Vicky Donor
wogma rating: Beg or borrow, but do watch (?) - And if by any chance you miss it in the theaters do make sure to catch it on DVD.
Vicky Donor has a story which weaves in and out of a subject that is taboo, that too in an enjoyable and entertaining manner. Quick, witty lines are delivered with comfort and awesome performances. Even if you don't end up watching it on screen, do make sure you catch it on TV/DVD.
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Vicky Donor - Preview
It's been a while since a trailer has made me giggle throughout. Which is already thumbs up for the concept, the dialogue, and the dialogue delivery/comic timing of both Anu Kapoor and Ayushman Khurana.
Interestingly, the whole Mahabharat theory mentioned here, is something that I've already read and has been discussed at home ever so often. So, the idea wasn't new at all. And yet, it made me laugh both times I saw the trailer - once in the theater and once a little while ago. That, in itself is a beautiful example of a scene well executed.
The good thing is the trailer doesn't give away too much. In fact, none of the promos give away more than the main trailer, so much so that you get bored watching the same thing again and again. I mean just look at the near-zero extra content in this producer's interview?! But all is forgiven as long as there's a lot more content in the film.
And anyway, the only trailer is one of those that makes you feel that there are more jokes than the ones shown and the jokes are not all there is to the film. In its own way, it is commenting on parents using technology to imbibe their aspirations in their child even before the fetus is formed. And at the same time it seems to be working on making people talk about a topic that is unnecessarily taboo. By repeated use of "unmentionable" words it is desensitizing it's audience even before they walk into the theater.
The entire team seems to have worked well on getting this product in a palatable form. None of it is cheap or offensive and as the unassuming director points out, "there isn't an adult joke in the film." Speaking of unpresumptuous, I really liked write Juhi Chaturvedi's down-to-earth, even plain, attitude in this interview. With the rarity of women writer/directors in the industry, it takes special bravery for a woman writer to use the kind of language that has been used in the film.
And finally, I like Ayushman Khurana, right from the couple of TV appearance I've seen to the goofed-up cricket match hosting. I love the way he holds his own in John Abraham's item number, which by itself is worth a few eyerolls- the mandatory shirtless John Abraham being given a pipe shower by white skimpily clad women and all. End credit rolls taken care of.
Anyway, I'm clearly looking forward to some good fun and subtle comments on the topic by Vicky Donor. Meanwhile here are some music reviews -
Milliblog - "Well put-together, enjoyable soundtrack, this!"
dunkdaft - "As a comedy flick, did not expect the soundtrack to be so good."
Bollyspice - "3.5/5"
Bollywood Hungama - "2.5/5"
- meeta, a part of the audience
If we are lucky enough to have a potential Hrishikesh Mukherjee amongst us, it would have to be Shoojit Sircar. Vicky Donor made me laugh, brought a tear to my eye, made me think, and it made me care about its characters - all in a setting we could accept as real-life. And it's not like the film doesn't have a good share of quirky characters (We have a whisky drinking granny, for goodness' sake!) but their quirks are made to look like they could easily belong to a neighbor's family, if not your own.
For a subject as taboo and giggle-inducing as 'sperm donation', Vicky Donor does an awesome job of making it so regular even though the terms thrown at you are on-the-face. Each time Anu Kapoor says 'sperm' with a hand-gesture it makes you laugh out loud, right till the end. That's how good his comic timing is - that a signature phrase and symbol assigned to a character makes you laugh despite the repetition. Also, that's how good the writing is - because the time passed between two repetitions is just right and the things that come between them is either hilarious or entertaining, if not both.
Yes, there is some non-hilarious entertainment. The drama and the romance are both engaging. After a really long time, I didn't have any problem believing a couple when they said they loved each other. Otherwise, either it is said too early, or one is blind to the other's love, or it is too mushy, or the lines are ridiculously shallow. Vicky Donor gets the romance 'Goldilocks' perfect.
Same goes for the drama. This coming from a member of the audience who thinks she's has had just about enough of loud Punjabi characters and dialogue thrown at her. Beeji (Kamlesh Gill), Dolly (Dolly Ahluwalia) and the daughter-in-law-mother-in-law chemistry between them isn't something we are going to forget in a hurry and yet will want to revisit them every once in a while.
I like Ayushman Khurana - even beyond his dimples. He has an easy-going screen presence that any actor should be proud of. His easy-go-lucky Punjabi munda mannerism is so casual that it is difficult to imagine him as any other character. I guess we'll have to wait for his next for that. Yami Gautam has a sweet charm that makes you reach out to the sadness within her when she's smiling, comfort her when she's obviously sad and identify with her PMS-ing shrill yelling when she's angry.
Each character has depth and warmth - even the pushy Dr. Chaddha (Anu Kapoor) and his alter ego in the form of his assistant. Ashima's (Yami Gautam) dad and aunt add their own flavor to the mix - especially the scenes written between father and daughter. The extent to a dad can go to convince his daughter of anything - from choice of husband to how she's being silly in being upset with her husband - might seem outlandish, but we've all seen or heard of similar stuff in real-life.
