[go: up one dir, main page]

    Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    EmmysSuperheroes GuideSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideBest Of 2025 So FarDisability Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
Back
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro
Vijay Maurya, Shreyas Talpade, and Lena Christensen in Bombay to Bangkok (2008)

User reviews

Bombay to Bangkok

11 reviews
4/10

Disappointed!!!!

Bombay to Bangkok is the story of a small time cook in a dingy restaurant named Shankar (Shreyas Talpade). Faith leads him to Bangkok... well actually local Mafia goons makes him escape because he had stolen the money that they had received. There Shankar meets Jasmine (Lina Christianson). She is a masseur at a local club. Shankar falls in love with her. Because Shankar pretends he is a doctor and the Mafia keeps on chasing him Shankar hides the bag of money into one of the medical supplies going with the team of doctors that he is a part of now. Now after reaching Bangkok Shankar must take the help of his lady love to get the money hidden into one of the numerous medical supply boxes... Thats Bombay to Bangkok for you. The rest is all running around (read riding around)and some poor attempts at making this a comedy. The only highlights of the film are the songs that plays in the background whenever Shankar meets Jasmine and his dialogue "Ab bas mooh mat kholna!" (Now just don't open your mouth!) whenever Jasmin walks towards him because Jasmin cannot speak English properly and the only words that come out of her mouth are in Thai. Overall just a time pass film, that too if you have nothing else to do. Its hard to believe this as a venture of Nagesh Kukunoor. The same guy who gave us films like Hyderabad blues and Dor. Nagesh should stick to making 'his kind' of cinema and not try to be commercial. He has just proved he is not good at it at all. Good acting by Shreyas (as usual) and the man who played his friend 'Rashminder singh' or Rashes. The guy who plays KMK, the mafia Don's son definitely deserves special mention too. Other than that the whole cast of the film is a waste. Lina has a long way to go as far as acting is concerned. Lets face it - she is too wooden to act. Go watch it... if you have absolutely nothing else to do. NOTHING.
  • Souvik
  • Jan 26, 2008
  • Permalink
4/10

Nagesh Kukunoor's Weakest movie till date.

In few words, the movie doesn't seem to be a product of Nagesh. If you are expecting something on the lines of "Dor" or "3 Deewarein", then you will not only be disappointed big time but would also feel shocked to see such a mediocre product coming from the famous off beat film-maker Nagesh Kukunoor. He tries his hand on a comic subject for the second time after his first comedy "Bollywood Calling". But the latest one can be termed as the weakest movie made by him till date which is neither a comedy nor an enjoyable adventure movie. It seems as Nagesh started the movie with only Shreyas Talpade in mind and with no script at all. The film is about a simple boy running with the money of a gangster to Bangkok disguised as a doctor. There he meets a sex worker and falls in love with her. That's the main story with many unattended plots which the director just forgets to take care of. 1. Shreyas Talpade, just runs to Bangkok, leaving behind his mother on the mercy of God. 2. Naseeruddin Shah comes in one scene as the Top Gangster and then vanishes off to do some another movie I suppose. 3. A very weird love affair is shown between a rapper gangster and the psychiatrist doctor. This could have been a comedy plot but is not capable of generating any laughter. Shreyas is just OK in his act and he is also helpless since the script itself has nothing to offer. Lena (The Thai heroine) is more expressive in emotional scenes and does her part well. The best act is there from the Sardarji character 'Rachinder'. In fact he is the only enjoyable element in the movie with some good scenes. The songs have some unusual lyrics and they are used only as fillers. The otherwise beautiful city is shown as some dirty sea side village if we talk about the cinematography. The only impact the film can make is that it will be an insight into the flesh trade of Bangkok for the people who have not been there and now they will be more excited to visit. In all, I just couldn't figure out what Nagesh Kukunoor was thinking to make out of this movie and what section of the movie lovers he wanted to target this time. He would surely like to forget about his latest attempt and move on to his more promising future projects.
  • bobbysing
  • Jan 23, 2008
  • Permalink
6/10

Really Fun, Worth your time!

A fun, entertaining movie about a guy who was a chef in a restaurant who makes a theft of a bag full of money as it was lying around in his restaurant, and when he knew that the bag he took was from Bombay's biggest mafia, he took the identity of a doctor who was going to Bangkok on a chartered flight and went to the local beauty parlour in Bangkok, where his life took a bizarre turn as he bumped into Jasmine.

