You give love a bad name

PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA (2011)

I'm going to commit film criticism sin here. The sin of liking this movie. This would also be my case for why I am not a film critic but a film lover. But first I'd like to make a case for this movie.

Pyaar Ka Punchnama is the most fun I've had in the theater while watching a Hindi film comedy since I guess Hera Pheri (2000) or Munnabhai MBBS (2003). It is not an Akshay Kumar comedy or a Golmaal comedy. No silly gags. No over the top jokes or physical comedy. No it's not even one of those witty situational comedy. It's more dialogue based than plot. It is crass and I mean that in the best way possible.

I have a problem with movies like these. 'Youthful' films which show young people, people of today. Filmmakers do many things to make people connect with the young . One tawdry touch they add is making them curse. I detest that. To show how young people are, you don't need to show them dropping F-bombs or even using one of our BCs or MCs. But I'm proud to say that here it is done the way it should be done. It does not put you off. In fact, it had me in splits. When a character curses in a film, it could either look cheap and vulgar and make you cringe or it could make you laugh (in a comedy). I'm a person who sees no point in cursing. In life or in movies. You can easily do without it. But even I enjoyed this thoroughly. I can't wait to watch an uncensored version.

The credit has to be given to Divyendu Sharma who plays the character of Nishant. Lovingly called, "Liquid". This actor is absolutely brilliant. His performance is comparable to Omi Vaidya (Chatur) from 3 Idiots (2009). I would say he is even better than him in terms of performance and character.

It's a story of three friends - Rajat (Kartikeya Tiwari), Nishant and Vikrant (Rayo Bhakirta). I loved the bromantic scenes in the film. It is refreshing and wonderful to watch. All of them are probably having their first relationships.

This brings me to the grey area of this film. The misogynistic aspect of it. Yes, the women in this film are all bitches. You could easily hate the film for that. But if Shakespeare could do it in a comedy with Taming of the Shrew, so can the makers of this film. It isn't like we haven't had enough films to show how men are bastards. Or films which are pro-women, feminist films. I don't see any harm in making a film about women being bitches. I would have probably hated this if there was one or two bitch. But here all three of them are. The director and writer Luv Ranjan is sure of what he wants to say. Poor guy had his heart broken by one nasty woman, clearly. Let him make a movie out of that. He makes it so blatant and in our faces that I wouldn't like to deem it misogynistic and in bad taste. Honestly, you can get away with this in a comedy and a comedy that made me laugh from start to finish, I don't mind this at all. You could even make fun of Hitler in a comedy (Wait, Chaplin did that. He even called it "The Great Dictator"). (No Lars von, you're done) Maybe I'm rationalizing me laughing at such blatant misogyny. Maybe I'm not.

But on the flip side, why can't this be a film about 3 losers who let 3 women control them? 3 spineless men who learned how to grow a pair. You could hate the film for that too, couldn't you? I loved it for probably all of these reasons. (But then again I loved Woody Allen' Anything Else too).

There is one scene which many people will call the highlight of the movie, which it is. Rajat's monologue. He goes on and on bitching about his girlfriend and it is flat-out HILARIOUS!! I haven't heard people applauding and laughing continuously for 10 minutes like this. Not a single false note. This is reminiscent of Chatur's balatkaar scene from 3 Idiots. This one is much funnier.

The only problem I had was with the length of the film. This is a comedy done well. Reminded me a recent Hollywood comedy which was as crass but as funny as this called Fired Up (2009). It could have gone horribly wrong but it goes in the opposite direction. At least for me it did. I found myself still laughing way after the film. When was the last time I did that with a Hindi film? I honestly don't remember. Kudos to the newcomers and the debut filmmakers. This is my guilty pleasure of the year.

Rating: