Bigg Boss 19: Daily Discussion Thread - 23rd Sept 2025
Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai Sept 23, 2025 Episode Discussion Thread
MOOH KHUL GAYA 23.9
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🏏Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Super Four,15th Match (A2 v B1) Abu Dhabi🏏
Complaint Against The Ba***ds Of Bollywood
New timslot of Show
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Shah Rukh Khan, Rani & Vikrant at the National Film awards ceremony
Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai Sept 24, 2025 EDT
Pranit killed it today
TRAUMA KAHA 🤧24. 9
'Mere Dad Ki Maruti' screen grab.
If you see the world through a Bollywood lens, everyone is born Punjabi, thus inheriting genetic traits that includes speaking Queen's English with such finesse that even Her Majesty would rewrite the rules of grammar; meanwhile, everyone's decibel level could give a complex to cricket commentators during an Indo-Pak final.
That is, of course, if the men behind the mics aren't Punjabi already.
Such clichs are the bottled formula mish-mash that most Bollywood filmmakers use as their Hail Mary pass when a script is weak and the star cast is even weaker.
However, every once in a while the right potion gets flung into the mix, resulting in a fun-filled concoction that keeps you laughing.
'Mere Dad Ki Maruti' emerges as this winning ride, maintaining its steady grip on the steering wheel, with a foot firmly positioned on the accelerator.
Credit for this fast-paced comedy goes completely to debutante director Ashima Chibber, who comes with an impressive resume that includes working as an assistant director on hit films such as 'Ab Tak Chappan' 'Chak De! India' and 'Rockstar'.
Chibber never lets up the pace, keeping the drama and the wisecracks at full speed, with a relatively short race time of 100 minutes or so.
Saqib Saleem, who debuted in 2011's sleeper hit, 'Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge' (also a Y-Films production), returns as a good-for-nothing college student Sameer, whose aim in life is to impress Chandigarh's Shakira, Jazzleen (VJ Rhea Chakraborty), while cowering from his father's (a hilarious Ram Kapoor) volcanic temper.
If the setting is Punjabi, then a wedding is only the perfect backdrop for some mayhem to ensue.
Such is the case for the Khullar family, which is in the midst of celebrating their daughter's nuptials, complete with a brand new Maruti car as the dowry to see off the bride and groom.
However, Sameer sneaks out the new wheels one night to impress Jazzleen and somehow manages to lose the car along the way.
Fearing his father's rage, Sameer, with the help of his best friend Gattu (a delightful Prabal Panjabi), embark on a road trip to replace the missing Maruti, with a little help of some neighbourhood goons and a carload of giggles.
Chibber, who has also penned the screenplay, along with Pooja Desai, Neeraj Udhwani and Ishita Moitra, comes up with some winning one-liners that keep the humour light and frothy, without ever going overboard in cheap slapstick that remains the norm with most Bollywood filmmakers.
Saleem appears confident for his second film, managing to hold his own despite some pretty impressive acting from the cast of 'Mere Dad Ki Maruti'.
As for Kapoor, full marks to this talented TV superstar, who walks the fine line of being the loud and overbearing Tej Khullar, whilst maintaining a certain restraint and dignity to a brash character that very few actors can manage.
Sameer's sidekick Gattu emerges as the surprise breakthrough act of the film, whose natural poise and killer lines are so familiar that most of us will certainly recall at least one friend who personifies this wit.
The rest of the band of merry Punjabis, including the Khullar family and Jazzleen, fit well into their roles; while, Ravi Kissen's villainous Pathan delights with his deadpan.
Back in 1995, 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' set the benchmark for the perfect Punjabi family entertainer; perhaps, it's only fair that another Yash Raj production takes the mantle with fully charged batteries for gen-next.
Mere Dad Ki Maruti, directed by Ashima Chibber, is a complete Punjabi centric film, with Saqib Saleem, Rhea Chakraborty, Ram Kapoor, Prabal Punjabi and Ravi Kishan, playing pivotal roles.
The plot is revolves around Sameer (Saqib), a guy in his twenties, who is this complete brat who thinks he can do anything and get away with it easily. He then lands up getting a date with Jazzleen (Rhea), who is Chandigarh Ki Shakira. In order to impress her, he sneaks out his dad, Tej Khullar's (Ram) new Maruti, which is supposed to be gifted to his sister, on her wedding.
Having a good date with Jazzleen after a mad night at a pub and a fun drive, he ends up losing the car. His life turns upside down, with a deadline of just three days to find the car, without his dad getting the slightest hint of it being lost. From Chor Bazar to the cops, Sameer meets some insane characters on his search for his dad's car.
Saqib, who made his debut with Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge seems pretty confident for his second film. The TV star Ram Kapoor gets full marks for playing a brash father. Rhea, Prabal and Ravi too play their parts well.
The film has some humorous one-liners that add into the comedy flavour. The film may bring back the memories of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge for many. With good screenplay, the star cast has done their part, with their batteries fully charged.
When Ram Kapoor decides to talk ' and that does happen quite frequently ' the massive star of Bade Achche Lagte Hain turns into a chatterbox. Hardly allowing the young lead stars of his forthcoming venture Mere Dad Ki Maruti ' Saqib Saleem and Rhea Chakroborty ' to say a word, Ram takes centrestage'.
