PHATI PADI HAI YAAR! | 14 December, 2019

Teacher Productions and Remolo Entertainment’s Phati Padi Hai Yaar! (A) is the story of an aspiring actor who goes on the wrong path in life when he fails to get a break in films.

Rushi (Indra Kumar) comes to Bombay from Delhi to become a film actor. Unable to handle failure and rejection, he takes to drinking, smoking and womanising. He gets a shock when his medical report hints that he may be suffering from a sexually transmitted disease. Dejected, he attempts suicide on several occasions but is too scared to end his life. However, even after his failed suicide bids, he continues to sleep around with women. Ultimately, he musters courage one day to once again attempt to end his life and so he jumps into the sea. But he is saved by some people. As luck would have it, his medical report is also now clear. Rushi then addresses the audience in the cinemas to refrain from doing all that he has been doing.

Prem Mohan Girdhani has written a story which is absolutely ridiculous. His screenplay is pathetic, to say the least. Probably, he is clueless about the art of scripting because the drama looks like it was never meant to appeal to anyone. Prem Mohan Girdhani’s dialogues are weak. The film has taken long in the making — and it shows!

Indra Kumar is average as Rushi. Sunil Pal (as watchman Raja) is alright. Ibra Khan (as the pizza delivery girl), Kanishka Soni (as Ruby) and Anjana Das (as Raeny) lend ordinary support. Kuldip Sarin is okay as Rushi’s landlord, Gulati.

Prem Mohan Girdhani’s direction is terribly weak. Music (Puneet Dixit, Shivi Suraj, Dev Aashish and Dikshit Parasher) and lyrics (Prem Girdhani and Himanshu Rawat) are commonplace. Kausar Shaikh’s choreography is just about passable. Raju Rao’s background music is nothing to shout about. Sanket Dolas’ camerawork is ordinary. Action and stunts (by Riyaz Khan) doesn’t deserve mention. Sunil Singh’s art direction is dull. Ashish Mishra’s editing leaves plenty to be desired.

On the whole, Phati Padi Hai Yaar! is a disastrous fare.

Released on 13-12-’19 at Edward (daily 2 shows) of Bombay thru Sunshine Studios. Publicity: dull. Opening: poor. …….Also released all over. Opening was very weak everywhere.