The story of an atheist- Dharam - who has led a Hindu lifestyle for over half of his life is suddenly stranded in a no man's land, after his 'Ba' leaves behind the biggest secret of all. Dharam aka Paresh Rawal was adopted by his Gujarati parents and was born a Muslim. What follows is his Sankat to make both ends meet in a rather humorous but extremely satirical take on religion and god worship.
Although the film boasts of cinematic stalwarts like Paresh Rawal, Naseeruddin Shah and Annu Kapoor in the cast list, the film falls flat, merely because of its bland concept and its poor execution. What we see on the big screen only reminds us of the three other Bollywood films we've watched before.
And we're sure you will feel the same after watching the film (in case you watch the film!). Here are the 3 films that will repeatedly play on your minds while watching Dharam Sankat Mein.
OMG Oh My God:
Whoever's watched the film, in the crowd of many media professionals, at the press show, had the same conclusion - 'Plot toh puri OMG se milti hai'. Yes, that's not just what you hear. That's what you see on screen. Challenging the age old traditions of god worshipping and contesting a battle with yet another godman, Dharam Sanket Mein has stark similarities with OMG. To say the least, it seems as if the plot of the film has just been tweaked a bit and remade into Dharam Sankat Mein. and the biggest mistake ever made was to make such a film, sans an Akshay Kumar! At least, he could have diverted our attention.
PK:
I won't say that the story and the plot is totally similar to the Aamir Khan blockbuster but there are definitely hints that make you feel the two are somewhere similar. Maybe, because PK just released around four months back and given its stupendous performance at the box office, the film has stayed fresh in our mind. Possibly, that might be a huge reason why you will be reminded of PK too, while you sit with your tub of popcorn and watch DSM. Yet again, the fight with a godman and challenging the spiritual superstitions that plague the Indian society even today, sounds way too familiar to PK's narrative.
MSG: Messenger Of God:
What had come out as a three and hour long snoozefest, MSG: Messenger Of God too seems to be a reference for DSM. How? The character of Naseeruddin Shah - Neelanand Baba- seems straight out of MSG. Blingy attires, superstar entries in lotuses or in customised bikes, the over-dramatic manoeuvres and the surrounding - Neelanand baba will remind you of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insaan. Now you know why you should rather skip this film this week. Yet we must add that it's only Naseer saab's lecherous godman avatar that brings in a few laughs!
