Hindi
Desi Boyz is a feel good romcom
MUMBAI: Desi Boyz is the directorial debut film of a chip of the old block, Rohit Dhawan, son of David Dhawan, who regaled the audience with many an entertainer .
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Producer: Krishika Lulla,Vijay Ahuja, Jyoti Deshpande. |
Wisely, Rohit Dhawan chooses a romantic comedy as his launch vehicle and proceeds to add all that such a film would need, including a dash of emotions – just enough to moisten your eyes but not so much as to flood them.
Akshay Kumar and John Abraham share a friendship going back 15 years; while John finishes his graduation in economics, landing a cushy job as an investment banker, and has Deepika Padukone as his fiancée, Akshay has done nothing worthwhile since he arrived in London except for changing his name from Jignesh Patel to Jerry. He is a college dropout, has no fixed job and mostly survives by scrounging off John Abraham. To add to that, he is the guardian of his seven-year-old nephew, who has been orphaned.
All is hunky dory until the recession takes its toll and establishments sack staff left, right and centre. The signboards read: ‘we fire, don‘t hire‘. As Akshay Kumar loses his job as a security guard at a mall, John Abraham too loses his banking job. Their search for work is futile. John is overqualified and unaffordable while Akshay has no qualifications worthy of a job. Akshay Kumar stands to lose custody of his nephew and they are soon to lose their apartment as well. There is just one option available to them, join Sanjay Dutt‘s escort service, Desi Boyz, with the job profile being to gratify bored rich women. Reluctantly, both turn gigolos and money is no problem anymore; the bubble bursts when Deepika finds out what her fiancé is up to and walks out on him. For his part, Akshay loses custody of his nephew.
With this debut, Rohit Dhawan sure shows a lot of promise as a writer as well as director; his handling of the film is mature and shows his flair for feel-good cinema. However, choosing a younger star cast-oriented film would have given him a better start.
Music is on the good side with Subah hone nade…..giving a touch of melody while the title song and other numbers are foot tapping. Photography is good. Choreography is away from the routine and offers no loo breaks. Dialogues are appropriately witty.
Akshay Kumar looks a little fresher than his recent films but is his usual self in the acting department. John Abraham is restrained and good. Deepika Padukone is so-so. Chitrangda Singh, in a brief role, does the needful – look sexy as well as perform ably. Anupam Kher, Mohnish Behl and Omi Vaidya provide good support. Sanjay Dutt fits his character.
With the lead stars of Desi Boyz being out of favour with the audience, Desi Boyz has lost out on the required and expected opening draw; since it has appeal for both, multiplexes as well as single screens, its collections should improve over the weekend but not enough to justify its price tag.
Hindi
Dhurandhar 2 trouble: BMC moves to blacklist Aditya Dhar’s B62 Studios
Blacklist move follows torch, drone and permit violations; producers lean on a legal workaround
MUMBAI: Mumbai’s civic bosses have turned up the heat on a big-ticket sequel. The BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) has moved to blacklist Aditya Dhar’s B62 Studios after a string of safety and permit breaches during the shoot in Mumbai. The message is blunt. Flout the rules, forfeit the privileges.
Officials cite repeated violations, including lit torches in a high-security heritage zone, a drone flown without clearance, location changes, a terrace used without permits, and two generator vans run without approvals. Mumbai Police stepped in during a night shoot in the Fort precinct, seizing five mashals and warning the crew to avoid flammable props. A separate case was filed at MRA Marg Police Station against location manager Rinku Rajpal Valmiki for flying a drone without permission.
The civic playbook is escalating. A-ward officials have recommended blacklisting the studio from the state’s single-window filming portal, forfeiting a Rs 25,000 deposit and imposing a Rs 1 lakh penalty. The deputy municipal commissioner has cleared the proposal for action, with notices to follow.
Yet the production’s pulse remains steady. A source close to the unit says filming continues and the March 19 release, timed for Eid, Gudi Padwa and Ugadi, remains intact. Co-producer Jio Studios can route fresh permissions through an unblacklisted applicant, a loophole that keeps cameras rolling even if named applicants are barred. The ban bites, but it does not block.
The film, starring Ranveer Singh, arrives with commercial heft. The previous instalment minted over Rs 1,300 crore worldwide, sharpening the incentive to stay on schedule. The sequel also faces competition from Toxic: A Fairytale for Grownups by Geethu Mohandas, headlined by Yash.
For now, the crackdown raises compliance costs, not curtains. Permits can be rerouted, penalties paid and shoots rescheduled. In Mumbai’s film economy, the show rarely stops. It simply finds a new entry point and races to make its date.
