Film: Fraud Saiyaan
Cast: Arshad Warsi, Saurabh Shukla, Sara Loren, Elli AvrRam, Bhavna Pani
Director: Sourabh Shrivastava
Written by: Amal Donwaar and Sharad Tripathi
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Language: Hindi (U/A)
Story:
Bhola Prasad Tripathi (Arshad Warsi) is a con artist in North India who marries 13 times and is happy to live-off women who seem to want sindoor and 'satisfaction' in that order. He, in turn, wants their wealth. This serial killer goes from Lucknow to Varanasi, merrily marrying women along the way, sometimes even siring a child but he doesn't get caught. Of course, his luck runs out when he gets a call from a daku (gangster), Chanda (Bhavna Pani), who threatens him with dire consequences if he doesn't mend his ways and settle down with her.
Review:
This film is produced by Disha Prakash Jha, who has clearly borrowed her filmmaker-father Prakash Jha's goodwill to float this project. However, Disha should also borrowed the sensibilities of her parents -- Prakash Jha and Deepti Naval -- and the kind of work they've been associated with. This film that she has produced is appalling, to say the least. It not only degrades women (who are shown as senseless and sex-starved), it is also speaks so badly about the law in this country. Of course, by qualifying the genre as comedy, the producers think that they have absolved themselves of the blame. The thought that we can pass off anything as being 'funny' is what hurts.
They clearly think that making people laugh by showing leg, cleavage and cracking jokes about 'f**ts' is cool and acceptable. So little attention is paid to any kind of sensibility. Also if I remember right, Arshad Warsi, stopped being the main hero eons go. Warsi is a terrific actor. In films like the Munnabhai franchise or for that matter Ishiqiya (2010) where he shares screen space with stalwart, Naseeruddin Shah, Warsi has often been the scene-stealer. Out here he's a social embarrassment.
Also, Saurabh Shukla who is an equally accomplished artiste (Jolly LLB and Raid) should stop doing this sidekick to Fraud Saiyyan roles. He is actually reduced to a smelly gas-bag here! Really? What were Warsi and Shukla smoking when they were listening to this script? Or like their characters in the movie, was the lure of money so great that they thought people will not notice how awful they are.
A dozen painted faces, the most famous of which is Elli AvrRam are the heroines of this film. They come and go without making even the 'I' of an impression. Most of them are so terrible that you long to come home and switch on a television soap.
There are two item numbers; one by the name of 'Ladies Paan' and the other is the remix of 'Chamma Chamma' performed by Elli. Both are insipid.
Honestly, these frauds have made a Bhojpuri potboiler and actually allowed it to masquerade as a Hindi one.
Verdict:
Don't bother with this farce, fraud or whatever in cinema's name you would like to refer to this one as.
Critic’s Rating: 1.5 / 5
