Dolly Ki Doli

I like comedies about social issues; the reason I count myself among the few people who liked Daawat-E-Ishq's (2014) story. Dolly Ki Doli, as it turns out, is a mixture of that film + the female version of Ladies Vs. Ricky Bahl (2012) + Hollywood rom-com Runaway Bride.

The story about a petty girl who teams up with crooks to form a family and cheat well off grooms and their families is appealing. The screenplay starts off rather gaudily, slipping in the item song by the sexy Malaika Arora in the first fifteen minutes. There is no background on how and what and why Dolly (Sonam Kapoor) and her fake family are doing what they are doing. Not even the proceedings throw light into the origin. Of course, there is some silly philosophical babble that explains Dolly's immoral profession at the end, but it doesn't make sense.

There are few comedic sequences that jeers at issues like arranged marriages in India, auspicious post-wedding first-nights, traditions, dowry customs, etc., but they all fade into nothingness. The final twenty minutes are the worst I have seen in any movie in the past months and that includes Bhushan Patel's torturous, concocted dish Alone (2015).

Even if one sustains the tedious first half, nothing will stop you from wondering whether the writers really put in any effort to end this drama rather ceremoniously. There is nothing to talk about the filmmaking parameters, except that Sonam Kapoor cannot act. I have brought up this issue in many (all) of my reviews of her films that Kapoor is just not the chip off the old block. She should shift to catering, or even better: miming in a park in Bandra.

The supporting cast (Rao and Samrat, too) adds humor and ounces of glory to the film while Kapoor is busy dancing in at least four songs that I happen to notice.

BOTTOM LINE: If I were a 27 year old lad with a job and no girlfriend looking for a getaway this weekend, I would skip Dolly Ki Doli. I would even skip that pretentious Baby (2015) and Depp's career suicide Mortdecai (2015). Instead, I would go to a beach and watch the sun go down the horizon and induce pleasure from it. 3/10.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Story about a con woman & her motley crew. She does the run away bride act with the moolah of her groom, after marriage. The victims are selected for their gullibility. It starts of interestingly and seems a a different plot. But, it quickly goes downhill after the first "wedding" and even the director seems clueless on how to proceed further and thankfully keeps the movie within 2 hours. Lot of logic is thrown out of the window and the protagonist act of Sonam is wooden which goes against the movie. Somebody like KanganaRanaut would have probably suited the role much better. RajKumarRao stands out with his Haryanvi accent and act.

Overall, it's an OK movie, just for the premise and light viewing.

'Dolly Ki Doli' is the first Bollywood movie that I watched in 2015 and it certainly surpassed my expectations. Directed and co-written by Abhishek Dogra, the film has a run time of 98 minutes which is just right considering the quite simple story. Starring Sonam Kapoor, Pulkit Samrat, Rajkumar Rao and Varun Sharma, 'Dolly Ki Doli' is about a runaway bride who tricks various men into getting married to her then runs away with whatever valuables she can steal. The narrative is very linear yet so entertaining containing a relevant flashback explaining why Dolly (Sonam Kapoor) started doing what she does best which is conning people.

Sonam Kapoor as a con woman plays her usual typecast 'loud urban chick' role perfectly sporting different looks throughout the film. Her costumes are also spot on glamorising every wedding scene making them look royal especially in the dance number 'Phatte Tak Nachna'. You feel sorry for Sonu (Rajkumar Rao) who the film starts off with. He plays a Haryanvi character so realistically and uses his method acting to showcase a range of emotions.

Varun Sharma uses his comedic talent well after 'Fukrey' as a rich spoilt kid who has to go against his mother played by Archana Puran Singh just to marry Dolly. Last of all, Pulkit Samrat plays a Dabangg inspired cop called 'Robin Singh' who takes on the case of finding and nabbing Dolly and her so-called 'family'. There is not much to say about his acting as he was seen in a similar role in last year's 'Jai Ho' except he shows much more charisma in this outing. The stand out performance for me has to be Rajkumar Rao due to his natural performance.

Moving on from the positives, although the first half is very entertaining as the story travels at an appropriate pace, the second half seems a bit rushed and the ending is typical. The one question you will be asking is how there were no pictures taken of Dolly at any of the dozen weddings, even though it is revealed that the camera man is a part of their team but surely people carry mobile phones around in this era? However, it doesn't ruin the experience at all as the back story of Dolly will keep you hooked as well as a cameo appearance by none other than Saif Ali Khan. The soundtrack is also decent with mainly dance numbers, one featuring item queen Malaika Arora Khan but the picturisation of 'Mere Naina Kafir Hogaye' stands out due to the emotional quotient attached to it.

Overall, the film is quite enjoyable for a January release and certainly a must watch for Sonam Kapoor fans as she brings her quirkiness to the table once again after last year's hit 'Khoobsurat'. The performances by the male leads should also not be underestimated. If you want a serious film like 'Baby' or 'Badlapur', then this definitely isn't for you. However, if you want pure entertainment backed by a decent cast, then go for it.

'Dolly Ki Doli' is a Mediocre film, that's not high on pluses. Its an off-repeated tale, with not much newness or entertainment working on its favor.

'Dolly Ki Doli' Synopsis: Dolly marries men of different religion for their wealth. Until...A Cop gets on her trial.

'Dolly Ki Doli' at a crisp 100-minutes, has a breezy first-hour, but a soulless second. The "supposed" twist in the tale & the reason behind the protagonist's continuous conning, comes across as under-developed. The impact is missing!

Abhishek Dogra's Screenplay has a few moments, but overall, is plain mediocre. There's not a single new element in the Screenplay, which deserves a mention. Dogra's Direction is fine. Cinematotaphy & Editing are credible.

Performance-Wise: Sonam Kapoor is strictly okay. Despite being the protagonist, the actress doesn't perform up-to the mark. Rajkummar Rao is the silver lining of 'Dolly Ki Doli'. He's absolutely brilliant as the Jatt from Haryana. Varun Sharma is a cartoon, while Pulkit Samrat has a Salman Khan hang-up. Archana Puran Singh is hilarious in a bit role. Manoj Joshi & Brijendra Kala are dependable, as ever. Saif Ali Khan is stiff in a cameo.

On the whole, 'Dolly Ki Dolly' is, at best, an ordinary fare.

What the hell did I just watch? All throughout the movie I kept thinking, maybe the end climax will turn everything around. All the muddled puzzle pieces will suddenly fall into place. Something like 6th sense, or fight club, or Kahaani. Alas, this dumb movie never attempts to answer the most obvious flaws it contains. The ending is just like the rest of the movie- crappy.

Sonam Kapoor's acting was quite shallow. Unlike her previous movies. Rajkumar Rao was the only average character in the movie. He tried providing some comic relief with his witty dialogues. Unfortunately, the storyline was so bleak and thinly plastered, that even his dialogues could not support it. All others just tanked down.