The screenplay is intriguing too. It is rather obviously episodic, it has five clear parts. The first which is covered in the promos where Dr. Chaddha is trying to convince Vicky to donate his sperm. Then you have Vicky wooing Ashima followed by an amazingly witty coverage of inter-caste marriage - a subject covered to death by Hindi cinema. The second half sombers up to cover more serious issues and the entire do has a clean albeit slightly mushy wrap-up. And in the midst of all this, you have a social message that never becomes preachy and will thus be effective, when a family faces an issue like this.
After walking out of the theater, the superficial thoughts are that of having had fun for the last two hours, of having watched a good film. But half an hour later, when you have processed the film as a whole, I realized I liked it even more than I thought. And it is primarily because of this - Vicky Donor has so many elements that I thought I've had enough of and would've very grudgingly given benefit of doubt to any filmmaker or writer to cover even one of them with any freshness. But boy-meets-girl, Punjabi madness, repetitive dialogue/phrases, caste-based family issues, post-marital woes and recovery from them - Vicky Donor covers them all with a smile on its face and mine. It could be because it has a novel concept to tie this all in. Who would've thought that could happen?
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wogma and Bollywood and Fashion present the Vicky Donor contest. Tell us how you'd react if you are told that your friend is a Vicky donor and win filmy t-shirts!
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, by Anna Vetticad, annavetticadgoes2themovies : ...Vicky Donor’s social messages on infertility, sperm donation, adoption, family and the stresses that accompany modern life are so neatly woven in that they don’t really feel like messages at all... full review
Thumbs up, by Nikhil Kumar, Apun Ka Choice : ...Dolly Ahluwalia and Kamlesh Gill provide us some mirthful moments. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...Actually the magic behind their great acts lies in the notable characterizations of their respective roles written realistically by Juhi... full review
Thumbs up, by Prateeksha Khot, Bolly Spice : ...Shoojit brings a very endearing and entertaining tale and it is not difficult to fall in love and connect with the characters.... full review
Thumbs up, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...Director Shoojit Sircar takes giant strides as a raconteur, balancing the two halves adroitly. ... full review
Thumbs up, Buzz in Town : ...I'd give the film the thumbs-up for the sheer exuberance joy and conversational authenticity expressed in the spoken words... full review
Thumbs up, Daily Bhaskar : ... Shoojit Sircar chose to deal with a sensitive subject in a comic manner, while keeping the youth taste intact in the movi... full review
Thumbs up, by Nandita Dutta, DearCinema : ...after an utterly promising start the film veers towards a predictably conventional ending.... full review
Thumbs up, by Khalid Mohamed, Deccan Chronicle : ...Thank the lord for the ensemble of oldies, who deliver excellent, first-rate performances.... full review
Thumbs up, by Rony D'Costa, Desi Martini : ...Feel good sperm... full review
Thumbs up, by Smita, Desi Martini : ...Hit sperm!... full review
Thumbs up, by Kshitij, Desi Martini : ...Though the film looks like its made on a tight budget, it doesnt harm the overall experience as it is set in old school Delhi.... full review
Thumbs up, by Blessy Chettiar, DNA : ...Vicky Donor makes every minute count.... full review
Thumbs up, by Mansi, Everything Movies : ...The high point of the film was the Bong Punjabi wedding. Their confrontations are hilarious. It was after a long long time (after Pyar ka Punchnama) that I had a good laugh at a theaters.... full review
Thumbs up, by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions : ...Ayushmann Khurrana makes an assured debut at Vicky, turning on the charm and letting his cute dimples do the talking. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Deepa Gahlot, Film Impressions : .... It was gutsy of John Abraham to produce this film, and not be tempted to cast himself as a stud. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Chandrika Murthy, fullhyd.com : ...The music remains in the background, and does not overpower the script. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Ritu Singh, IBN Live : ...It's hard to imagine anyone else other than Annu Kapoor playing Dr Chadda... full review
Thumbs up, by Ritu V Singh, IBN Live : ...effortlessly entertaining... full review
Thumbs up, by Fatema H Kagalwala, India Entertainment : ...It is a delightful little experience as it delves whole-heartedly in the lives of middle-class Delhiites and the Bengali educated class... full review
Thumbs up, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...Sircar’s film, a morality tale wrapped up as a fun bon-bon, delivers enough sparkles to make us overlook the sagging bits.... full review
Thumbs up, by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes : ...The love story between the lead pair that starts off on a flirtatious note but soon translates into an amiable affair, brings a sublime smile on your face throughout. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Udita Jhunjhunwala, Live Mint : ...Annu Kapoor is impressive as Dr Chaddha... full review
Thumbs up, by Shaheen Parkar, MiD DAY : ...It’s the scenes between Annu and Ayushamann that are the most watchable.... full review
Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...Abraham has backed a winning horse and the entire cast of the film... full review
Thumbs up, by IANS, NDTV : ... Never in living memory have I seen a film where every character comes alive as an individual. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Mansha Rastogi, Now Running.com : ...Vicky Donor is a huge entertainer in a small package. A serious subject dealt lightheartedly. Go for it!... full review
