Gali Gali Chor Hai Hindi Movie

Feature Film | 2012 | Comedy, Drama
Critics:
Audience:
Having a relatable plot at hand, Gali Gali Chor Hai, could've worked with a tighter screenplay and better execution.
Feb 2, 2012 By Mansha Rastogi


If RK Laxman was ever to claim royalty for excessive usage of his phenomenon 'common man', most filmmakers would either be fighting court cases or would be digging out huge sums from their pockets as the Aam Aadmi fever doesn't seem to be ceasing from Hindi Film Industry. The latest entrant to project the strife of a common man is Rumy Jafry's Gali Gali Chor Hai. Now it remains to be seen whether this common man projection stands out uncommonly or ends up being a tripe saga.


Set in Bhopal, Bharat (Akshaye Khanna) is a bank cashier and a part time Hanuman at local Ramleela. His aspirations are drawn by his father Shivnarayan (Satish Kaushik) who aims for him to promote to playing Ram (serve the country in being corruption free and morally rooted). Bharat once refuses to help politician (Murli Sharma) in his campaigns by handing over his house and instead goes ahead helping another morally correct politician Mohanlal. In turn he ends up irking the former politician who's younger brother traps him in a never ending bureaucratic tamasha to teach him a lesson.


One night, Bharat learns that a table fan is supposedly stolen from his house that he is ordered to reclaim it from the court. In a bid to not get entangled in legal proceedings, Bharat is made to bribe almost everyone right from the witness, lawyer, thief, cop etc. This continues till he finds himself locked up in jail!


Having films like God Tussi Great Ho and Life Partner to his credit, comedy writer-director Rumy Jafry tries his hands in Shyam Benegal's Well Done Abba type satire. However, the filmmaker who was once a very famous comedy writer in the '90s, ends up presenting a jaded drama that's long seen and enjoyed. GGCH comes across as a cross between Pankaj Kapur's Office Office and Well Done Abba.


There appears no novelty in the plot. The digs at the system, the satire, the faulty bureaucracy and prevalent corruption, the vulnerability of the common man have been projected long back. Moreover, the film takes a one side track and only shows the suppression of the aam aadmi throughout the film. Bharat's struggle with the system appears never ending with absolutely no getting back at it.


Rumy Jafry's common man appears more of a fool than a morally rooted aam aadmi. Except for the surprisingly abrupt end, never for once does Bharat's character stand up against the cases he gets embroiled in.


On the brighter side, there are some moments that are extremely funny and project witty writing. Glimpses of the guffawing repartees that made Rumy successful in the '90s can be seen in GGCH too. The portions of Ramleela in the film are well used and provide the much needed humour in this satire.


The actors try salvaging the downward spiral of the graph of the film. The likes of Akshaye Khanna, Satish Kaushik, Vijay Raaz and Annu Kapoor do a brilliant job in handling their roles. Both Shriya Saran and Mudgha Godse has an undefined and wasted track in the film.


Some of the songs in the film too could've easily been avoided in order to give a crisp flow to the storyline. Editing is weak with some abrupt scene cuts clearly visible. There are scenes completely out of focus and very badly shot.


Over all, having a relatable plot at hand, Gali Gali Chor Hai, could've worked with a tighter screenplay and better execution.

Mansha Rastogi

   

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