फँस गए रे ओबामा

The setting is 2008, when the entire world is reeling under the financial tsunami of the Wall street collapse. And the tremors of those events are being felt as far as rural India, where a group of bumbling "khandaani" kidnappers are ruing the "recession" that has made their plight pitiful – victims are offering ridiculously low ransom payments, no one is paying protection money and things are so bad that they cant afford even outgoing calls on mobiles.

Amidst this gloominess, the semi-literate member of the group Anee announces the arrival of NRI Mr Shastri to their town and the kidnappers immediately see a pot of gold with him. Unfortunately for them, other "senior" kidnappers in the area are also seeing stacks of dollars in front of them. In the midst of all this, imagine if Mr NRI is himself bankrupt and is in India only to sell off his ancestral property.

Phas Gaye Re Obama's story flows well, and a few sequences are especially memorable. Especially the organised kidnapping business, with its bank-like ransom handling facilities and a "kidnapping receipt" - which is to be shown in case of any other kidnapping attempt and is valid for 12 months :) !! There is no sag anywhere in its runtime and the laughs are generated by its quirky characters and their rustic nature (it carries the tradition from the previous gangster capers Sankat City and 99 - both of which I adore).

The "khandaani" kidnapper, Bhaisaab, played by Sanjay Mishra, is a delight to watch. And giving him company is Oye Lucky Lucky Oye's Manu Rishi – the America-worshipping, small-towner Anee – who gets his dreamer yet gullible act pitch perfect. Rajat Kapoor plays the hassled NRI effortlessly – he seems made for these kind of roles only. Neha Dhupia was the only misfit – her character too unrealistic and her performance nothing to write home about. Amol Gupte carries from where he left off in Kaminey, a natural gang leader.

The movie holds your attention well for its entire runtime and the ending is not quite what you expected – so full marks to the director for that as well. There are no songs etc to distract. A solid effort by debutante director Subhash Kapoor, but left an aftertaste very similar to Sankat City etc. If it was not preceded by the above mentioned movies, I would have rated it a little higher. And others, who haven't watched those movies will definitely have a lot of fun watching Phas Gaye Re Obama

This deliciously smart comedy from writer-director Subhash Kapoor stars Rajat Kapoor as Om Shastri, a desperate NRI from America, who must sell off his ancestral village property so he can save his home in New Jersey from being repossessed by the bank. Within days of arriving in the village, however, he is kidnapped by local crime-pin Bhaisaab (played by the excellent Sanjay Mishra), who dreams of a fat ransom in exchange for the NRI's release. When Shastri reveals that he's lost everything in the recent financial meltdown, Bhaisaab's dreams are crushed. That is until Shastri himself, along with Bhaisaab's trusted right-hand man Anni (played by Oye Lucky Lucky Oye's Manu Rishi), comes up with a shrewd new plan that will make both the kidnapper and the victim richer by several lakhs.

Constructed from a terrific script that's strong on plot and packed with crackling dialogue, 'Phas Gaye Re Obama' is consistently engaging. Shastri plots his own 'sale' from one wisened gangster to the next unsuspecting crook, in what becomes a chain of hilarious cons. Along the way we're introduced to a string of quirky, original characters that add colour to this palette.

Neha Dhupia stars as Munni, a dreaded don who despises men, and who's dubbed herself the female Gabbar Singh. She surrounds herself by an army of tough-looking henchwomen with names like Kareena, Deepika, Madhuri, Rani and Preity, and spends her free time chipping away at male statues. Amole Gupte plays a permanently constipated minister who runs a professionally managed kidnapping-and-extortion company, where you're provided with a receipt on payment of the ransom, and a one-year guarantee against a repeat abduction.

But the star of the film is Manu Rishi, who brings just the perfect degree of naïvete to his role of a gangster's moderately-educated sidekick yearning for a better life. His character, Anni has his heart set on moving to America, and insists he's got what it takes – he's watched reruns of Obama's famous 'Yes we can!' speech repeatedly, he's taking English lessons at a local coaching class, and he hasn't missed a single one of Sylvester Stallone's greatest action hits.

'Phas Gaye Re Obama' is unpredictable and surprisingly relevant, even if the film's title (which seems to squarely blame the US President for the recent global recession) is a bit of a stretch. Cleverly written and sharply cast, it's a film that delivers hearty laughs. Don't miss it. It's one of those rare Hindi films that's funny and smart at the same time!

