Phata Poster Nikhla Hero Review

Things haven’t gone too well for Shahid Kapoor lately. Most of his films flopped and his market value had gone down. But, the trailers of Phata Poster Nikhla Hero have caught on thanks to the funky presentation. Will Rajkumar Santoshi be able to give Shahid his much needed hit like he did with Ranbir Kapoor previously? Will the promotional strategy work as a bane or a boon? Let’s find out.

Story: The main protagonist is Vishwas Rao (Shahid Kapoor) who hails from a small town. Much to the dislike of his mother (Padmini Kolkhapure) he lands up in Mumbai to become a Hindi film hero. Whilst giving a costume trial he dresses up as a policeman and then helps an activist girl Kajal (Ilena D’cruz). She and everybody else mistake him for a super cop and then madness ensues through a series of slapstick scenes and situations. The story is, obvious from the genre, very simple.

Phata Poster Nikhla Hero Movie Review

Screenplay and Direction: Director Rajkumar Santoshi is one of the finest directors in Bollywood having dabbled in all kinds of genres but he has achieved great success in the comedy genre through Andaz Apna Apna and Ajab Prem. He, more or less, manages to achieve the same kind of treatment with PPNH. The script is laced with funny and outlandish gags. The dialogues he has written are humorous too. The first half is crackling and PPNH is worth a watch just for the first half. The script begins to lag a bit in the second half when things become melodramatic but the climax in typical Rajkumar Santoshi style manages to redeem the film.

Miscellaneous: The cinematography of the film is funny and gives the film an animated vibe which was visible in Ajab Prem, as well. The costume designer and art designers have given the film a typical Bollywood commercial vibe and feeling. There is nothing subtle about either the dialogues the characters mouth or the clothes they adorn throughout the film. The editing is to the point.

Music: Pritam has been on the form of his life recently and continues his fine streak in PPNH. Most of the songs he has composed are hummable. Agal Bagal, Rang Sharbaton Ka and Dhating Naach are already big hits and are ruling the charts. My personal favourite track from the film is the tribute to mothers – Janam Janam. Atif Aslim has sung it beautifully. Overall, a very fine Hindi film commercial soundtrack.

Acting: Shahid Kapoor hasn’t quite managed to hit the mark recently and with PPNH, Shahid manages to reinvent himself in a fun new avatar. He is a livewire and manages to catch the viewer’s attention with his dancing skills and caricaturish mannerisms. Vishwas Rao is to Shahid what Chulbul Pandey is to Salman Khan. Ileana D’cruz doesn’t have a lot to do in PPNH. But she manages to do her job as the glam doll quite convincingly. Padmini Kolhapure is the typical dramatic Hindi film MAA and it was a pleasant surprise to see her back on screen. Saurabh Shukla as a Don is funny. Sanjay Mishra does well in his role.

Conclusion and Box Office: PPNH, falters a bit post interval but the first half is thoroughly enjoyable and Shahid Kapoor is in superb form. He has clearly enjoyed playing Vishwas Rao and it shows. If you are in the mood for some clean wholesome entertainer this week, PPNH would not disappoint you much. It is pretty decent for a one time watch. Box office wise, PPNH will open well thanks to the aggressive promotional campaign and the weekend will come out with a respectable figure. PPNH will turn out to be Shahid’s highest grosser ever and if it touches the 75 crore mark it would have been done well for itself and for its producers.

Positives:

• The funny dialogues and gags
• The funny first half
• Shahid Kapoor as Vishwas Rao
• The music by Pritam
• Salman Khan’s cameo is coolness personified

Negatives:

• The second half drags because the story takes a melodramatic turn
• Nargis Fakhri is uninspiring in Dhating Naach
• The lack of a proper story might irk a few

Rating: 3 Stars