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T-Series Films, Reliance Entertainment and Window Seat Films’ Thai Massage (UA) is the story of 70-year-old Atmaram Dubey (Gajraj Rao) who is frustrated because he is suffering from erectile dysfunction. He meets a young man, Santulan Kumar (Divyendu Sharma), who advises him to go to Bangkok to have a good time with sex workers there. Santulan even helps him in getting a passport and ticket to Bangkok. Dubey musters the courage in spite of having two grown-up sons living with him, with their wives and children. All hell breaks lose when the two sons and the third visiting son get to know of their father’s sexcapade. What happens thereafter? And what actually happens in Bangkok?
Mangesh Hadawale has written an unusual story about an old man trying to get over his sexual problem. Although the story is different from the usual stories of Hindi films, it is not very funny. Hadawale’s screenplay has some fun moments but they are few and far between. However, even the lack of comedy at many places could’ve been overlooked had a couple of problems in the screenplay been addressed. For one, it is not clear why Santulan advises Dubey to go all the way to Bangkok when hiring a sex worker could be done right in the city (Ujjain) in which they live or anywhere in India. Also, the drama that takes place in Bangkok is not half as funny as it ought to have been. What’s more, even the emotional appeal of the drama does not come through for the audience. Although the characters shed tears, it doesn’t move the audience emotionally at all. In other words, the viewers don’t agree with what Atmaram Dubey does, they are not one with him in his plan to go to Bangkok. Dialogues, penned by Mangesh Hadawale, Sajid Ali and Ashish Thakur, are good at places but not extraordinary.
Gajraj Rao lives the role of Atmaram Dubey. His performance is very good, whether in scenes of awkwardness, embarrassment, emotions or comedy. Divyendu is very free in his acting, which was the demand of the character of Santulan Kumar. He does full justice to his role. Sunny Hinduja is first-rate in the role of Atmaram’s elder son, Mukesh. As the younger son (Kailash), Chandan Anand is very natural. Vibha Chibber is pretty impressive as Atmaram’s suspicious neighbour. Her facial expressions are to die for. Rajpal Yadav provides entertaining moments as Jugnu Seth. Anurita Jha (as Anu), Shashi Verma (as Vakilsaab), Anamika Tiwari (as Gungun), Aditi Arora (as Saloni), Anil Charanjeet (as Jhandu), Alina Zasobina (as Rita), Ida Ali (as young Sarladevi), Preeti Ali (as old Sarladevi), Shubham Tiwari (as young Atmaram), Sharad Vyas (as Tiwari), Jennifer Piccanito (as the Thai massage girl), Garima Vikram Singh (as Jugnu Seth’s wife), Nayan Raghuvanshi (as Santulan’s wife), Swastika Chakraborty (as the neighbour) and the rest are adequate.
Mangesh Hadawale’s direction is fairly nice but he has not been able to make a laugh riot. Joi Barua and Amit Trivedi’s music is fair but the absence of hit songs is sorely felt. Irshad Kamil’s lyrics are quite good. Song picturisations (Vijay Ganguly and Raju Balan) are functional. Background music (Anand Bhaskar and Ajay Jayanthi) should’ve been more impactful. G. Srinivas Reddy’s cinematography is reasonably nice. Ashwini Shrivastav’s production designing is okay. Devrao Jadhav and Manish Jaitly’s editing ought to have been tighter.
On the whole, Thai Massage entertains in parts only. This, coupled with the fact that there are no young or saleable names in the film’s cast will ensure that the film remains a non-starter. The title is a bit ticklish and that may, therefore, help but only marginally.
Released on 11-11-’22 at Metro Inox (daily 2 shows) and other cinemas of Bombay by Reliance Entertainment. Publicity: dull. Opening: poor. …….Also released all over. Opening was dull everywhere.