Phas Gaye Re Obama

Cast: Rajat Kapoor,Neha Dhupia,Amol Gupte,Amit Sial,Sanjay Mishra,Manu Rishi,Brijendra Kala,Sumeet Nijhawan,Surendra Rajan,Pragati Pandey,Devender Chaudhary,Vivake,Avantica

Director: Subhash Kapoor

Earlier this year Hollywood gave us a serious fare The Company Men, which is about some men at different stages of their career and hit by the recession. Though the film ends on a happy note it is thorough drama. And that's probably what you would expect from a film about a serious issue like recession, which has left countless people jobless and penniless. But with Phas Gaye Re Obama director Subhash Kapoor takes us on a completely different track; a joy ride! Career and recession is a big part of PGRO too. In fact each character in the film talks about career, reputation and moving ahead of the recession. But this one has its own twists! Here most characters are gangsters who kidnap for a living. There are multiple gangs at various levels of the power ladder and seniority.

Everyone has a reputation to save while ensuring that they sustain themselves through the rough times. So when a 'rich' NRI from America Om Shashtri (Rajat Kapoor) reaches his hometown he is seen as the ideal candidate who can pull out all these kidnappers from the rut. The only catch is that this NRI no more rich and quite broke. He reaches India hoping to sell of his ancestral property and get some money out of it. Here starts a crazy ride of kidnapping leaving everyone involved in it bewildered. PGRO works because of the superb characters and equally good performances from the actors. Each character is unique and has individual dreams and aspiration, towards which they are struggling. And this is brought out very well in a screenplay which is designed to keep you smiling if not laughing throughout. While the first half builds the characters and situations the second half gets faster.

The performances as mentioned are worth a watch. Rajat Kapoor, Amole Gupte and Sanjay Mishra prove their prowess as seasoned actors. Neha Dhupia too chips in as Munni, which has got to be one of the better characters in her career. But the real dynamite is Manu Rishi. Manu, who got accolades for his writing and performance in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, displays that he is one talent to look out for.

The film has it technical details sorted too. It is set in the rural part of Uttar Pradesh and the tone of the film gives a rustic feel to the story. The background music works well in the film. It has been a year of small budget films with the audience lauding efforts like Peepli Live, Udaan and Tere Bin Laden. And Phas Gaye Re Obama would be looking to make a similar impact. And it has everything that a film needs to do so. Director Subhash Kapoor, who had gone unlucky with his first film Say Salaam India, shows again that he has it in him to deliver smart and yet entertaining films. Watch the film to know for yourself!

Bollywood has proved yet again that it is not always an ensemble star cast and a big budget that works for a film. Phas Gaye Re Obama is the perfect example of a film where it is the content made better through superb performances that wins the hearts of not only the audience but also the critics. It may be recalled here that many films hitting theaters in 2010 were critically acclaimed movies in spite of the fact that they were made at a paltry budget (read Udaan, Tere Bin Laden, Love Sex Aur Dhokha). Phas Gaye Re Obama begins from where we see the NRI character Om completely bankrupt in the recession hit America. Om, played by Rajat Kapoor, returns to India to acquire the necessary amount of money required to keep his house in the US. But as soon as he lands on Indian soil, Om is kidnapped by underworld dons. The gang who has kidnapped Om are of the idea that he is still a rich man and therefore he will give them money to cope the recession. Phas Gaye Re Obama is the first film which deals with the innovative subject of recession hitting a terrorist gang! And it is this subject which makes the film a must watch.

Something that all film connoisseurs can look forward to is the brilliant screenplay of Phas Gaye Re Obama. Though the cast is nothing to boast about, their acting skills completely overshadow their image. The editing of the Subhash Kapoor project which hits theaters today falls short of expectations at certain places, but the story and performances make up for minor glitches.