Thumbs up, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...These ladies are so good; they deserve a standalone film of their own.... full review
Thumbs up, by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters : ...The performances, right from the actor who plays the nurse in Chaddha’s clinic, to Kapoor and Khurrana, are impeccable for the most part. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...It's finally here: a wholly original and fresh film that'll crack you up from start to finish. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Swati Rohatgi, STARDUST : ...Yami Gautam as a Bengali babe does a brilliant job in her debut film and her television experience comes handy in putting forth a convincing performance. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Sudhish Kamath, The Hindu : ...One of the most underutilised actors of our times, Annu Kapoor is at the top of his game in a role that could have easily become an irritating caricature... full review
Thumbs up, by Pratim D Gupta, The Telegraph : ...The grandmother works and so do Ashima’s pishi and father, even though the latter is too much of an Utpal Dutt knockoff.... full review
Thumbs up, by Madhureeta Mukherjee, Times of India : ...this sperm hits bullseye. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Reel Reptile, Upper Stall : ...An Indian film is not without its flaws, as is this one, but we are a race that balances our tolerance for flaws with our capacity to be entertained. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Kunal Guha, yahoo! India : ...And this neatly told story ties itself up without spilling over at the precise point when it could've, into a sobbing saga.... full review
Thumbs up, Zee News : ...f you are wondering if this twist in the tale would make this film any somber, you are wrong…this is when you get glued to your seats to know what’s more in store.... full review
So-So, by Ameetbhuvan, Desi Martini : ...Vicky Donor is afraid to take a stand on anything related to the sensitive issue and that is the movies greatest flaw.... full review
So-So, Free Press Journal : ...The plotting though is far too unimaginative and clichéd to be acceptable.... full review
So-So, by Komal Nahta, koimoi : ...Watch it to have a good laugh but beware that the film has parts that won’t go down well if you are a conservative person.... full review
Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.
This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.
Parental Guidance:
- Violence: A few slaps.
- Language: A few curses. A dominant Punjabi accent. Lots of talk about sperm.
- Nudity & Sexual content: A couple of kisses. A making out scene.
- Concept: The protagonist is a sperm donor.
- General Look and Feel: A regular middle-class environment as close to reality as it can get.
![[Facebook page of Vicky Donor]](/static/images/icons/facebook_small.png){kind=icon}
![[YouTube channel of Vicky Donor]](/static/images/icons/youtube_small.png){kind=icon}
![[Wikipedia page of Vicky Donor]](/static/images/icons/wiki_small.png){kind=icon}
![[IMDB Page of Vicky Donor]](/static/images/icons/imdb_small.png){kind=icon}
![[John Abraham twitter account]](/static/images/icons/twitter_small.png){kind=icon}
Comments (15)
When films like this come, I hate being outside India. Either watch a shitty rip or wait months for the DVD. :(
@Rahul i know :(
i had never heard of this movie now i'm dying to see it
@Sandy yep, it is just one of those 'smaller' films which need to be watched and promoted by word of mouth
@Hanish yep! :D
@Selador oops..will work on getting that back in order asap. thanks for reminding me of your interest.
@@nkit Well, that's why I said 'potential' Ooh, I like Habib Faisal too!!
Amazing movie I ever watched....Totally Different concept....
Thanks Akshy!
This is perhaps the most perfect review of the most perfect movie made in recent times. Yes, they could have edited a few minutes out of the slow second half, but that did not affect the overall brilliance of the movie. Nice to see Annu Kapoor back in a GREAT role after ages! Found this review while Googling if any one else thought it reminded them of a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film -- and I see it did :-)
You're kidding, right, @Meetu? Either that, or you must have been suffering from a severe case of Bollywood Movie Disease when you saw this.
Smirky treatment of a serious topic, hateful characters across the board, an overall air of sleaziness - the American contingent of the India Movie Club hated this film, and turned it off after 20 minutes in disgust.
@TimELiebe This has to be a clear case of "lost in translation", especially considering that I don't think I know anyone (other than you now) Vicky who didn't like the film.
Vicky Donor attacks taboo head-on and does it with superb humor. I didn't find it sleazy at all. It is really interesting that your entire group reacted so adversely.
Definitely a case of "lost in translation", @Meetu. I posted my highly negative comments - then read that everybody else basically agreed with you that this movie was great.
Now I wonder why the serious disconnect between how we reacted and how everyone here reacted....
@TimELiebe I wonder too!
@Meetu - I often joke about my "American" perspective, but I think this is really the first time I've keenly felt Just How Different I and the people who watch Indian movies with me's worldview is from yours and Indian movie fans.
I know it perplexes you how many movies you consider "junk" that we love - though I suspect that's more just how some of us are fans of trashy films, no matter who they're from! ;) It's kind of strange, realizing for a change that a film you really liked I considered "vulgar"....
@TimELiebe and these are the difference that make this world such a beautiful place! :D
And a good thing too, given how often we disagree on movies, @Meetu! ;)
Wait till you see how much we loved Satyagraha, a film you liked but thought could have been better....
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