Director: Anil Sharma
Starring: Utkarsh Sharma, Ishita Chauhan, Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Mithun Chakraborty, Ayesha Jhulka
In the world of Prems & Rahuls we’ve our ‘Genius’ named as Vasudev Shastri (Utkarsh Sharma). He’s a topper from IIT which is more of a Indian Institute of ‘Timepass’ than ‘Technology’. People sing songs in the campus, class & even loo, there’s no sign of professors, also teacher in mid of the exam goes out to talk on his phone with another lady teacher. Amidst all this Vasu manages to get into India’s top most intelligence agency RAW even before he finishes his college.
How? Why? Do not ask all these logical questions because, “Picture toh pappppa ni” (Munnabhai style). During the interval Papa Sharma introduces MRS (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), who’s another self-acclaimed ‘Genius’ working against the country. Now, going by his initials one must he must be some Malik Razak Shaikh but NO! Nothing in this film goes the way you think, he’s Mr. Samar Khan! So, RAW decides to track down Vasu while he’s on his own mission of catching MRS.
Anil Sharma! What have you done? He’s the same guy who has given us “Gadar – Ek Prem Katha” and he’s now the same who’s giving us “Genius – Ek Shame Katha”. This isn’t just trash this is entertaining trash. From the super shaky slow-mo shots to Utkarsh delivering a dialogue as “Hamare business mein saude nahi sanskar hote hai”; I have to agree I laughed more in this film than Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi. While entering the cinema hall I had the choice of choosing a recliner or normal seat, I went for the latter one because I knew I’ll sleep on the couch.
The script was so scattered you never get the point in which the story wants to flow. Everything is happening for no reason. RAW has nothing more important to do than keep a track on someone like Vasu & throughout the film he does what he wants no matter what the law says. He risks his life & runs behind a car crossing many obstacles, doing cycle stunts just to straighten the incorrectly placed Indian flag. This and much of nonsense takes place throughout the film.
Utkarsh Sharma debuts way too early than his time. He still has not a single quality that will qualify for him being tagged as a hero. Tiger Shroff at least had the flexible body in his favor. Though he looks bearable in beard, wish Anil Sharma had made him kept one throughout.
Ishita Chauhan, too, fails to leave any mark. She’s too artificial to act as she drowns miserably in the emotional scenes. Even in rest of the film, she’s remains straight faced. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is good in couple of scenes but that’s about it. The movie is so average that it makes even someone like Nawaz ham. Mithun Chakraborty rarely has dialogues; he’s just there for the sake of it.
Anil Sharma fails miserably in direction as well as writing. A good movie always depend on story and direction, ‘Genius’ fails to get any of this straight. The story had the potential to be good but with a lot of rework, a new director and new cast. Clocking over two hours & thirty minutes, it’s a waste & I’m not getting those precious moments back.
The movie had the special power of making everyone in it a mediocre and one more victim of the same is Himesh Reshammiya. With Tera Fitoor & Dil Meri Na Sune as very average songs, rest of them isn’t even worthy listening once. Monty Sharma’s background score also runs middle of the road and is nothing to takeaway from the film.
All said and done, ‘Genius’ is one of those films which should be watched for its trashy value. It’s one of those films which should be reviewed ASAP by Kanan & Biswa on Pretentious Movie Reviews.
My Verdict
My Ratings
1
If months from now 'Genius' comes on television, change the channel and watch "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma".
