Bittoo Boss - Review

Bittoo Boss feels like a vehicle that is approaching the end of its life. It troubles you while taking off, giving you a sinking feeling that it's not going to run at all. Then it suddenly kick-starts, and just when it looks like it could give some mileage, it jerks and stalls before finally dying on you. Given that Bittoo Boss wants to awaken its audience to the vanity of the porn industry, the narrative it uses is alternately decent and preachy. And the latter is where it gets annoying, not to mention what happens between the two is amateur and leap frog-ish, jumping from point A to point B without using a reasonably understandable flow.

For example, the way the lead lady, Mrinalini (Amita Pathak) falls in and out of love is unconvincing each time it happens - both the ins and the outs. Similarly, our man Bittoo's (Pulkit Samrat) choice of career change is rather sudden given his ideologies thus far. Yet, what happens after this, is a tiny bit unpredictable in that typically a hero whose self-respect has been hurt in the name of money, would usually fall prey to all the no-nos before realizing it's not him. But Bittoo is rather self-aware in comparison. This is a pleasant surprise and he wriggles his way out smoothly even if it is a little too easily.

There was something about Pulkit Samrat that didn't gel well with me in the promos, but he sort-of grows on me in a very Ranveer Singh, a la Band Baaja Baaraat kind-of a way. Except for his hair, even though my brain told me often enough that that's what a lad from the interiors who thinks he's cool, would think is cool. There are moments in the second half where Pulkit shows his care for other characters with the warmth in his eyes. That it was very sudden and in the face, is a totally different issue.

Amrita Pathak, acted well, but also constantly reminded me of my struggle between being unhappy with only good-looking people in the lead and having to sit 2+ hours looking at not-so good-looking people as a part of the audience. The problem here was also, that the lady doesn't have that screen presence which could have covered up for the non-glamorous persona she has. The quirky cabbie-cum-assistant that Bittoo enrolls in the second half looks awful and yet has an awesome screen presence. That actor (name anyone? - Ashok Pathak, thanks for the information Pradeep!) is one of the takeaways for me from Bittoo Boss, despite being sleazy.

Another takeaway, is the subtle way in which Bittoo Boss tries to point out that there is a lot beyond sex that goes on in a bedroom and that is where the crux of our emotions lie. And that sex is the most innocent expression of all. Agree or disagree, a pretty insightful thing for a film to try to say.

Unfortunately, Bittoo Boss also ends up getting preachy about it. That and that it goes haywire in the last twenty minutes with all sorts-of new dimensions being added to the mix. Moreover, the entire film misses a zing, an energy (that shows only in the first song) that can hold attention.

wogma presents ''Bittoo ne le li" contest in association with Bollywood and Fashion.
Bittoo ko lene do photo, tum tshirt jeeto! Bass, tell us "Bittoo ne kis char-recter ki sab se achhi li...photo?" and win exciting t-shirts!