Vicky Vidya Ka Video: A Loud Misfire

More than the principal characters whose precious, personal honeymoon video goes missing, it is the audience that hopes that they find it without further delay. The exasperating episodial attempts to retrieve the video are a constant demand on your patience. How did Raaj Shaandilyaa mess it up so completely? He has done a thorough job of it, much to the embarrassment of Rajkummar Rao. Yes, even he can’t salvage the film.

From the word go, the film-maker hits the high decibels and makes you run for cover. Yeah, the town syndrome has been making its routine appearances on the Bollywood production line. However, while the likes of ‘Fukrey’ have had a stated viewership, Raaj Shaandilyaa pushes the envelope to a crass loud statement of no meaningful character. The local mehendi designer Vicky (Rajkumaar Rao) is in love with Dr Vidya (Triptii Dimri). Vidya is, however, getting engaged to Siddhu (Manjot Singh, in a brief cameo). The latter breaks the engagement, leaves the film. In retrospect he looks the sanest exit element in the film.

Vidya’s father (Rakesh Bedi) and her paan-chewing mother (Archana Puran Singh) are carry-cagers, not characters. The engagement is broken and Vicky and Vidya walk down the aisle. Vicky’s over-the-top grandpa (Tiku Talsania) is deeply attached to a khandani sword which according to him has heritage value. No one in this town is talking. They are all screaming or shouting. Just as the married couple plan a honeymoon to Goa, the family requires them to go on a pilgrimage. In Goa, they shoot their honeymoon night so that it would inspire them to be together whenever they have a fight. The CD is unfortunately not insured and is lost in a house-breaking incident.

In walks police officer Ladle Ji (Vijay Raaz) who promptly falls in love with Chanda (Mallika Sherawat). The household of Vicky apart from sister Chanda also have a servant in Chanda (Archana Patel). When Ladle Ji comes to investigate the theft from the house of Vicky, he sees an opportunity to advance his love interest, only to be constantly snubbed by Chanda who for some strange reason is a habitual eloper. You have a ‘chor bazaar’ with Saleem Pheku, a lady don in Bulbul Didi (Ashwini Kalsekar).

In short, this Hrishikesh 1987 is chaotic arguably in the name of comedy. It’s crazy cacophony, bordering sometimes on the lewd, punctuated occasionally by some ticklish one-liners. Every actor in the film is shouting as if they have a lung infection and their voice control is gone. Vijay Raaz among the character actors stands out. It must be said to Mallika Sherawat’s credit that she seems to take off from where she left. The likes of Manjot Singh and Mukesh Tiwari are wasted. One other actor worth mentioning is Archana Patel. Triptii Dimri will become the next Mithun da or Akshay Kumar. She is obviously giving quantity preference over quantity. Rajkummar Rao tries hard. He even dances with some conviction but probably you would need a Marlon Brando or Naseeruddin Shah to salvage this crap. VVKWWV is something that you would not want to watch even in a video, leave alone in theatres in this festive season. Push this Dasara disappointment behind you and pray that Bollywood’s ‘Singham’ would get you an interesting ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’. This video is more irritating than hot. It is best lost.