Gags to riches

Director Rajumar Santoshi brings back vintage comedy with Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (APKGK). The film thrives on slapstick humour and goofy characters that invariably remind you of his cult comedy, Andaz Apna Apna. If only Santoshi had worked harder on the screenplay, he may well have made another memorable comedy. Nevertheless, the film's gags and the lead pair's crackling chemistry help the film breeze through.

Love triangle

Prem (Ranbir Kapoor) is the happy-go-lucky president of Happy Club. He falls in love with Jenny (Katrina Kaif), who is in love with Rahul (Upen Patel). Prem goes to any extent to ensure Jenny's happiness, which involves outsmarting Rahul's politician dad (Govind Namdeo) and a gangster (Zakir Hussain). In the end, Jenny predictably realises she is in love with Prem.

Santoshi knows how to shoot scenes that make you chuckle even as you realise they are outright absurd. In APKGK, he has also given the lead pair amusing characteristics — Prem and Jenny stammer when they get emotional.

But the film suffers from inconsistency of screenplay, as sequences oscillate between emotional, comic and romantic. The Rahul angle is too stretched while the part where the gangster comes in looks forced into the script. The second half could have been tighter, with better placement of songs. But smart one-liners and mirthful moments make you overlook these drawbacks.

Kapoor is the star of the show, both entertaining and endearing, especially in the party sequence in which he breaks into funny dance movements. He has both the charisma and the acting skills necessary for stardom. Kaif is perfect eye candy and makes a terrific onscreen couple with Kapoor. Her acting skills have also improved and she shows a flair for comedy for the first time in her career. Patel should quit acting. Namdeo is loud. Hussain tries to recreate the magic of Paresh Rawal in Andaz Apna Apna but fails because of a sketchy character. Darshan Jariwala and Smita Jaykar, as Prem's parents, add to the fun. Salman Khan delivers a neat cameo. Pritam's music and Ahmed Khan's choreography add to the film's youthful appeal. Kapoor's delightful bumbling acts and Santoshi's zany dialogues turn the film into a pleasant weekend escapade.

— Abdulla Mahmood is a UAE-based freelance writer.