have his girlfriend's name tattooed on his arm. But even at this minute there are probably millions of girls carving their husbands/boyfriends would do the same. And the director has used this brilliantly in the opening sequence.

Why this film works!

A tight script and good comic timing help to maintain the pace. The film drags briefly before the interval but then it picks up again. And in the earlier films the characters were simple unsophisticated college dropouts. Here they are men of the world. They look good and they dress flashily. Which goes perfectly well with the storyline. Thankfully there has been no attempt to overload the film with songs even though the music is by pritam. In all probability the one dialogue 'Shaque what the f***! will be used for years after the film.

What doesn't work

The film has been shot almost entirely in India. And it's good that simple fun films do not need grand locations. But a little more thought could have been given to the locations. And a lot of sequences, which have been shot on sets, would work much better if they were shot on location. And the women are completely wasted. Especially Amrita Arora!
But the film makes you laugh…

Verdict: If you are in the mood to watch a harebrained comic caper this film is perfect Diwali viewing.

Rating: 3.5/5