Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?

Ashwani Dheer caught my attention in "One Two Three" his first directorial outing. Under-rated and deserved a wee-bit more recognition/ appreciation. So obviously I was looking forward to his next venture namely "Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge". Unlike "One Two Three" which turned into a slightly complicated owing to the parallel sub-plots, "Atithi stays clear. Its a single plot running in a single direction. No complications - simple!

Performances::

Paresh Rawal:: The "Atithi" character is the backbone of the premise and no doubts on that front. Slightest error in delivery would have led to catastrophic results. Paresh knows this fact and hence treads the path with extreme caution. His performance is nothing short of perfection. He brings the Atithi character so much true to life that you will mind will begin to flash out strong resembling relatives. Every act and every line is realistic.

Konkana:: There is no scope to doubt her performance, as usual she is impeccable. In "Atithi..." her costumes deserve a special mention.

Ajay:: In my opinion, he was miscast. Even if it was Sunil Shetty the expectations would have run on those lines, if you know what I mean.

Satish Kaushik leaves a mark. Akhilendra Mishra and Viju Khote were adequate. Other Ashwani Dheer regulars do their part of stocking fillers viz. Sanjay Mishra, Mukesh Tiwari etc.

There are adequate humour in store for the audience. I particularly liked the "Sholay" and the "Beedi Jalaile" spoof.

If not a laugh-riot on the lines of Priyadarshan, "Atithi..." is a decent fare and safe for a one-time watch.

Watched the movie back-to-back after Road, Movie.. Was disappointed with Road... So opted for this one to lighten up the mood.. Jokes were hackneyed and copied from "The Great Indian Laughter Challenge".. The movie was not at all hilarious but also not boring.. Decent time-pass flick with your family.. Songs were very interesting with unorthodox lyrics.. Go and watch the movie with not much expectations.. Paresh Rawal is a first-rate actor.. He successfully brings out the Frustrating emotions among the audiences.. Konkana Sen Sharma has looked surprisingly beautiful... Ajay Devgan was decent too but repetitive.. Over all one time watch..

The Legendary Hrishi Da cinema, that was sweet and simple is back after a long, long time in 'Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?'. It's not half of what the cult filmmaker made during his heydays, but talented writer-director Ashwni Dhir brings back such memories, of telling a simple story in the most simplistic manner.

'Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?' is about a family of 3, who's life turns upside down when a Atithi knocks on their door claiming to be a far-away relative. Dhir's writing and direction both are fantastic in the first hour, you just don't stop laughing. But his writing and direction falters in the second hour, it loses grip and becomes really dragging. If you laugh loudly pre-interval, you yell at post-interval portions. Despite being a good film, it's minuses cannot be forgotten.

Coming to the performances, Ajay is good. Konkona Sen Sharma is, as always, proficient. Paresh Rawal is the real scene-stealer. The Legendary actor sinks his teeth into the character and brings it out with flying colors. Satish Kaushik is terrific in a brief role. Sanjay Mishra is okay.

On the whole, This 'Atithi' is welcome, because of it's simplicity.

At first the movie made a wrong impression when it came out with an inspired poster from the English Flick "License To Wed" as its first look. Later after the new posters came in, the makers couldn't impress the viewers with their 'Just OK' promos on all the TV channels. As a result the film was not able to generate enough curiosity in the trade circles, despite of the presence of Paresh Rawal in its lead comic role.

And now after watching the so called comedy, it can be easily said that the final outcome is exactly similar to its average promotional campaign and nothing else. Though director Ashwni Dhir sincerel.

'Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge' is a silly but amusing comedy. Munmun lives a happy life with her husband and son. Both are working parents living the modern family life. Their preferable routine life is shattered when, out of nowhere, a guest shows up at their doorstep and stays with them on the promise of a few days. The invasive guest has his own demands and routine which pretty much turns everything upside down for the host family. Days turn to weeks and weeks turn to month but there's no sign of this guest leaving.

The story feels familiar but the jokes work well nonetheless. The special effects are surprisingly good too. Where writer/director Ashwani Dheer fails is to balance the comedy and drama. While he succeeds with humour, the intense moments appear too melodramatic and irritating. It may not be the best comedic movie out there but it's way superior to those David Dhawan/Priyadarshan type movies (with a few exceptions like 'Hera Pheri).

Ajay Devgan seems to be getting more comfortable with comedy (compared to how awful he used to be) which helps. Paresh Rawal is terrific. I am glad to see Konkona Sen Sharma getting the chance to display her comic flair. Even though Rawal dominates the movie, Sen Sharma completely holds her own.

Overall, 'Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge' promises a few laughs, nothing more. It's enjoyable enough to watch with the family, not a bad date movie and maybe something for a rainy day.