Director: Sachin Khot
Cast: Ranvir Shorey, Mallika Sherawat
Rating: *
Ugly aur Pagli is a film that perhaps makes a conscious effort to be different but in the process ends up being vague and mindless. Was it a romantic comedy? Not really because the humour didn't come across and the chemistry was never established. Was it a chick flick? Maybe in the last ten minutes but by then even the girls seemed uninterested.
Rather this one seemingly explored a female-dominated master-slave relationship between the lead pair though without any sexual overtones to it (despite Mallika Sherawat's presence). In absence of the sexual gratification, what kept this masochism ignited remains a mystery. In fact the girl keeps slapping the boy ceaselessly and for strange reasons the makers believe that each spank is laugh-inducing. The boy sustains his submissive side, unconditionally and unreasonably and without any self-defense or self-respect. This one is a case of no sex - only violence.
Kabir (Ranvir Shorey) is raised by his parents to a certain age as a girl. Perhaps that has made him somewhat sissy which could be the only explanation why he allows himself to be dominated by the kinky and quirky ways of an obnoxious girl Kuhu (Mallika Sherawat). So Kabir ends up wearing high-heeled ladies sandals, riding cycle without seat and moving around the town in a petticoat. It's puzzling why he takes Kuhu's crap because there's no incentive involved. Kuhu hasn't confessed love. In fact she is even averse to the idea of kissing. What interests her is writing grotesque futuristic scripts which she wants Kabir to sell to Bollywood banners like Yash Ram Films. Ironically Mr Yash Ram Chopra is modeled as Pritish Nandy, the producer of this film.
Half ways through the film you are still unable to make sense of the story. Kabir attempts to analyze the scenes with his nonstop voiceover in the backdrop throughout the film as if it were the director's commentary on a special DVD edition. But even that doesn't help. And despite its 8-reel runtime, the movie tends to drag monstrously.
Suddenly the film sobers down with a flashback account to justify Kuhu's absurd attitude which isn't acceptable though. The culmination is as much deceiving as much as the pre-climax scene where it shows Mallika Sherawat in a salwar suit (yes, you read that right). As the film ends with the much prolonged and practiced smooch scene, you feel that Mallika Sherawat has arrived. At least in the sense that she started off with 17 smooches in one film and today offers one smooch after 99 slaps.
The film tries too hard to be funny but the gags falls flat at most occasions. Moreover the sluggish pace and the non-existent storyline literally test your patience. And why the hell did they make Ranvir Shorey dance to typical Bollywood tracks? The actor appears absolutely uncomfortable and clearly can't dance saala. Of all the stupid spoofs that the film attempts, the only one that works is when Sushmita Mukherjee attempts to impersonate Sharmila Tagore. Ranvir repeats his loser act but to good effect. Even Mallika Sherawat is bearable this time till the point she attempts emoting.
A friend asked me if I would recommend the movie and my reply was Mallika's favourite line from the film "marna hai kya?" Ugly aur Pagli lives up to its name. It's an utterly 'unappealing' film that will make you go 'mad'.
Ugly Aur Pagli (2008)
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