Hindi
A rom-com sans romance and comedy
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Producer: Kumar Mangat, Madhur Bhandarkar |
MUMBAI: Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji is a romantic comedy about three guys in different situations and with a different take on love. It is also about four women with different traits, though all are totally contemporary.
Ajay Devgn is going through a divorce and already on the lookout for a new love when he spots a new intern in his office, the cute and pert Shazhan Padamsee.
Emraan Hashmi is a Casanova, almost a gigolo, who finds his ATM card in oft married Tisca Chopra but finally true love hits him in the form of her stepdaughter, Shruti Haasan.
The third of the trio is Omi Vaidya, a Maharashtrian with old values who considers being virgin at thirty a virtue; he is in a one-sided love affair with a DJ, Shradha Das.
Ajay Devgn’s intern is 17 years his junior but her playfulness and proximity lead him to believe she loves him too. Emraan Hashmi, using girls to finance his lifestyle, comes across rich Tisca Chopra who wants him for keeps. He is happy with this arrangement till his eyes fall on Shruti. Omi Vaidya’s girl, Shradha Das aspires to be a film actor and just when she gives up all hopes and falls in the arms of Omi, she gets her break in a film. And, there end three love stories which were never there.
The more than 4000 meters of length of the film is all about how the trio woos and coos with their respective lovers. Where the film suffers is there is nothing much happening on the screen; as the film meanders around the romances of the three, there are no great gags, there is no movement and distractions are few; in that this being a urban multiplex fare, the faces on screen are almost all uninspiring, the music is weak and funny moments scarce.
Direction is okay but a tighter script would have helped the cause better. Dialogue is day to day, bereft of punches and one-liners. Music is a let down. Editing is weak.
Performances wise, Ajay Devgan does well as a man all at sea nursing a notion of love with a girl 17 years younger. Emraan Hashmi is his usual self; no histrionics. Omi Vaidya is passable but will soon have to show some range in his acting and expressions. Of the girls, Shazhan Padamsee acts well and is watchable, Shruti Hassan is not. Shradha Das is average. Tiscsa Chopra does well.
Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji is an average entertainer with very limited box office prospects – perhaps confined to a few metro multiplexes.
Hindi
Zee5 and Applause Entertainment team up for whodunnit ‘Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa’
Rajat Kapoor directs star-studded murder mystery streaming from 10 April.
MUMBAI: Zee5 is serving up another killer collaboration and this time, the murder mystery comes with a generous side of dark humour and family dysfunction. The streaming platform has partnered with Applause Entertainment and Mithya Talkies to bring Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, a fresh, twisted whodunnit written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker and actor Rajat Kapoor. The film will stream exclusively on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
The movie reimagines the classic murder mystery genre with a contemporary, darkly comic edge. It revolves around a group of friends and family who smile, drink, and celebrate together until the silence snaps and long-buried secrets spill out. The stellar ensemble cast includes Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Waluscha De Sousa, Saurabh Shukla, Chandrachoor Rai, Neil Bhoopalam, Koel Purie, Palomi Ghosh, and Rajat Kapoor himself.
This latest offering continues the successful partnership between Zee5 and Applause Entertainment, which has previously delivered diverse hits such as Mithya, Bloody Brothers, and Jab Khuli Kitaab.
&TV Business Head of hindi Zee5 and chief channel officer Kaveri Das said, “Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment has consistently delivered distinct, high-impact storytelling. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a natural progression, reinforcing our focus on genre-led content with a compelling whodunnit premise and a strong ensemble cast.”
Applause Entertainment business head for movies Sunil Chainani added, “This film adds yet another compelling layer to our slate with Rajat Kapoor’s unmistakable voice.”
Rajat Kapoor shared, “What interested me was not just the mechanics of a whodunnit, but the emotional violence that precedes physical violence. These are people who smile at each other, but there’s so much that is not said.”
The film promises razor-sharp writing, layered performances, and simmering tension, inviting viewers not just to solve the crime but to unravel the complex relationships at its heart.
If you love a good murder mystery served with wit and emotional depth, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa looks set to be your next addictive watch. Mark your calendars, the whodunnit drops on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
