Phata Poster Nikla Hero

Raj Kumar Santoshi is indeed an extremely gifted and under rated film maker. His filmography prides a range that more successful filmmakers could zealously hanker for. The expectations therefore would be a higher scale and it is in this context that this light hearted film lets down the viewer. Otherwise not.
The film maker decides on a spoof on our cinema and goes whole hog. It is just not the villains and the heroes that at the butt of his humour but also the most revered aspect Maa comes in for a tongue in cheek display.
Savithri (Padmini Kholapure the latest to join the Nirupa Roy club of Maa!!) is a law abiding auto driver (a true anachronism) in a small town. She has worked hard to make a Police Inspector of her son Vishwas Rao (Shahid Kapoor) who however dreams of becoming a film star. He lands in Mumbai with his dreams and the baggage of Mom’s ideals. He is typical filmy fashion lands up in various situations that make a hero of him and the bad goons get beaten up by the dozens. He runs into the various blokes of our cinema: the corrupt Police Inspector Ghodpade (Zakir Hussain); the honest Police Officer Joint commissioner Thare (Darshan Jariwalla), his friend side kick Gopi (Naveen Prabhakar), the lass who is waiting for romance to enter her life Kajal (Ileana DCruz), the gang leader Gound Appa (Saurabh Shukla) and the Big Boss (Manoj Tiwari). The script runs to those dhoom dhadaka fights that present the hidden superman in the hero; his love and affection for Maa, his designer feet for dances and songs, his admiration for a matinee idol (who but Salman Khan!! Also in a minor appearance taking a pot shot at himself). Each of the filmy scenes are lampooned in harmless humour on the way to a chaotic climax of the Priyadarshan variety but somewhere losing out on punch and vigour.
The film is watchable primarily because Raj Kumar Santoshi chooses not to take things too seriously and does just that. Interestingly he dares to lampoon with refinement the Maa concept of our cinema inclusive of the Deewar, Aradhana types. The film could have been far sharper and shorter. Yet Santoshi makes his brand clear and interesting if not absorbing. Watch yet again a film for the eclectic and dynamic performance of Shahid Kapoor. This actor surely deserves far more than what he has earned at the box office. I am hopeful that his time will come. Like Rishi Kapoor he proves that a great actor is not one who shines in a great role but keeps you engaged even in an innocuous one. Like the veteran in compare who spent a life time running around trees in floral shirts mouthing duets till the industry woke up to his talent, this man too is going through a phase when lesser mortals are beating him to the victory stand. This guy has the talent and you can make out that he is giving his everything to the script. For the good of our cinema, pray he succeed. He and Raj Kumar Santhoshi make a fine pair. I would believe he does a shade better that even what Ranbhir did in Ajab Prem….. But that is personal perception. Ileana looks gorgeous. The rest of the cast is predictably good specially Zakir Hussain. This is no Andaz Apna Apna, but then times and tastes too have changed
If you are willing to a thought Phata poster is not just humour. It is a take. It is also as the title suggests, about going beyond the external layer. Even otherwise it is a harmless laugh.

L Ravichander.