Yamla Pagla Deewana
wogma rating: Watch if you have nothing better to do (?)
What you see (in the promos) is what you get. Over-the-top, no-head-nor-tail, senselessness served in the name of unpretentious cinema. Sure, many from the crowd around me were laughing, hooting, and whistling their hearts out. At what though, is beyond me.
No thanks, I'm very comfortable with my sense of humor.
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No one, (yes, including me), walks in to watch Yamla Pagla Deewana expecting an intense experience or a strong story line. Everyone is in there to have a good laugh, come out, and laugh that they laughed. And a scene or two that stick in the head, even after you are out, is a bonus. Even with my expectations being what they should be, I found very few funny or entertaining bits.
I'm talking of earthen pots pausing in mid-air in pseudo-Matrix fashion. Only to be lamely put away by Sunny Deol's "dhai kilo ka haath." Creativity, element of surprise is not for this filmmaker.
The actors, well, they do whatever Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol and (today's) Dharmendra can do. I was worried I wouldn't be able to hear the dialogue in the middle of all the hooting. But it wasn't a concern at all. The trio is louder beyond that. After all, it is supposedly a prerequisite for the genre.
Kulraj Randhwa's role exists so there is some sort of coherence to the planned chaos that the film is. As usual, I was disheartened to see Anupam Kher do a role which demeans his talent.
The blatant disregard for the 'writing' department is so obvious that I cannot really complain about how the character establishment of Dharmendra and Bobby Deol as conmen had absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the film. And there are many such glaring disconnects. In between this mayhem, it was only a pleasure to listen to a few witty lines strewn across that brought that occasional smile. But that is way too little for a film that is just short of 3 hours.
Presenting nonsense is an art form. Watching the entire Deol family dance in one frame is not my idea of entertaining nonsense. Other than that, the action sequences and the stylization - the two other reasons why one would consider watching this film - are as lame as they could be.
The interesting thing though is that whether you think the film is going to be - hardcore silly entertainment that you love or brainless torture of the senses - your expectations will be fulfilled.
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, bigoye.com : ...Jasvinder Bath’s story and writing are packed with moments that will appeal to the masses – a Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge inspired sub-plot and Priyadarshan style climax, and numerous Deol-dance numbers. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...Every rule in the book that made hardcore commercial films major money spinners then have been read minutely and integrated in the plotline of this one. ... full review
Thumbs up, desi hits : ...The father, sons trio is great on screen as their history and true bond is reflected through their characters.... full review
Thumbs up, by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com : ...It's a mad ride from there, replete with funny gags, zany situations and uproarious dialogues. You only wish, if some of the gags were funnier. Nonetheless, it makes for one crazy viewing. You have to see it to believe it. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Divya Solgama, Gomolo.in : ...At this age too Papaji manages to impress us with his Dharam Garam stuffs. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Tushar Joshi, MiD DAY : ...Whenever the jokes take the film to a high, the emotional angle drags it down again... full review
Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...too much space is devoted to the Bobby Kulraj romance... full review
Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, Now Running.com : ...Cleverly, often wittily, written by Jasvinder Singh Bath, YPD is big broad burlesque-styled homage to the spirit of on-screen and off-screen camaraderie.... full review
Thumbs up, by Yamla Pagla Deewana, Now Running.com : ...The three Deols are in magical form as they do what they do best. ... full review
Thumbs up, by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com : ...The first half is slow and clumsy. But, in the spirit of masala films, one finds some relief (for those who might enjoy) in comedy and explosive Punjabi-ness... full review
Thumbs up, by K K Rai, STARDUST : ...Above average entertainer.... full review
Thumbs up, by SpiceZee Bureau, Zee News : ...The film will definitely make you laugh till your wits end, but only in parts.... full review
So-So, by Naresh Deoshi, Apun Ka Choice : ...Hand pumps are not uprooted, nor maudlin suicide speeches actually given from atop water tanks. But there are moments of self-spoofs aplenty that bring a somewhat cracked grin to your lips. ... full review
So-So, by Roshni Mulchandani, Bolly Spice : ...While the film isn't really a treat, it does manage to do what it apparently set out to: entertain paisa vasool style.... full review
So-So, by Gautam Chintamani, Buzz in Town : ...The idea of three Deol men in a film is the ideal platform to go berserk in self-indulgence but Yamla, Pagla, Deewana thankfully doesn’t really go overboard.... full review
So-So, by Payal Khanna, Desi Martini : ...Movie also introduces Kulraj Randhawa who did a decent job... full review
So-So, by Rhea Srivastava, Desi Martini : ...Bobby is somehow perfect... full review
So-So, by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live : ...Much of the real humor in this film is derived from the in-jokes....Or Dharmendra's love for the bottle, another nudge-nudge-wink-wink moment that is hard to resist.... full review
So-So, by Komal Nahta, koimoi : ...On the minus side are the absence of chartbusting songs, lack of novelty in and cohesiveness of script as also several dull portions in the first half.... full review
So-So, by Minty Tejpal, Mumbai Mirror : ...In an unnecessary side plot an MLA (Puneet Issar) shows up, who is incredibly called Minty Tejpal, a name he repeats often.... full review
So-So, by Anupama Chopra, NDTV : ...Unfortunately, it’s only intermittently funny and extremely exhausting.... full review
So-So, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...Kulraj Randhawa makes a confident debut and is a talent to look out for. ... full review
So-So, by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India : ...The Deol Inc. may not be able to put up the best act in town but they do seem to win hands down when it comes to winning your hearts... full review
