Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video and story
Director: Raaj Shaandilyaa
Author: Rajan AgarwalIshrat R. Khanyusuf ali khan
Star: Rajkummar RaoTripti DimriVijay Raaz
Review: Set in the late 90’s, the pre-Instagram era, when ‘get ready with me’ reels were non-existent, privacy had a different meaning. Without having the platform to post their private life anywhere, couples voluntarily recording their intimate moments was still a rare phenomenon. So on paper, the film’s script sounds promising. What happens when this private video belonging to a middle-class couple from Rishikesh goes missing? What are the repercussions and can they retrieve it?
The writing and execution take a bizarre turn and oscillate between slapstick comedy, social cause and supernatural, without a valid reason, making this overcrowded film a tiring affair. Barring Rajkummar and Triptii, Shehnaaz Gill has a dance number. Vijay Raaz and Mallika Sherawat have crucial roles. Ashwini Kalsekar has a special appearance, Archana Puran Singh, Rakesh Bedi, Tiku Talsania, and Mukesh Tiwari also populate the proceedings.
The writing and execution take a bizarre turn and oscillate between slapstick comedy, social cause and supernatural, without a valid reason, making this overcrowded film a tiring affair. Barring Rajkummar and Triptii, Shehnaaz Gill has a dance number. Vijay Raaz and Mallika Sherawat have crucial roles. Ashwini Kalsekar has a special appearance, Archana Puran Singh, Rakesh Bedi, Tiku Talsania, and Mukesh Tiwari also populate the proceedings.
Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video in many ways tries to recreate the 90’s milieu and nostalgia like Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) but never strikes a chord. The writing does little to help you or its characters revisit the 90s or belong to the world they are supposed to inhabit. Everything is surface-level. The script is strangely progressive and regressive. Vicky is a male mehendi artist, who falls in love with Vidya, a doctor, which is fascinating but their equation isn’t explored beyond the superficial exterior. Characters are fat-shamed, thin-shamed, slut-shamed, age-shamed, look-shamed. A maid is told her name can’t be Chanda (moon) but Brahmand because she isn’t pretty or thin. A pan-chewing Archana Puran Singh (Vidya’s mother) is mocked for wanting to get intimate with her husband because she’s old. None of it evokes laughter as intended.
Someone of Rajkummar’s calibre deserved better as the man has proved his acting mettle and comic timing in various films. Triptii is pleasant but has a limited part. Vijay Raaz provides the film with its best one-liners until his love track with Mallika gets caricaturish. The latter makes a stereotypical but interesting comeback as a small-town sex siren.
The ensemble film had the potential to be a comedy of errors like Priyadarshan’s past hits (Chup Chup Ke, Hera Pheri, Bhagam Bhag), but it’s way too inconsistent and vague in its approach and intent. The story lacks clarity about what it sets out to achieve. It tries too hard to be funny, nostalgic (90’s songs are inserted repeatedly) and moralistic but the climax gets way too bizarre for your liking. The film suddenly shifts gear and gets into an activism mode before resorting to horror comedy. Two mimics parading as Suniel Shetty are the final nail in the coffin.
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