The story is about two Indian
dimwits who land up in Karachi, inadvertently, & their trials &
tribulations of getting themselves extricated, first from the Baloch kidnappers
& later FATA militants (Taliban) & the Pakistan Intelligence agencies.
The movie loosely based on “Dumb & Dumber” relies on slapstick comedy &
stereotyping of characters which might sound offensive to some. The storyline -
a spoof on the internal situation of Pakistan - had promise but failed on
delivery; it could have done with a spruced up script, better screenplay &
editing. The garish graphics are a put off too.
Arshad Warsi (Shammi) is a court marshalled
Naval officer implicated for sinking his submarine; his friend Jacky Bhagnani (Kedar Patel) - the son of a
Gujju event manager Dalip Tahil- is intent on going to the land of milk &
honey – the US – by hook or by crook but suffers multiple visa rejections
because of his idiosyncrasies. Therefore, when Kedar’s father asks them to
organize, an event on a cruise ship they decide to use it as a getaway vehicle
to reach the US. A comedy of errors ensures & they wander into a cyclone that
capsized the boat & sweeps them into the beaches of Karachi – shown as a hotbed
of violence. A bomb blast follows & the discovery, on the beach, of Arshad’s
wallet - carrying his photo in Indian Naval paraphernalia - invites the
attention of the Paki intelligence (ISI) agent Lauren Gottlieb (Shazia) who is
soon on his trail assuming him to be the perpetuator.
Shammi & Kedar - shifted to a hospital
post the blast - on realization that they are on enemy territory, dress to
escape - in stolen clothing – only to be kidnapped by Baloch militia. Arshad dressed
as a doc & mistaken for a trained physician - is forced to conduct a
delivery, for which he relies on the Raju Hirani’s suction pump trick shown in “3
idiots” to emerge trumps. Later the duo visits the Indian embassy - to secure travel
documents – where their indiscretions, yet again, trigger violence between the
guards of various embassies. Karachi appears to be a trigger happy city.
They luckily escape the violence only
to be kidnapped by Azhar Baloch. Patel’s father - like a good business savvy
Gujju - negotiates the ransom for their release. Their interlocutor drops them
at a bus stand –a Pathan territory - & reveals the rivalry between Pathans
& Balochis; he advises them to collect their passports quietly & return
home. Our heroes, in a bid to kill time enter a food stall & get so engrossed
in a re telecasted cricket match featuring traditional rivals India &
Pakistan that their identity gets revealed, inviting the ire of the Pathans. Arshad
Warsi is truly in his elements here.
They flee again only to land into
FATA – into Taliban hands - where they are intended to be used as suicide
bombers. In a bid to escape from FATA they steal a mobile phone which is
actually a detonator & unwittingly, blast the training camp that invites
the attention of the American CIA – shown as manipulative & devious – intent
on taking credit for destruction of the camp. They agree with the Americans as
a quid pro quo for freedom only to land up into the machinations of the
Pakistani politicians represented by their Interior Minister Malik who showcases
them as patriotic Paki soldiers who have taken on the Taliban while the Indian
media reveals their true identity. The cacophony of Indo-Pak debates on the
Indian national TV is reproduced here.
Shazia alerts the duo to Malik’s
intentions to finish them off – since they had become a diplomatic
embarrassment; clearly humanity is not entirely lost on the other side of the
border. The CIA rescues & releases them after they agree to grant credit to
the CIA for destruction of the Taliban camp. The game of thrones thus completes
a full cycle. On their way home at the Karachi airport they spot a Talibani militant
dressed as a pilot & with the help of the Paki ISI destroy their plans of a
hijack. Or have they?
Finally Indians & Pakistanis
coming together to finish a common enemy – the Taliban – is refreshing. The
movie could have been a laughs riot had the direction been more effective;
infantile humour was a let-down. Jacky tries desperately to sound Gujju while Arshad
– whose repertoire is humour - looks lost. Lauren Gottlieb has a good screen
presence & is an outstanding dancer while her acting capability just like
her accent is a farce. The director Ashish Mohan gives the movie an abrupt end;
perhaps he too had given up. In short watch this movie only if you fail to
secure tickets for any other movie.
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