BollywoodLife: Hot, sexy and irresistibly attractive ' these are the adjectives women use to describe Ram. But he's been constantly denying that, saying 'Hot, sexy ' lekin kaunse angle se?' Saqib and Rhea, you tell us what in your opinion is that X-factor in Ram that pulls ladies towards him?
Saqib: My mother is a big fan, my sister watches his show (Bade Acche Lagte Hain). I think it's his charm.
Rhea: With a face like that, with a voice like that and a smile like that, what else do you expect?
BollywoodLife: C'mon Ram, you have to share the secret with us. Tell us, what makes you so charming?
Ram: You expect me to know these things? Nobody knows, man! Look at Rhea, for example. Does she know that she is so sexy? She doesn't!
BL: But you know what? Rhea actually called you the 'Salman Khan of Indian television'!
Ram: Don't you know that she is deranged?
BL: That's not fair! You just called the leading lady of your new film 'deranged'?
Ram: She's a whacko!
Rhea: How do you think I bagged the part?
BL: OK, now we know! Now tell us about Saqib Saleem, a cricketer-turned-model-turned actor. Did he teach you a cricketing skill or two on the sets of the film?
Ram: He taught me everything I know. I am nothing without Saqib Saleem. He's taught me how to act, how to remember my dialogues'.(laughs)
Rhea: Ram practically owes his entire career to Saqib (giggles)!
BL: Then what about VJying (Rhea was an MTV VJ)?
Ram: She still has to teach me that!
Rhea: It's a natural talent. It can't be taught. It has to come from within you. I am sure you know'.
BL: Ram, you are playing a khadoos father in your film. Tell us what Ram Kapoor ' the father ' is like in real life?
Ram: I am still learning to be a good father. My kids are very young. So I try to get to their level. When I am with them I am a very different Ram Kapoor. I get into all the madness with them. There's no khadoos-ness yet. That time will come eventually when I will have to be strict and disciplinarian, but right now they are very young and I am having as much fun with them as possible.
BL: These two kids (Rhea and Saqib) had fun with you while shooting for the film, but you know what Saqib told me about you?
Ram : What ?
BL: That he was so scared of you on the first day of the shoot that he sat with his knees closed and his hands folded over his chest'
Saqib: Yeh sab bola tha maine?
BL: Haan, do din pehle, jab hum mile toh yahi bola tha!
Saqib: Sir, yeh journalists bhi na, kya kya bulwatein hain!
Saqib: I was a little nervous on day one, lekin baad mein sir ne jo pyar se wecolme shelcome karvaya aur coffee pilvayi! Baad mein sir ne comfortable kiya. Khana khilaya. Bhaut pyar kiya. Sir bahut pyare hain. Sir best hain. Yeh sab maine bol diya, sir!
BL: What is the tadka of the film, the USP?
Ram: I think it's the script. There are times when you have to work on the script. But for this film I just had to blindly follow the script. The second USP is that the entire team of the film gelled at a very deep level, right from the beginning. At times people take time to open up to one another, but in this film, from the first day itself we all have been shooting as if we have been shooting together for months on end. These two (Saquib and Rhea) will give me credit that I made them feel relaxed, but the fact is that they made me feel relaxed, as much. We would crack jokes on the sets'.
BL: What kinds of jokes were these?
Ram: Absolutely non-veg! I am a Punjabi and I like it only non vegetarian.
BL: Can you crack one for us?
Ram: You will have to bleep out everything! (giggles) The point is that we had so much fun together that I am sure it will get translated on the screen.
BL: You three have worked in both films and television. Saqib was modelling and has done commercials, Rhea has been a VJ; Ram, you are a big television star and you do movies too. Tell us, which medium is more challenging to work in and why?
Rhea: I don't think you can compare the two. Acting on TV or say VJying could be harder, because you have to do it every day. But in ad films you have to act, you have to be a character there, so I guess both Ram and Saqib sailed in the same boat'. but I am a bit different.
Ram: TV and films are two different mediums, each with its own set of challenges. In television there is no time to deliberate, no time to work on your characters. There's no time to have a discussion. You need to be really fast. We shoot three or four scenes in a film in a day and then we do 12-15 scenes a day for TV. I don't think one is easier and the other is more difficult. They are just different. But if you love your work, you will love both mediums in different ways.
BL: Saqib, this your second film after Mujhse Fraandship Karoge, which was a surprise success. Do you feel that the pressure will be more now because you have to raise the bar with your second film?
Saqib: There is pressure, but at the same time I am more excited about it.
Ram: In fact, he (Saqib) is so good in the film that we have to raise the bar for him. Everybody in my family and friends circle who have seen the promos and the songs of the film ask me who that chick is. She is so hot! (Referring to Rhea) And everybody says that Saqib is a different actor from his previous movie. I think his level of confidence while working in this film was more than when he was working in his debut movie.
BL: And what about Rhea?
Ram: She is a hottie, man! When you look as good as her, you don't have to do much, yaar. You just have to stand there and everybody else will do things around you.
BL: Tell our audience why they should watch Mere Dad Ki Maruti releasing on March 15'
Ram Kapoor: Go and watch this film with your entire family. It is a full family entertainer!
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