So, does Golmaal Again deliver the laughs? The guffaws that echoed through the cinema from the first scene itself, meant it probably did. The director wastes no time starting off with the tale of how six kids from Jamnadas Orphanage spend a frolicking childhood together until they're eventually separated; only to meet again in rather unexpected circumstances. Lucky's (Tusshar) 'oohhaa-oohhaa', Gopal's (Ajay) fear of spirits, Laxman 1's (Kunal) senseless one-liners, Madhav's (Arshad) over smartness and Laxman 2's (Shreya) slurry speech, all prove to be the perfect ingredients to create a khichadi called Golmaal. However, unlike the other films from the franchise, Golmaal Again sees Ajay's character taking centrestage, displaying machoism and comedy in equal measure. This is a little disappointing since the humour from the other four characters gets completely side-lined. And truth be told, we can all do with a little less of Ajay Devgn in our lives. Moving on to the female leads, Anna (Tabu) who plays the librarian of the orphanage and the person who connects to spirits is underutilised as all she does throughout the film is try to chaperon a bunch of confused souls. Khushi (Parineeti) is the ghost (Yes, you heard that right) and is mostly seen supporting the male leads. This is a sheer waste of two talented actresses who have proved their comic worth in the past. But when did Rohit Shetty's films ever be about proper characterisation or things like plot, depth and meaning?! The story (yes, there is one here!) moves from being a simple comedy to a group of orphans seeking revenge for the death of their caretaker and moh boli sister, Khushi. Over here, let's take a moment to appreciate the comic timing of Bollywood's ultimate laughter machine- Johnny Lever who proves to be the perfect addition to the group of goofballs. A romantic angle is needlessly inserted, portraying a budding relationship between Ajay's character and Parineeti's (after all Ajay is hero no.1, na?) but that too doesn't make an impact, overshadowed by all the buffoonery around. Overall, Golmaal Again is an entertaining watch targeted at families looking for a harmless break. Not one to take an instant liking to slapstick humour, it took me some convincing to understand the essence, but once I submitted to the madness, I found myself chuckling on many occasions. (Note to self: keep brains well locked behind while walking into such films). Golmaal Again is packed with so many sub-plots that at one point, you may find yourself losing track of what the core is all about. But clearly, the writer's intention is not to convince you. The lead stars have enough chemistry and charisma to make you stay put in the theatre and you won't regret the three hours spent watching this one. If however, you like to take your brains with you to the movies, this Golmaal might not be the way to spend a memorable Diwali.
