Lage Raho Munnabhai

As far as i know, i and BNB are the only people in India who don't think LRMB is the best thing to have happened to Indian cinema in recent times. Don't get me wrong, i liked the movie in parts. Arshad Warsi is funny and there are moments in the movie which make it worth watching. Infact its a good entertainer and definitely not a waste of time or money. But a classic? A 'great'? Bullshit.
I thought you could get drenched in the sentiment mazhai only if you are in a P.Vasu movie or something. This went a step further. The movie had so much of sugar coated all over it that had there been an ounce more, i would have had a severe bout of "sugar-poisoning". Its not funny enough and yet not serious enough. If the said greatness is because of the 'theme' or 'message' or 'the way the message was delivered' or whatever, then by that token every Cheran film should be a masterpiece (i'm not a big fan of his movies by the way). On the other hand, if the said greatness is because of the 'treatment', you gotta be kidding me!
BNB says

Nobody wants to be critical ; nobody wants to be the grumpy guy in the room; everyone wants to gush more than the others and slip and fall in the salivatory orgy that's going on over this feel good, crass, juvenile, college final year project type attempt at movie making

I wouldnt say its as bad as a final year project type attempt, but pretty much agree with whatever else he says. And i would like to know if Vidya Balan would have that plain freaking irritating expression and smile even in a scene where her kids are killed in front of her eyes. EKSI*

Are the audience somehow mass hypnotized to think, feel and say that they're watching a timeless classic when they watch these Munnabhai movies? I'm not sure if the sequel is better than the first part. Which brings me to the point, why was the first part considered a 'great' movie in the first place? There is no problem in someone telling "Munnabhai is the movie i've enjoyed the most and watched the most number of times" or something. I also understand that Vasool Raja MBBS was NOT better than the original. Fair enough [Kamal haters, please re-read - VR MBBS was NOT better than the original]. However, what i don't understand is that almost the entire blogosphere and the middle class militia look at VR MBBS as though it was a "Dayavan" and at Munnabhai as though it was a "Nayagan". For me, the original was better and it worked mainly (not only) because of the Mumbai "setting" - the dada culture, the lingo etc. Sanjay Dutt playing a dada role is like an Indian batsman piling on runs in the Ranji trophy. Its a comfort zone. Kamal's performance was the lone saving grace of the movie (i love the "Seena Thaana" song by the way), though its a film he could have done without - he did it for L.V Prasad's grandson- nor was it a role that challenged Kamal, the actor. A sleep-walking role. Another important difference is the Arshad Warsi - EKSI "Shanti theatre operator" Prabhu thing.
Coming back to the sequel, seeing the unbelievable hype around the movie - even otherwise reasonable reviewers heaped praises and hailed it as a classsic - i was expecting something better. Oru 'timepass'-a 'timeless'-a pesarangale!


P.S: "High-class" ena koorappadum Satyam thirai valaagathil Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu paarkkumpozhudhu 'andhar', whistle, koral ellam ezhuppi kalaasiya rasigargalana engalai thaikkulathinor silar 'imsai' endrum ''indecent fellows' endrum sitharithurukkalaam. Aanaal, indru Abhishek Bachan oru nimida vedathil kaatchi alithapodhu kadhalan, kanavan, magan, peran arugiliruppadhayum porutpaduthaamal adhe thaikulathinarl ezhuppiya ghoshangalai enna endru sitharippadhu?? EKSI*! :(

P.S 2: What has the world come to?

* - Even at the risk of explaining the obvious, EKSI = Enna Kodumai Saravanan Idhu