A gangster relieving himself...camera moves up...zipper closed in time...Phew! Points a gun at a blindfolded groom but fires his own hand...Bad Luck. Kidnapping business not going good for "Bhai"Sahab(Sanjay Mishra, convincing) and gang(Manu Rishi, Amit Sial and 2 others). Reason...People cant pay up ransom due to Recession!

Entry of NRI Om Shastri(Rajat Kapoor, controlled & in top-form) who has received a Bank notice to clear his $100,000 debt within a month. He returns to India from New Jersey to sell his ancestral property & gets kidnapped. This is where the Movie begins...

Unfortunately, this is the only place where PGRO falls short...the initial pace, clearly a fault of the screenplay rather than direction. The initial scenes were certainly needed to provide for character development but a crisper editing before the interval could have elevated the movie to an altogether different level. It takes around the interval to climb the slope but certainly gives the promised thrill, thereafter. My only fear during the movie was that such an original story should not have a sudden or an over the top or an ending leaving you in bad taste. Thankfully, it did not!

On the acting front, Rajat Kapoor was spot on. The supporting casting was very well done too; Manu Rishi as the small-time gangster(Ani) inspiring his gang with Obama-speeches & Sanjay Mishra as a broke gangster with a dream to become a politician. Neha Dhupia as a man-hating Sculptor-Gangster (Munni with no Zandu balm!) tried to look her part but was overshadowed in her comparatively smaller role. Sadly, Amol "Bhope-Bhau" Gupte (Kaminey) got a smaller screen space, too but did his best. The slightly lower budget cinematography as well lack of songs (except one in the credits) enhanced the narration process. The humour in the writing bounced about from crude(interpretation of "Yes, we can") to good(Receipts for kidnapping ransom, English coaching scene) but didn't distract the storyline.

PGRO is a good example of what a good original script can do in the hands of a capable director(both by Subhash Kapoor) without an A-list star cast and Music/Dance sequences and high budget props.

Me and my friend were planning for Rakta Charitra 2 but landed for this as there were no shows for the former. I was greatly apprehensive of taking the risk of watching a movie I knew nothing about, on first-day-first-show (especially after the outrageously disastrous Raavan...shudder!).

I know this one wont be bothered by the Luv-SOrryyy & Ud-Ud-Bangg crowd. It's not a deep thought provoking or ROFL-hilarious drama either. But for once, I'm glad I took the chance.

Sense & Simplicity

7/10

One line review of the movie – Simply add the name Subhash Kapoor to the group of new extremely talented directors who are capable of teaching new lessons of cinema to all the big names relying entirely on Big Stars and their glossy film- making styles to save their reputed names in the Industry. PHAS GAYE RE OBAMA is a loud and tight slap to all those starry directors and it clearly reminds them the first lesson of cinema which says that Film-making solely depends on writing, writing and writing alone.

A worth watching experience, not to be missed, PGRO is a big relief after the dull period of watching all those mediocre films coming from the big production houses. In short, this is one of those few movies released this year whose script should be used in all the film making institutes operating in the country to teach the art of script writing and even editing. Not dependent upon any saleable star or hit item song, PGRO is a delightful film to watch which is very intelligently neither made as a complete comedy (like Golmaal series), nor it has been especially designed as a deliberate satire (like Peepli Live).

Brilliantly and thoughtfully written around the subject of WORLD RECESSION, it's a film which smartly touches many important issues prevalent in our country dealing with crime and politicians. Revolving around the plot of a visiting NRI in a remote area, it mainly deals with his kidnapping being planned by all the DONS operating in the region. How he manages to make fool of each one of them and successfully flies back to America with more money on his side then expected, is what the story is all about. Amusingly written around this thought of an NRI dealing with all the criminals, the writer showcases several major drawbacks of our society in a comical manner.

Starting with the scene of groom-kidnapping, it talks about the still existing charm of going to America for earning dollars, the kind of English being taught in the remote areas by self proclaimed teachers, the influence of OBAMA and his slogan "Yes We Can" on the whole world, the kidnapping racket run with the aid of gangsters and politicians and the power of media to change the course of things in just a few hours.

