Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji - Movie review

Dir: Madhur Bhandarkar Cast: Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Omi Vaidya, Shruti Haasan, Tisca Chopra, Shazahn Padamsee, Shraddha Das

Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji - Movie review

Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji
A; Comedy
Dir: Madhur Bhandarkar
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Omi Vaidya, Shruti Haasan, Tisca Chopra, Shazahn Padamsee, Shraddha Das
Raitng: ***

What's it about: Madhur Bhandarkar has always been inspired by real-life subjectsu00a0-- be it the seedy world of dance bars (Chandni Bar), the uglier side of fashion (Fashion), the city's beggar brigade (Traffic Signal), the manipulations in business (Corporate) or a scathing expos ufffd on social circles (Page 3). This is the first time he attempts a naughty comedy about three guys who somehow end up living under one roof. What do they all have in common?

They all want to hook up with some girl. Naren Ahuja (Devgn) is a recently divorced 40-year-old guy who starts to fancy June Pinto (Padamsee), a new intern in his office. Womaniser Abhay Suri (Hashmi) is looking for a woman who can give him a lifestyle he can't afford. Milind Kelkar (Vaidya), a self-confessed virgin, is in love with a girl who treats him like an ATM machine. The story revolves around the trio's love stories and the eventual culmination.u00a0

What's hot: Madhur gets the interaction between the three guys with diverse personalities quite right. From the male bonding to their locker room talku00a0-- it's all bang-on. There are many funny bits in the first half and the story of each guy begins interestingly. What's commendable is that Madhur has mostly stayed away from the predictable. If you expected the newly divorced wife of Naren to feel jealous of her ex-husband's new girl, then you will be pleasantly surprised.

The scenes that stand out are the ones in Naren's office and the scenes showing the housemates living together. Bhandarkar's three heroes have well-defined parts. Ajay Devgn pulls off the part of the corporate boss very well. Omi Vaidya is endearing and Emraan Hashmi is effective. The film ends on a happy note, and that's a plus.
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What's not: Madhur has made a film that is neither a sex comedy nor a romantic comedy. He takes the safe route, and the film lies somewhere in between. After an interesting first half, the pace slows down in the latter part. The director also picks a supporting cast that does not support the film in any way. The same tired faces add nothing to the film.

Also, the gay stereotype character smacks of prejudice and is in bad taste. The three love stories follow a predictable path and thereby lose momentum. Ajay's infatuation is a non-starter because she calls him 'sir' throughout and you know how that's going to end. You can even predict how the other two prem kahanis will pan out. The problem is that Bhandarkar probably forgot in the second half that the film is a naughty comedy. He tries to justify the characters and their actions, which doesn't hold well. The shift is sudden and heavy.u00a0

What to do: It's part naughty, part funny. If you are looking for a few laughs, check it out.