A mindless, melodramatic fantasy ride

Thank God

Hindi (Theatres)

Director: Indra Kumar

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Sidharth Malhotra, Rakul Preet Singh, Seema Pahwa, and Kiku Sharda

Rating: 1.5/5

The long drought seeded by mindless flicks appears to continue in Bollywood even as the new year fast approaches. The Ajay Devgn-starrer Thank God, believed to infuse a new energy in the Hindi film industry, falls flat in all aspects of filmmaking: direction, writing, performance, music, and cinematography.

The Masti (2004) and Dhamaal (2007) fame Indra Kumar has remade the 2009 Danish film Sorte Kugler (What Goes Around) by Anders Matthesen.

The movie tries to drive home the good and the bad matter of life and the famous idea of as you sow, so shall you reap. It narrates the tale of Ayaan Kapoor, a realtor, essayed by Sidharth Malhotra. Demonetisation dents his prospects as his empire, built on black money, comes crashing down. He is jealous, selfish, greedy, and lustful.

He dies in an accident. He meets CG, meaning Chitra Gupta, essayed by Devgn, when he wakes up. As arbiter of the fate of dead humans, CG categorises dead humans as sinful and virtuous before deciding their place in hell or heaven. Kapoor had all qualities deserving a place in hell. However, CG invites him for a game of life on the condition that a good performance will earn him a place in heaven.

What is this game? Does his performance impress CG? Is he sent to hell or heaven? Answers to these questions form the core of the plot.

This old-school family melodrama sans major twists is highly predictable. For his lines and ideas, Kumar depends on WhatsApp forwards, that too those that aren’t good.

He fails to effectively synchronise the template of comic fantasy with a social message. He stretches the film needlessly. Two subplots, that of a ruined family and a mistreated mother are over dramatic.

Certain sequences are introspective and evoke emotions. Attempts to address vulnerabilities of cold-blooded existence in urban life are partially convincing.

Devgn and Rakul Preet impress. Kiku Sharda and Seema Pahwa are wasted.