In the next few days you are sure going to hear praises for the movie from all your friends and critiques. But regarding that I would like to state that don't take PGRO as an out and out comedy in any case. The movie is not anything like GOLMAAL series but is more like a OYE LUCKY LUCKY OYE kind of project where you will enjoy each & every development on the screen with a big smile on your face along with few laughs at regular intervals. Here the director neither uses any silly comic sequence to make you laugh nor does he uses extensive abusive language in his dialogues to make some deliberate ripples in the theater (as done in Peepli Live). But still he manages to impress you hugely with his skillful writing and perfect characterization of his few characters in the script and literally excels in that.

Based on a purely novel thought incorporating the subject of RECESSION in the world of GANGSTERS and UNDERWORLD, it is indeed a first in the world of cinema. The lead hero of PGRO is its well written script which both starts and ends on equally shining notes and leaves a long lasting impact on the viewer. In fact this is a kind of movie which will largely satisfy the cinematic urge of ever true movie lover and student of cinema world-wide. For instance, just carefully look at the costumes, dialogues, gestures and expressions on the face of every actor on the screen, which clearly explains the contribution made by its director in adapting the taut script for the celluloid in such a splendid way.

Performance wise there are several small gems scattered throughout the film, delivered by some familiar names. With no one interfering or overlapping each other in the acting department it is a rare balanced show put up by all the actors. Rajat Kapoor as the NRI is as usual fine in his calm and cool approach. Sanjay Mishra as the disheartened gangster is excellent. Manu Rishi as the "Security" in each deal is simply wonderful. And Amol Gupte in the second half as the corrupt criminal minister is outstanding. He should really do more such films for the sake of good cinema and its hungry viewers. In the female lead, I really loved the look and feel of Lady Gabbar Singh played by Neha Dhupia magnificently. In fact I found her looking more sexy and beautiful in the get up of a lady gangster (with eyes filled with surma) than her usual glamorous looks we normally get to see. With class acts delivered by the entire star cast, PGRO, a songless film, unarguably is one of the surprise packages of the year which once again proves that Hindi Films does not only mean love, song, dance and big stars without any so called script.

In nutshell, it's a highly recommended flick which at last provides us the much needed break from all the silly romantic projects seen in the last few months. So, do yourself a favour by watching PHAS GAYE RE OBAMA at the earliest and encourage directors like Subhash Kapoor to keep on giving us more such projects in the near future. And thanks to Warner Brothers for supporting such a non-starry product, which solely depends on its merit of exceptional writing.

Another gem of 2010.

A comedy movie with a script (which is very rare now-a-days).

Plot Summary: NRI OM Shastri is broke after recession hits USA, going to loose his home very soon if he doesn't come up with enough money to save it. He visits India to sell of his old "haveli" but finds all his relatives now stay there. He is now in a dilemma how he could make the deal, in between local goons com to know that an NRI has returned to India and kidnaps him. The movie starts here.

Directing: The movie is directed in a very smart way, no unnecessary scenes, no songs (oh, that's a breather) and a nice crisp and fresh presentation.

Editing: The editor did a superb job here. I can not point out a single scene which is stretched unnecessarily or slows down the pace of the movie. For a movie like this pace is very important which keeps the audience engaged and keeps them guessing whats gonna be next.

Acting: I liked acting of Mannu Rishi in "Oye Lucky..." and he shines again here. Rajat Kapoor, I would say, had not had much acting scope. He did what the script wanted him to do...i.e.go with the flow. But, I would admit Neha Dhupia's effort, she is becoming an unavoidable choice for such small budget movies. And her acting skills are mentionable now. AND, SANJAY MISHRA as BHAISAAB is nothing but superb...each scene he is on screen is a LOL moment. Kudos to him. Amol Gupte also did a good job too. So, it seems I've praised all who acted in the movie...hmmm...

Cinematography: Not much scope to show u scenic beauty of the place but the camera shows u what u need to see. No unnecessary closeup, no try to invent a new camera angle...the camera work goes with movie tone...telling a simple story in a simple way and keeping the focus on story.

Verdict: A very good black comedy. Expect an intelligent story with a predictable ending (only if u r movie buff and I mean it when I say "movie buff"). Don't expect a laugh-out-loud movie like Khichdi (none can surpass it, ever) but, ya if u want to include brain and still want to make people laugh, u can only go this far as did "Phas gaye re obama". A must watch for sure.