What is more to be said about a comedy where you leave the theatre with a frown? But perhaps a few things need to be said
Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video
Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video
U/A: Comedy
Dir: Raaj Shaandilyaa
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1.5/5
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The film has hit intermission, and you have barely chuckled. At this point, your mind presents two possible outcomes. The film will remain unfunny till the end, or it might just surprise you with a few laughs. But Raaj Shaandilyaa’s Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video stumps you. It gets progressively distasteful, to a point where you shudder (no exaggeration) as the film’s end teases a sequel. What is more to be said about a comedy where you leave the theatre with a frown? But perhaps a few things need to be said.
This is set in 1997, Rishikesh. The newly married lives of Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) and Vidya (Triptii Dimri) turn upside down as a CD of their intimate moments gets stolen. What follows is a marathon of gags and a couple of stale sentimental moments before Shaandilyaa decides to turn the comedy into a public service advertisement about privacy and faux women empowerment.
The bigger joke in Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video is not in the film, but in the irony that Shaandilyaa and his writers Rajan Agarwal, Ishrat R Khan, and Yusuf Ali Khan objectify women and casually shame them before passing a dated sermon about their ‘izzat’. Shaandilyaa’s direction is no better. To prefer loudness as a comedy aesthetic is understandable, but to top it with sleaze and gaudiness that even the often overtly criticised ’90s comedies refrained from is unfortunate.
There’s no excuse for tacky dialogues just because the story is set in 1997. On occasions when the film doesn’t make you recoil, it tries hard to evoke laughter with jokes that would sound funnier on a comedy stage. Every character gets ample ‘funny’ jokes, but they hardly land as the timing and the delivery feel inauthentic. It is as though the writers wrote to show off their comedic expertise instead of serving the story or the characters. Even the ensemble cast of Mallika Sherawat, Tiku Talsania, Vijay Raaz, and Ashwini Kalsekar end up frustrating than entertaining.
The only saving grace, if one can say so, is Rao, who continues his form after the blockbuster, Stree 2. It’s funny that even though the previous outing also carried a feminist message, its telling remained sensitive to the theme, unlike this one. Rao is dependable as a love-sick, happy-go-lucky guy who brings charm and an understatedness to the otherwise garish setup. It’s truly marvellous that the actor never dials up the pitch and tone of his performance, yet feels the most natural in Shaandilyaa’s world. Dimri, on the other hand, struggles in most of her scenes. One can see her trying to play to the gallery and match to the film’s over-the-top nature. But sadly, it doesn’t have the appeal; it rather makes her look awkward. Shaandilyaa also added a callback to Stree 2. We can’t tell if it was homage or an insult. Oh, Stree, iss universe mein mat aana.
*YUCK **WHATEVER ***GOOD ****SUPER *****AWESOME
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