Ankur Pathak writes that Himesh Reshammiya lets his new film Damadamm down.A superstar invests a fortune to become a robotic superhero because his son always wanted to see him as one. An actress-mother makes an outdated drama with the hope of brightening her daughter's professional prospects. And then, a composer-singer-writer wants to fulfill his own ambition and is unwilling to accept that he doesn't really have the acting talent required.
Last week saw three film releases, all of them of very different genres, yet unintentionally conveying the same message: that cinema can be highly self-indulgent and its purpose unfortunately can be to fulfil a personal aspiration.
Damadamm's central character is Sameer (Himesh Reshammiya) who plays a marketing wizard in a film distribution firm. He has a suspicious girlfriend and a senior colleague who dispenses bad advice about love and life.
When the girlfriend disappears to Indore for a fortnight, Sameer is overwhelmed at the sense of freedom he experiences -- he deliberately dirties the house and hits on foreigners at Marine Drive.
Then the sister of the company's chief joins the firm where Sameer works and the two develop an instant camaraderie.
Trouble is, suspicious girlfriend also works at the same place. How Sameer untangles himself from these complicated relationships is what the misleadingly titled Damadamm is about.
The premise is actually well-thought-out, and one can more or less relate to the three characters. The two girls do a good job, and the problem is really with Himesh Reshammiya who tries to make his character too 'cool' and fails miserably. He is too camera-conscious, delivers his dialogues like an amateur, and looks comical when he tries to dance. One has to conclude that he just isn't the stuff heroes are made of, though he does improve marginally as the film progresses.
The script is good and the dialogue takes the story forward effortlessly. The lines are conversational -- you may be reminded of similar banter with friends or tiffs you might have had yourself. The workplace has an authentic vibe to it and the supporting characters are not caricatures but convincing as everyday colleagues.
The film isn't really a comedy, and it is when it attempts to be one that it loses the dramatic tension the screenwriters construct. Essentially, it is a decently told tale of a man doing well professionally, but who has a personal crisis on his hands, torn between an adorable colleague and a long-time girlfriend with whom he has planned a house, a car and children.
Though the film shows remarkable restraint in certain scenes, it is over-dramatic in others, which kills the flow. The musical interludes, fairly relevant for once, are too many.
This is Himesh Reshammiya's fifth attempt at acting, and with a better actor, Swapna Waghmare Joshi's film could have been a far superior product.
The two actresses, Purbi Joshi and Sonal Sehgal, are both talented, but might not sufficiently benefit from the poorly timed release of the film. Now, this one marketing decision that would have got Sameer fired instantly from his job in the film!
Rediff Rating: 
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