Movie Review: Patiala House

 Why is it that every person in this film has an Indian accent when most of them were supposed to have been raised in London's Southall? Well that's what you get with these types of big budget movies; where they gloss over any realism. How am I, as a viewer, expected to believe the characters and the world created by the director when it is so unreal, even in the smallest of aspects.

Luckily I got over this "technical glitch" pretty soon, because once the story unfolded, I was willing to forgive. Akshay Kumar is a great actor. He emotes very well and it's very easy to sympathise with him, as he rarely over-does it. Rishi Kapoor on the other hand borders on 'over the top' at times. The supremely talented and beautiful Dimple Kapadia was completely and utterly wasted in the movie. Okay, I know in reality she is only 10 years older than Akshay Kumar, and he has in the past worked opposite Rekha and Sridevi who are both older than him, so the makers decided to make her look very old, but the result was just ghastly. She barely has more than 6 lines in the entire movie.

I had read reviews of the film before I went to see it, so I had certain expectations. One of the reviewers said that Anushka Sharma should do a role where she doesn't have to talk so much for a change - but I strongly disagree. There is something about her that reminds me of 2 actresses. One Divya Bharti and two Preity Zinta. She has the vibrant vivacity about her and it looks just so natural. So many of her contemporaries try so hard at looking natural on screen, yet Anu does it with such ease.

Yes, there are way too many characters to keep track of in the supporting cast, but it doesn't really matter because the family as a whole are so endearing and are united in their fear against their patriarch figure played by Kapoor.

Technically the film is impressive on the whole. Credit must go to the cinematographer Santosh Thundiiayil and the crew behind the impressive camera work especially during the retro scenes for their genuinuity.

The music is not good. Not fantastic but just good. ''Laungda Lishkara" is the best track and "Rola Pe Gaya" is a good experimental fusion track. Anushka looks amazing in the desi half of the latter. What a treat.

Casting by Gilly Poole was very well done as I was impressed by certain smaller characters, and they really made the movie worthwhile, even at times when it was becoming a tad monotonous. Jeneva Talwar as Preity Kahlon plays Akshay's sister-in-law and she's very good. Her voice is commanding. I was most impressed by however Maya Sarao who plays Manmeet Kahlon, Akshay's cousin(?) who is soon to be married. She is very funny and one of the highlights of the movie. Hard Kaur makes her debut as an actress and is completely unrecogniseable in her salwar-kurtas, but once she gets into her shiny gold hot pants we realise how good she is in disguise.

The story itself is very predictable and at times the screenplay is lazy, but it's a fun movie to watch and it does entertain. A lot. Especially in the second half and towards the end it really picks up. When all the kids 'come out the closet' to their father.

Best thing about the movie is Akshay's acting and Anushka's on-screen magic. Once again she overshadows her male co-star like a true world class ultimate bollywood diva!



Rating: 3 Stars