Review: Mubarakan is comedy served in Patiala peg

Mubarakan proves convincingly that comedies need not always be about slapstick, that there is more to comedy films than vulgar gestures and crass jokes, says Prasanna D Zore.

Director Anees Bazmee, story writers Rupinder Chahal and Balwinder Singh Janjua and dialogue writer Rajesh Chawla, take a bow for making a clean film that is an out-and-out entertainer!

They don't serve comedies this size no more.

But to say that about Bazmee's Mubarakan shouldn't make you feel that one is taking the credit away from a stellar star cast. 

Arjun Kapoor, who doubles up as Karan (the smart guy) and Charan (the duffer), proves a point with this madcap. This is Arjun Kapoor's second double role after Aurangzeb, and he rocks.

Anil Kapoor, the bumbling, ideas-generating Kartar Singh Bajwa, who plays Karan's mamu and Charan's chachu, adds heft and charm whenever the film's pace dulls down, which is like the first 10-15 minutes.  

Ileana D'cruz is coming into her own in comedy films and while Mubarakan gives her a solid platform, she doesn't let her fans down. As Sweety, the hot-headed Sardarni, D'Cruz looks like a million bucks too. 

Athiya Shetty's Binkle is hardly there in the first half of the film and when she does get a chance in the latter half, she too walks into your hearts with ease.

Pavan Malhotra, who plays an upcoming, egotistic hotel tycoon, leaves a lasting impression and at times gives everybody else in the film a run for their money.

But it is Bazmee's stewardship and Chahal's, Janjua's and Chawla's craft that give you the high you seek from comedy entertainers like Mubarakan.

Every scene ends in a rip-roaring climax, and every dialogue ends with a solid, comic punch.

The Bazmee-Chahal-Janjua-Chawla quartet prove very convincingly that comedies need not always be about slapstick; that there is more to comedy films than vulgar gestures and crass jokes.

That clean dialogues, written sensibly, entertain and charm the movie-goers.

That using common sense to captivate the audience works remarkably well and is much appreciated too.

And that is where Mubarakan, after Andaz Apna Apna and Hera Pheri (you can list your best comedy films in the message board below), scores big time.

There is no doubt in my mind that I'd watch Mubarakan again and again just for its clean dialogues and clean comic punches; just like Andaz Apna Apna or Hera Pheri.

I can bet that you won't disagree with me.