Anupam Kher’s long-delayed MR. BHATTI ON CHUTTI has finally hit the screens. The reports doing the rounds is that MR. BHATTI ON CHUTTI is a desi replication of MR. BEAN’S HOLIDAY, with the central character modeled on the peculiar Englishman made legendary by Rowan Atkinson. Of course, our Mr. Bhatti is a cheerful Punjabi, who, unlike his equivalent, doesn’t head for Cannes, but England.
A similar meaning title [MR. BHATTI ON CHUTTI and MR. BEAN’S HOLIDAY], both [Anupam Kher, Rowan Atkinson] embarking on a holiday after having won a free trip, both the characters experiencing a misadventure while on their holiday… the similarities cannot be ignored. Of course, Karan Razdan has changed the story to suit the Indian sensibilities, but the quintessence remains the same.
Well, if MR. BHATTI ON CHUTTI is meant to be a tribute to Mr. Bean, all I can say is that it’s more of an appalling imitation.
MR. BHATTI ON CHUTTI is set in 2005-06, the times of military aggression and war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Bhatti [Anupam Kher], a bank clerk, wins a free trip to Europe, though he has entered no contest. Who has sent him the ticket and the hotel package free of cost? How can Mr. Bhatti go on this trip without telling his favorite star, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, about it? Never mind, if he has only met him in his dreams, thus far… In reality, all Mr. Bhatti can manage is to stand outside Mr. Bachchan’s bungalow with a crowd, awaiting a glimpse of his hero.
In England, all hell breaks loose as Mr. Bhatti is branded a terrorist. He is face to face with death and utilizes his last wish to call up Mr. Bachchan. Mr. Bachchan once again inspires Bhatti so much that his fan can defy death and fight to save humanity. And Mr. Bhatti, whom we all thought was an idiot, a buffoon, now turns the tables and decides to focus on world peace.
On the surface, MR. BHATTI ON CHUTTI is a comedy, but the intent is to offer more than a few laughs. The protagonist dreams of a peace plan in a world devastated by warfare and starvation. The concept may be attention-grabbing, but the writing as well as the execution of the material fails to do justice to a noble thought. A few comic scenes do raise a chuckle, but the outcome is completely puerile. The screenplay is juvenile and on numerous junctures makes you squirm in your seat.
The film demands over the top acting from each and every member of the cast. Anupam Kher is loud, but delivers. Shakti Kapoor is wasted in an inconsequential role. Bhairavi Goswami, Pawan Shankar, Neha Pendse and Emma Kearney [as Alice] try too hard to act. Abid Ali is convincing as the cop. Anjan Srivastava is okay. Amitabh Bachchan appears in a cameo.
On the whole, MR. BHATTI ON CHUTTI is an amateurish attempt.
Tags: Anupam Kher Bhairavi Goswami bollywoodhungama Karan Razdan Mr. Bean's Holiday Mr. Bhatti On Chutti Rowan Atkinson Shakti Kapoor Taran Adarsh