Thumbs down, by Nishtha Bhatnagar, Alpha : ...Overacting and a senseless build up to a facetious family drama that is to ensue, the chunk before the interval is almost difficult to endure.... full review
Thumbs down, Best Of Bollywood : ...The script is choppy, the screenplay grates at times and the dialogues do not have the trademark Deol effect. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Vikramjit Singh, Desi Martini : ...Give this attempted comedy a skip even if you are fans of Sunny, Bobby and Papa.... full review
Thumbs down, by Manu Agrawal, Desi Martini : ...fail to rock... full review
Thumbs down, by Gaurav Gadre, Desi Martini : ...Acting wise Sunny makes a strong impression. He demonstrates his funny side and I was pleasantly surprised by his comic timing.... full review
Thumbs down, by Yusuf Poonawala, Desi Martini : ...The music of the film is very poor. The jhandu balmish attempt by isaq ka manjan falls flat. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Harjeet Singh Rakhra, Desi Martini : ...Sunny is RajniKanth of North and all his jaw-dropping action sequences are welcomed with similar applause as latter's in down south. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Rony D'Costa, Desi Martini : ...The tag line of the film is In Punjab, Do as the Punjabis do for the director it would read as when working with Deol, do as the Deols want. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Ameetbhuvan, Desi Martini : ...Watching YPD makes me cringe at the thought that such a large film industry cannot come out with a decent laugh worthy comedy. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Danisg Bagdadi, Desi Martini : ...The Trailer's Better than the Final Product... full review
Thumbs down, by Aniruddha Guha, DNA : ...This is probably how Veeru of Sholay would have ended up at 70. But while the charm’s still intact, some bad make-up and tight close-ups diminish the impact.... full review
Thumbs down, by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions : ...Dharmendra has aged and not too well -- his dialogues are barely coherent through his dentures and his facial muscles look strangely stretched. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Deepa Gahlot, Film Impressions : ...Is this a tribute to the ‘He Man’ Dharmendra persona, or a mockery?... full review
Thumbs down, by Rachit Gupta, Filmfare : ...More of the Sunny magic happens in the second half and makes him the most consistent aspect of the film, technical or creative.... full review
Thumbs down, by Kakoli Mukherjee, fullhyd.com : ... With a storyline as tested and simple as this, there was a need for crisper writing and well-sketched characters to keep the audience engaged... full review
Thumbs down, by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times : ...eventually a deadening whole that appears at best an arithmetically sound, colossal bore. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...he needs a fully-fleshed out role where he’s not just being the large-hearted papaji to Sunny and Bobby.... full review
Thumbs down, by Udita Jhunjhunwala, Live Mint : ...Bobby and Dharmendra rely on some old-fashioned hamming and, therefore, even make Sunny look good.... full review
Thumbs down, by Raja Sen, Rediff : ...As said, Bobby's the big disappointment here. The least charismatic of the men, here he's given the traditional hero role, and if his Gajodhar looks laboured chewing paan and being all bhaiyya -- since he isn't no Amitabh B -- things get even worse after he falls in love and tries to do a Raj -- and he most certainly ain't no Shah Rukh ... full review
Thumbs down, by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters : ...Though intended to be funny, these situations are far from comic most of the time, and the laughs are few and far between.... full review
Thumbs down, by Ruchi Mehta, Roochster : ...The story is a hotchpotch of sorts. Too many things happening and its quite annoying.... full review
Thumbs down, by Kunal Guha, yahoo! India : ...YPD has some situations and idiosyncrasies of Surds which would evoke a smile but it would disappear off your face sooner than you want.... full review
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This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.
Plot Summary
A mother wants to run away to Canada with her two sons because she doesn't want her husband's (Dharmendra) conman ways to be followed by the kids. She manages to take only her older son because Dharmendra manages to kidnap one of his sons and turns him into a conman too. After being separated for 30 years, they are now trying to reunite.
What Worked
- The lines said by Ajay Devgn in a voiceover, while the opening credits are on.
- The 'ditto' dialogue.
What did not
- The songs
- Dharmendra films running in the background.
- Johnny Lever.
- The fake Canada 'eh?'
- Elevator hijack - what a waste of an absolutely hilarious concept.
- How does Sunny Deol know Kulraj's brothers want a NRI to be her groom?
Parental Guidance:
- Violence: Loads and loads, but nothing too gory.
- Language: A few curst words (also said by some kids)
- Nudity & Sexual content: None.
- Concept: That of a family who had separated trying to get together.
- General Look and Feel: Bright and colorful.
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Comments (2)
Story of movie is a family drama of a man searching his family got separated from him. Sunny Deol is in the role of Paramveer Singh Dhillon, an honest man living with his mother, his Canadian wife Mary and two sons in Vancouver city of Canada. He is working as a loan recovery agent in a bank of Canada. His mother who is a typical Punjabi woman had decided to give divorce to her husband Dharam Singh (role played by Dharmendra ) because of their personal problems. But one night suddenly Dharam Singh took the younger son and disappeared. In search of father and younger brother, Paramveer decided to go back to India.
Both father and son live in Banaras and are the biggest fraud there. Dharam has good personality and a very stylish man and adored by women of his age. He does not believe in love. His son Gajodhar (played by Bobby Deol) has same habits like his father but gets easily nervous in the company of women.
It will be great to find out that how this family comes together through comedy of errors.
Music directors of the movie are Rahul Seth, Sandesh Shandilya and RDB and the lyrics are written by Irshad kamil and Rahul Seth.
The concept was not nice.It was a nonsense comedy,although the acting genius did his best but still there is something else which the people are looking for now!
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