<p>Nautanki Saala<br />Hindi (U/A) ¬¬¬¬<br />Director: Rohan Sippy<br />Cast: Ayushmann Khurana, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Pooja Salvi, Evelyn Sharma <br /><br />Nautanki Saala was not designed to be a ‘superhit’ from the Sippy stable and it won’t be one either. But it was definitely Rohan Sippy’s intent to deliver a multi-layered and subtle film filled with gentle humour and substance. On these counts and some more, he delivers. <br /><br />An official remake of Apres Vous (After You...) a 2003 French film, Nautanki… has been substantially customised for Indian audiences and though it takes time to pick pace, it more than does justice to its subject by the end. <br /><br />Ayushmann as Ram Parmar, is a theatre actor-director who carries his skills right into his real life and ends up on a psychiatrist’s couch because he can’t help but be good. Ram’s role in his superhit show ‘Raavan Leela’ maybe that of the wise Raavan (who wears at least 10 mukuts and keeps some spare too) but he is really Purushottam Ram in real life, till his girlfriend points out one day that he has to stop playing God! <br /><br />You see, life becomes complicated when Ram one day saves Mandhar Lele (Kunaal Roy Kapur) from committing suicide and brings him home! From then on, rehabilitating Mandhar becomes Ram’s ambition in life as he invests brains, time and effort to put the latter’s life back on track (including getting him a job as Lord Ram in Raavan Leela) even as his own goes for a toss. <br /><br />With very little help from the daft Mandhar, his show’s producer and girlfriend Chitra, Ram’s life takes a turn when he falls for Mandhar’s girl (Pooja Salvi) while trying to rescue her from an affair on the rebound.<br /><br />Ayushmann carries the film on his shoulders with his charming looks and endearing acting skills, not to mention his soft, dulcet tones which suit the romantic number he croons — in this case, Tu Hi Tu. Kunaal Roy Kapur takes time to warm up and is able to do justice only in the latter half of the film while Pooja in her debut performance has a long way to go. <br /><br />Where Nautanki scores completely is its dialogues and script, brilliantly penned by Nipun Dharmadhikari, Charudutt Acharya and Rohan Sippy. <br /><br />Witty, pithy and laced with intelligent humour, the dialogues are this film’s backbone as they ably support a screenplay which adeptly merges Ram’s <br />reel and real life as it flows from strength to strength. <br /><br />Do not miss the unusual musical score by Mickey McCleary either, especially Mera Mann sung by Falak Shabir. <br /><br />Not a film to be passed up, Nautanki Saala is definitely worth your time.</p>
<p>Nautanki Saala<br />Hindi (U/A) ¬¬¬¬<br />Director: Rohan Sippy<br />Cast: Ayushmann Khurana, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Pooja Salvi, Evelyn Sharma <br /><br />Nautanki Saala was not designed to be a ‘superhit’ from the Sippy stable and it won’t be one either. But it was definitely Rohan Sippy’s intent to deliver a multi-layered and subtle film filled with gentle humour and substance. On these counts and some more, he delivers. <br /><br />An official remake of Apres Vous (After You...) a 2003 French film, Nautanki… has been substantially customised for Indian audiences and though it takes time to pick pace, it more than does justice to its subject by the end. <br /><br />Ayushmann as Ram Parmar, is a theatre actor-director who carries his skills right into his real life and ends up on a psychiatrist’s couch because he can’t help but be good. Ram’s role in his superhit show ‘Raavan Leela’ maybe that of the wise Raavan (who wears at least 10 mukuts and keeps some spare too) but he is really Purushottam Ram in real life, till his girlfriend points out one day that he has to stop playing God! <br /><br />You see, life becomes complicated when Ram one day saves Mandhar Lele (Kunaal Roy Kapur) from committing suicide and brings him home! From then on, rehabilitating Mandhar becomes Ram’s ambition in life as he invests brains, time and effort to put the latter’s life back on track (including getting him a job as Lord Ram in Raavan Leela) even as his own goes for a toss. <br /><br />With very little help from the daft Mandhar, his show’s producer and girlfriend Chitra, Ram’s life takes a turn when he falls for Mandhar’s girl (Pooja Salvi) while trying to rescue her from an affair on the rebound.<br /><br />Ayushmann carries the film on his shoulders with his charming looks and endearing acting skills, not to mention his soft, dulcet tones which suit the romantic number he croons — in this case, Tu Hi Tu. Kunaal Roy Kapur takes time to warm up and is able to do justice only in the latter half of the film while Pooja in her debut performance has a long way to go. <br /><br />Where Nautanki scores completely is its dialogues and script, brilliantly penned by Nipun Dharmadhikari, Charudutt Acharya and Rohan Sippy. <br /><br />Witty, pithy and laced with intelligent humour, the dialogues are this film’s backbone as they ably support a screenplay which adeptly merges Ram’s <br />reel and real life as it flows from strength to strength. <br /><br />Do not miss the unusual musical score by Mickey McCleary either, especially Mera Mann sung by Falak Shabir. <br /><br />Not a film to be passed up, Nautanki Saala is definitely worth your time.</p>
