Firangi is so pathetic, you might search for a loo break

Director: Rajiev Dhingra
Cast: Kapil Sharma, Ishita Dutta, Monica Gill, Edward Sonnenblick, Kumud Mishra, Rajesh Sharma, Inaamulhaq, Aanjjan Srivastav

The year is 1921, the story is set in two small villages of Punjab – Behrampur and one another weird sounding name. It’s about a useless brat, Mangatram aka Manga (Kapil Sharma) who has a special god’s gift. He can treat anyone’s backache just by kicking down his ass. He wants to be a policeman and his power impresses the head of British Mark Daniels (Edward Sonnenblick), who then hires Manga in his team. In another angle, we have Raja Indraveer Singh (Kumud Mishra) who is close friend to Daniels.

Agreeing to Daniels’ propose of marrying his daughter, greedy Indraveer Singh signs a deal where he’ll get 60% of shares of an alcohol company Daniels want to set up in India. Manga finds his love in Sargi (Ishita Dutta), who’s from the weird sounding village which is in danger because of the deal made by Indraveer Singh. Rest of the story is all about how Manga, eventually, turns out to be a saviour and helps the villagers to retain their place.

Directed and screenplay by Rajiev Dhingra, Firangi is a poorly executed film. Not just in the terms of acting and story but also considering the tacky production values. A dusty looking village, Englishmen who in number are less than what you’ll find them at a regular noon at Taj Mahal and Kapil Sharma ignoring what he does the best. To be honest, I didn’t laugh at a single joke throughout the film. This was a shocker because even in worst comedy films there are at least couple of jokes you giggle at.

Firangi is 2 hours ‘unbearable’ 38 minutes long which is another addition to the list of ‘most annoying things about the film’. Rajiev mashes up this to be Lagaan without a story, entertainment and cricket. A village, pre-independence period, few villagers fighting for their rights from British men, a righteous hero with a pristine heroine – too many matching factors already? This could’ve been a good attempt if the director wouldn’t have tried to infuse irritating melodrama making it an out-and-out comedy.

Kapil Sharma! Please come back to television. After laughing aloud with him for so many years, we can’t see him with a straight face & clueless of what he’s doing.

Ishita Dutta was okayish with her act. With very few dialogues she has to portray this 1921’s simple girl who shrieks out even when his boyfriend touches her cheeks. She had not much to do, just blush and smile. Monica Gill, as the King’s daughter coming back to India from London after her studies, is strictly average. With a wannabe accent, she looks good but gets too repetitive.

Rajesh Sharma, too, cannot save this film. Kumud Mishra is loud and animated, also a victim of lousy writing.
Firangi is helmed by Rajiev Dhingra, who has directed the first few episodes of Comedy Nights with Kapil has taken the budget and this film way too seriously. It seems he thought to make a comedy film but somewhere on the way he lost his way and made a boring mash up of everything. Some nonsensical loopholes test your patience forcing you to leave the film midway.

Music by Jatinder Shah, too, is a yawn fest. Not a single song which could be remembered does nothing but adds more minutes to end the pain. Few good songs could reduce the torture of a bad film (Hamari Adhuri Kahani) but when it’s not your day, it’s simply not your day.

Firangi is an experiment gone miserably wrong for Kapil Sharma. He tries to be what he’s not – I was known that’s what actors do, but that’s not what comedians do.

• About the Author

About Saurodeep Basak

A caffeine dependent life form. Full-time procrastinator. A man-child. I have this new theory that human adolescence doesn’t end until your early thirties. A man of mystery and power whose power is exceeded only by his mystery. The only thing stopping me from shining in life is my sheer lack of motivation.