Movie Review | Ranbir makes ‘Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar’ watchable
Luv Ranjan thinks big. He gets the likes of Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. He also ropes in Dimple Kapadia. Of course, he works from his comfort zone - taking a tongue-in-cheek look at the relationship between the typical gal and guy. Told in contemporary times it is easy to build an urban scenario of the protagonists getting into bed faster than making a matrimonial commitment.
The Luv Ranjan one-line quips expand a wafer-thin storyline into a tedious nearly three-hour journey including a trip (acknowledgments included ) to Spain and Mauritius. This alongside some fine contributions from the cast ensures some pleasant viewing.
Luv Ranjan loves the ‘Anjana Anjani’ paradigm of getting two strangers into a bold experimental relationship.
The Arora family comprises dad Ramesh (Boney Kapoor) mom Renu (Dimple Kapadia) sister Minny (Hasleen Kaur) grandma (Jatinder Kaur) niece (little Inayat Varma) and Mickey (Ranbir Kapoor). This affluent Punjabi family is full of energy, enthusiasm, and hospitality.
Unknown to most, Mickey and his friend Dabas (Anubhav Singh) are at the other end of facilitators of marriages and relationships - they run a successful BreakUp Corp. helping couples walk out of relationships with tested templates in place. Dabas in the process is more than just a tad skeptical to enter into matrimony with Kinchi (Monica Chowdary). However, a spirited Micky, who is smitten by Tinni (Shraddha Kapoor) and is looking for an opportunity to be with her, pushes for a friend’s outing in Spain. So, we have songs, dances template romance. The focus moves away from Kinchi-Dabas and understandably to Tinni-Mickey, the chor, and makkar. Obviously, Luv Arjun is thinking in nicknames.
The Delhi enthusiasm from the Aroras with Tinni goes awry. While the twosome has everything going their way hep and happening things turn bitter when in the midst of his love life, he gets a new customer call seeking his services for a breakup. The paradox is complete when he is called upon to press into service his talent to break up a relationship when at the personal level he is trying all the tricks in the trade to get glued to Tinni.
The twist in the tale is when Tinni not only rethinks about matrimony with Mickey but unknowingly approaches Breakup Corp with her work order. What could well have been a frothy dekho at synthetic relationships is marred by a change of mind and of gears by Luv Ranjan.
This is a loser strategy and the director loses the plot completely given the fact that he anyway did not have much in the first place.
This is yet another case of creative space being constricted by intellectual honesty (or the lack of it) . Where else will a fizz-filled boy meet a girl in style fashion and richness degenerated into some half-hearted heavy saas-bahu clash of sorts? Fortunately, he gets to the last climax the Priyadarshan way which saves the hour and actually even the two and a half before.
It is also the cast that saves the day for the filmmaker. It is interesting from a cast perspective to see Boney Kapoor join his siblings and the other inheritors of the famous surname in front of the camera. Wonder whose wild thought that was. Supporting cast like Hasleen Kaur, Jatinder Kaur, and Inayat Sharma have minor roles but are adequate and credible.
Special mention must be made of Anubhav Singh. His perfect sense of timing in comedy is such a value add in the biosphere where going over the top is the rule. Welcome, Anubhav. Hopefully, we will get to see more of him. Dimple Kapadia is not just elegant but has a role of some meat and substance. Needless to mention she does justice. Notice her timing in the climax comic scenes. She is excellent. Shraddha Kapoor is called upon to re-enact the usual stuff though she may claim to be in her “own bubble”. She makes a good pair with Ranbir.
The film at a level truly belongs to Ranbir who is at his best in a role again that he has played so often. He has mastered the art of being flippant for a moment and sincere without being over dramatic the next. He takes the light script and converts even the long dialogues to fun-filled moments and gives a degree of credibility to the frivolous, a la Rishi Kapoor of the 1980s. This is truly the high point of the film and a reason enough to see ‘TJMM’. To the committed, this Ranbir outing is a reiteration. To others, this is an opportunity for conversion. Go for it only for Ranbir, and with a light heart and zero expectations.
Director: Luv Ranjan
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, and Boney Kapoor
