There is a certain strain, a certain absurdist sur to the slapstick comedy that this no-holds-barred adopts, to telling affect.
There is a lot of noise and chaos, a la Priyadarshan and Anees Bazmee’s comedies, and an abundance of references to bodily functions which are likely to appeal to the film’s target audience. One particular episode with Ashutosh Rana is in extreme bad taste. The co-directors Abhishek Raj and Rajneesh Thakur tend to go overboard with the comic convolutions but nonetheless succeed in making the road film a bumpy but amusing adventure.
Abhishek Raj’s writing is original raw and throbbing with primordial energy. The comic (s)trip mood is buttressed by a contagious ensemble cast which gets the whimsical mood. Ashutosh Rana kicks in the pandemonium. He plays a bi-polar uncle of a family. His disruptive antics are annoying, as they are meant to be.
The narrative takes off from the psychological start into a mood where the character is called ‘paagal’ by one and all. At one point in the heightened shenanigans the Chacha (hence the title) is put on a stage and humiliated by one and all.
This is as close as a comedy can get to mob stone-pelting a mentally disturbed character. Willy Nilly the film lets us into an unsophisticated universe where name-calling is prevalent and where weddings often open up wounds that never heal.
The performances swing crazily from spirited to over-the-top, like a monkey swinging from tree to tree. The trio of young leads Anand Joshi, Lalit Prabhakar and Harsh Mayar are well coordinated with the earthy needs of the script. Their collaborative energy seeks sustenance from Masti and Fukrey. They are fun to watch as long as they don’t overdo the noise and hyperactivity.
The other interesting character is Shoma 440, the electric stage dancer played by Nyrra Banerjee. She is a bombshell with a terrific sense of self preservation. The film needed more such venturesome female characters rather than the predominantly male demographic which tends to give off the impression of a stag party.
The film is fun while it lasts.