This romantic comedy movie was fun to watch and is definitely worth your time, I may say. The main soundtrack, which you will hear at the start of the movie too, was amazing. I love this type of small movie with a story, as it's all chaos, emotion, and love. Just amazing!
  • TheOG_DarkFang
  • Jul 21, 2025
  • Permalink

A Slow But Fun Trip From Bombay To Bangkok

While 'Bombay To Bangkok' may not rank among Kukunoor's best films, it is a very entertaining, adventurous and sweet flick. Hearing all the negative comments, I was still hoping that the film wouldn't be as bad. It wasn't bad. Yes there are flaws. I found the pacing to be slow and I thought Kukunoor could have added some more spice by building more humour. Some have complained that there wasn't enough of the beauty of Thailand in the film. While that may have made the film more pleasant to look at, it's still a film not a travel documentary. So I don't hold this as a major flaw and we still get to see some sights and sound of the country.

In a few scenes, Kukunoor parodies his other film 'Iqbal'. He includes the cast: Shreyas Talpade, Yatin Karyekar and the great Naseeruddin Shah. There's part of the 'Aashayein' song which is hilariously used. There are plenty of such laughing moments. The love story between the doctor and the gangster rapper is hilariously endearing.

The songs are quite funny too. 'Sama Same but Different' is quite catchy while most of the other songs (there aren't as many) are included in the background.

Debutante Lina Christianson adds an exotic freshness to the cast. She has a lovely smile, good screen presence and shares a wonderful chemistry with Talpade. Shreyas Talpade totally owns up to the character. The actor is showing more of his versatility and becoming one of the finest actors of the current generation. Vijay Maurya is laugh out loud as the gangster rapper. One just has to watch it to see what I mean. Naseeruddin Shah is only there in one scene but he further adds to the comic relief.

I also liked how Kukunoor, in a subtle way brought forth taboo issues such as prostitution. There's a splendid scene where Shankar tries to convince Jasmine to leave her job and Jasmine cleverly answers to him that it's just a regular job for which she works hard. One has to listen to the dialogue to understand the full essence of the scene.

I would like to add that one shouldn't expect anything from 'Bombay to Bangkok' other than a fun comedy. It's certainly not as bad as critics have labelled it to be. It may not be as great as Kukunoor's 'Dor', 'Iqbal' and 'Teen Deewarein' but it is one that can be easily enjoyed with friends.
  • Chrysanthepop
  • Mar 7, 2008
  • Permalink
1/10

The bitter truth

  • eajazkhans
  • Sep 8, 2015
  • Permalink
6/10

Not a masterpiece, but...

Not a masterpiece, but definitely a friendly and entertaining movie. A tad slow perhaps, but not enough to make it boring. Someone described it as "cute", and that's an excellent description for this one.

Except for Shreyas Talpade and the great Naseeruddin Shah (the latter only in a very short guest appearance), all roles in this movie are played by less-known actors. Nevertheless, they perform their tasks very well. Shreyas is both convincing and entertaining as Shankar. Lena Christensen's role was perhaps not a hard one, but she does a decent job nonetheless. Most of all, however, I enjoyed Vijay Maurya in the role of a rapping gangster who deep inside isn't that bad at all, and Manmeet Singh, who for a change plays a bigger role than the occasional taxi driver. I surely hope to see more of both gentlemen in the future. All in all, a well-chosen ensemble cast.

The story itself holds the middle between a road movie, a love story and a comedy of errors. Nothing special really, but good enough for an enjoyable movie.

As for the music, usually I admire the work of the duo Salim-Suleiman, but Bombay to Bangkok is definitely not their best work. The background is okay, but the songs hardly worth remembering. Besides, they don't really seem to fit well within the movie. But criticism aside, Bombay to Bangkok is a nice and entertaining movie, and there is no harm in watching it one time.
  • ijzeren_jan
  • Jun 6, 2010
  • Permalink
9/10

