Nautanki Saala- the second movie of Ayushmann Khurrana who became an overnight star with Vicky Donor. The trailors suggested that it was a movie based on drama artists and so, I just went to check it out in the anticipation of something different.
The story begins with Ram, a theatre director, played by Ayushmann suddenly stumbling across a man who’s trying to commit suicide in the middle of the road. The humanitarian that he is, he believes that everyone in life deserves a second chance and hence, saves his life and takes him home, much against the wishes of his live-in girlfriend, Chithra. After a series of events (which are supposed to be comical, but actually are not), he finds out that the guy in question is Mandar, played by Kunaal Roy Kapoor, a jobless bloke who supposedly had a break-up with his girlfriend. Ram then tries to give him a reason to live and gives him a job to play “Lord Ram” in his theatrical venture, Raavan Leela. On the other hand, he even attempts to get in touch with his girlfriend, played by newbie Pooja Salvi and convince her to get back to Mandar. But of course, this is Bollywood and here, Ram ends up falling for Mandar’s girlfriend and she too reciprocates the same. So, how the duo who consider each other as their “bff” (best friend forever, for those who don’t know!) deal with these complicated situations forms the premise of the story.
The film is definitely not as comical as the makers intended it to be. But there are some genuinely funny moments too, for instance, the scene where Mandar auditions for the role of Ram is brilliant and had the whole audience in splits! Actually, come to think of it, Kunaal Roy Kapoor is very aptly suited for the role and turns out to be the best part of the film. Ayushmann, needless to say, has immense star power and looks amazing on screen. He is a natural actor and this was evident in his first film itself. The makers even got him to sing a song, “Saddi gali” which is good, but failed to create the kind of euphoria that “Paani da Rang” did. Overall, the music is pretty good and is one the high points of the film. According to me, the biggest reason that the film falls flat is the heroine, Pooja Salvi. She is not at all convincing as the girl who three guys fall for and one wonders what’s so special about her. She can’t emote and if not for the artificial tears, it would have been difficult to identify if she was crying or smiling. Moreover, the climax of the film is too cheesy and seems to have been done in a hurry.
I would go for a generous 2 out of 5 for director Rohan Sippy’s Nautanki Saala. Watch it, only if you’re Ayushmann fans. Otherwise, you’re better off at home watching the IPL matches :).
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