Bollywood readies for laughter riot

Bollywood readies for laughter riot

Subhash K Jha (IANS)

Mumbai, November 13, 2005



The season of laughter is upon us with a vengeance. Thanks to the
success of No Entry, the stars and directors are ready to let their
hair down in more ways than one.

No Entry director Anees Bazmi is all set to direct a sequel and also
an Akshay Kumar ha-ha-thon called Welcome. In fact, Akshay Kumar has
featured in two back-to-back comedies this month -- Garam Masala
(already released) and then Vikram Bhatt's Deewane Huey Pagal.

David Dhawan's Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya and now Bazmi's No Entry (both
coincidentally featuring Salman Khan) are roaring hits. And everyone
now seems to be planning a comedy.

These two farcical fests flag off a prolonged season of full-on
laughathons. Close on the heels of these two comedies came the no-
holds-barred Ramji Londonwale with Tamil superstar Madhavan playing
a Bihari cook's enormously risible ha-ha-jinks on foreign shores.

Says Madhavan: "It was almost like a desi Crocodile Dundee. You know
the way the Australian hero went through a series of culturally
chaotic comic adventures in the US? My character goes through
similar adventures in London."

Interestingly, the other senior Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan tried
his hand at seriously funny satire in Mumbai Express some months
ago. The experiment with farce failed.

"But," Madhavan adds hastily, "Ramji Londonwale is written by
Kamalji. He's the absolute pharaoh of farce. His lines owe a lot to
the sense of fun in Ramji Londonwale."

The writing skills, or the lack of them, have always been a problem
in the comedies. It looks like the kings of comedy have discovered a
formula for satirical success.

David Dhawan, whose comedy Shaadi No 1 released during Diwali,
says: "A lot of the dialogues and writing in my last two comedies
were by me. I think we need to sharpen the satirical edges to make
Hindi comedies work."

David was in competition with Priyadarshan's Garam Masala where
Akshay Kumar and John Abraham play incorrigible skirt-chasers.

Priyan will be back with more mirth in December in Malaalmal Express
with the Om Puri-Paresh Rawail duo providing the laughs.

To Priyan goes the credit for pulling Hindi comedies out of the
doldrums. When comic films were considered strictly the domain of
the duds, Priyan pulled out a laugh-life called Hera Pheri. Then
came Hungama and Hulchal.

Says the prolific Priyan: "I know comedies are like a rain check for
me in Hindi. I can always go back to it if I fail in the drama
genre."

Anees Bazmi, who directed No Entry, has another out-and-out
comedy "Sandwich" with the original giggle master Govinda in the
lead. The film was completed long ago. It looks like Bazmi will be
finally able to release it now after the success of No Entry.

Fardeen Khan, who has suddenly discovered his funny bone after
Khushi and No Entry, is currently doing a comedy Pyare Mohan about
male bonding with Vivek Oberoi.

Subhash Ghai is producing two comedies Shaadi Se Pehle and Money
Money Money, directed by Satish (funny-man) Kaushik and Sangeeth
(Kya Kool Hain Hum) Sivan.

Never before has cinema been inundated with so many comedies within
such a short time.

Says David Dhawan: "Everyone wants a good laugh. It's as therapeutic
as a good cry. Providing laughter is far tougher. You never know
when the comic writing works or doesn't work. I'll always continue
to do the needful."

And it looks like audiences have discovered an appetite for it.

source: hindustantimes.com