Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana.:
Just when you are gearing up for the
major Diwali releases and are in the midst of the heavy duty promos, you run
into this unpretentious, light hearted tale that is a food story of sorts and
walk out, not very disappointed. The major flaw with a film of this kind is its
length. Cut by about half hour, it would have been an enjoyable experience. The
recipe is worth a lick if not a dig.
Omi Khurana (Kunal Kapoor) is back in Punjab from London not able any longer to
take the threats from a Bald gun yielding baddie (Munish Makhija) he owes him
big money and simply has no ways to repay. He plans to steal the moolah from
grandpa Darji (Vinod Nagpal) like he did very many years ago to fund his dream
trip to UK. Darji then was the talk of the town and the flavour of this Punjabi
town with his special culinary skill sets and specially his Chicken Khurana-
yes that is a speciality his dabba was famous for. Now he has lost it all,
including his memory and thus no one has the secret formula, which needless to
say has been a well-kept secret. Darji’s surviving son (Rajendra Sethi) is cold
in receiving the return of the erring family member. His aunt (Seema Kaushal)
and cousin Jeet (Rahul Bagga) are however oozing warmth and suffocating
hospitality for Omi. Jeet is incidentally engaged to Omi’s one time fiancé
Harman (Huma Qureishi) who incidentally now is a doctor. Also in the family is
the aunts brother Tittu Mamma (Rajesh Sharma).
Flavoured completely in the aroma of Punjab and the spirit that is a signature
tune of that part of the buzzing and energetic world, the characters are full
of beans. The plot is either dealing the return route of the estranged lovers
Omi and Harman or the under the wraps love story of Jeet with his lady love
(Anangsha Biswas). In the midst of all this is the threat of the baldie baddi
back in England, Omi has to get his plan in place. He sees it moving no where.
Suddenly he starts trying out the magical Chicken Khuranna where the magic
touch is elusive.
Darji moves from amnesia to death and leaves the entire family shattered and
poorer by the chicken formula. Enter Bua Ji (Dolly Ahluwalia) who unwittingly
lets the cat of the bag. Fortunately the film does not linger too long on the
moral social stance on the secret formula and gets the cast ready for the final
keeps sake pic.
The film is a mixed bag. It brings in an earthly rustic flavour that is typical
of Punjab and a trifle distant from the ones you’ve seen hitherto – restricted
to mustard farms and tractor driving Sardarjis. The film’s lingo is full of the
Punjabi humour. You like it , you take it. Of course the ones on farting
constantly may be in poor taste but by and large it is boisterous within
acceptable precincts. On the flip side is that it is too long and the script
gets a lazy tag to it. Some times you wonder why the guys are not getting on
with the task. The cast is another asset to the film. While leading the cast is
Kunal Kapoor who may have the looks for the role but lacks the zeal, the rest
is in made to order mood. Outstanding among them are Rajesh Sharma as Mamma and
Seema Kaushal as the aunt. Full marks to Huma Qureshi who plays the role of
Harman with consummate ease and class.
This is Punjabi Dabba stuff. And this the product is based more on your taste
than what the menu card really offers.
L. Ravichander