A very Light and cute love story

Well, Nagesh Kukunoor has once again delivered what he is famous for. A gripping story presented in light manner. Only, this time he has chosen to go for other things like love across countries, comedy and foreign actress. The movie is presented in a very narrative manner, and with excellent performance from the lead casts as well as the supporting casts. Shreyas Talpade has once again delivered excellent acting after his only disappointing role in Om Shanti Om. He is the main lead of the movie, he knows dancing well, acting well, and also delivers his dialogues well. Lina Christianson is very cute but strong in her role. she is certainly far better than any of young actresses of Bollywood, though it was her first lead performance film. Watching her remembered the korean movie "My Sassy Girl". Then, there is Dr Rati and her little romance with a Gangster delivered by Vijay Maurya. Both have acted very well to their roles. Watch the movie for a pleasant treat after so many disappointing movies from Bollywood. Go for it..
  • delhi160
  • Jan 27, 2008
  • Permalink
10/10

Very sweet movie; rare and refreshing script - most underrated movie of 2008

  • sabsebadachodu
  • May 13, 2008
  • Permalink

Everyone falters at one-time or another!

The usual stuff Kukunoor punch which keeps the viewers glued to the storyline is missing big time. "Dor" warranted a slow screenplay it but B2B seems painfully stretched to fill in the available time. Wonder if it was a result of Ghai's intervention.

Shreyas Talpade does his part fine. He is evolving into a fine and a mature performer.

Lina is strictly OK.

Yatin, Vijay Maurya & Jeneva Talwar are OK in their parts.

Manmeet Singh is a good discovery. Hope he gets a good footing into the Bollywood after this role as the lovable Sardarji.

Naseer is barely there for a few minutes.

Songs are definite force-fit. Sherlock Holmes famous phrase seemed to be a force-fit.

There is too much showcasing of Bangkok Tourism.

Definitely not belonging to Kukunoor's category by any standards.
  • AvinashPatalay
  • Mar 29, 2009
  • Permalink
8/10

A Noe-noir movie, showcases evolution of Bollywood to sensibility.

Even though I would have to confess that I can be categorized as a cult follower of Nagesh Kukunoor, I haven't let that bias this review of the movie. The movie is narrative at its best. The director has a grip on the screen play and knows exactly the plot and the purpose of the characters played. The casting is apt. Even the Thai actors deliver their best. The naissance of any movie is in its details. The scene in particular where the "sardar" guide uses war as a metaphor to choose what food to "attack" first. Last but not the least, the social taboo of prostitution is aptly dealt with. What ever amount of modernization that you bring into a society, selling sex for money is still looked down upon. Kukunoor brings about this social issue may not be deliberately but the subject does brush off. Then there is the epitomizing of "Love" beyond boundaries and language. The kind of chemistry the film showcases between "Shankar" and "Jasmine" is commendable. Anyone would agree that to make viewers believe that two people from different parts of the world with nothing in common to be in love on screen is as difficult as making a "Zonkey" or "Zeebrass". Do excuse the metaphor.

Do see the movie to enjoy the humor and story telling.
  • ramcharan-s
  • Jan 25, 2008
  • Permalink

Resfeshing Bollywood Film

I have not watched too many Bollywood films before, because to me, once you see one film, it is as if you watched it all. Really, the storyline is almost the same, the premise, the tearjerkers and whatnot. The differences that Bollywood films may have are its actors and actresses, the location, and the film title. That was how I perceived Bollywood films.

So, with much persuasion from my friends to give this film a try, I watched it with a heavy heart, thinking that I am definitely gonna waste my time watching it.

Boy, was I wrong. This film is not the typical Bollywood-style film. In fact, this film is so different that I believe maybe this is a new genre of India-made film, and I believe it will revive the rather slump in the movie-goers interest in Bollywood film.

Whilst this film maybe a bit slow in the beginning, it does pick up momentum in the later parts of the film. Which is quite good actually, as there is more time to understand as to why the lead actor were in Bangkok, far from his hometown in Bombay.

A special mention to the mafia's son character, which outperformed even the leading actor and actresses, being the tough guy outside but a soft soul at heart. He is very funny in a clumsy kind of way, without being spastic and an annoyance.

A score of 8 for this film, for its commendable effort in making a film that moves away from the typical and predictability Bollywood films is usually associated with.
  • ichocolat
  • Mar 25, 2008
  • Permalink

More from this title

More to explore

Most anticipated Indian movies and shows

Percentage shows amount of top page views.

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
Follow IMDb on social
Get the IMDb App
For Android and iOS
Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • License IMDb Data
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.