Praan Jaye Par Shaan Na Jaye Review

When was the last time you watched a high school play, or any play for that matter? And when was the last time you actually laughed your guts out at one? I, for one, can't really remember. However, Mahesh Manjrekar's latest thenguva in the faces of big releases left me feeling sorry for the poor high school dramatics captain missing his script for annual day and the poor village missing its idiot.

Mr. Manjrekar found that he still had some time left over on his lease on the chawl he used for Tera Mera Saath Rahen, so he came up with Praan Jaye... But right from the first song, a 'remix' of the rain song from Lagaan, you get the feeling this just might be one of those quirkily enjoyable flicks. It's all about them people and their eviction problems. Naaa... you don't say!

Anyway, Ganpath (Vijay Raaz - P K Dube of Monsoon Wedding) is the mouthpiece and general narrator of the bunch. Pravin Seth (Mahesh's bunny Sachin Khedekar) is all set to evict them, but they defy him. Song time! You have your re-dos from Bombay, then the spoofs of Vaastav, Company... and I'm just itching to use one of the characters' favorite phrases - in sab ki maa behenein ek kar di!

Enter chocolate boy Aman (Aman Verma - refrigerator ads), come to do his THESIS no less, on chawl life. Naturellement, he becomes pip, apple and whole orchard of everyone's eye. Ganpath introduces Aman to the birds and bees of chawl life and we get to know everyone's stories. Going into these is going to be about as interesting and as long as waiting for the ants to find the jaggery you hid for them on the terrace of the neighbouring apartments, but the stories are fair fun to watch on the screen. Aman's love interest is Rinke Khanna, and all is happiness.

Just as I was about to phone hell and ask if they did an exchange program 'cos it was all getting just too bloody sweet for me, there comes the twist in the tail. Aman lends money to everyone, achieving 'The Man' status in the process, but hands over all the deeds to... no, don't bother... Pravin Seth! Wo my Gad! Ab kya hoga, like...

Consequences are serious, so Raveena Tandon (yes! yes!) comes up with a brilliant plan, which is simply hilarious! Again, details - much better watched, but basically something to do with her becoming Sati mata and with her husband who will be dying soon. Of course, the monetary crisis gets solved. And just as I started getting this niggling feeling about being an outsider and insider at the same time, which actually defines good cinema/theater, onscreen is R K Laxman's 'common man'! Very insightful. And the last dialogue? Yup...you said it! And full marks to Manjrekar and Jha for having the guts to end the film differently.

For quite a bit, I found myself just sitting and waiting for Aman Verma to try and sell me the fridge. It was almost like 'get it over with, the suspense is killing me!' And he even cries, can you believe that? Arre Aman babu, freezer mein Freon zyaada ho gaya kya? He does a creditable job, but somehow it feels 'righter' to hear him say 'Darling, there's no ice in the fridge' or 'Darling, how does this washing machine work?'

Vijay Raaz does a smashing job, and though you're unlikely to be watching him play a tycoon anytime soon, he just might be the Om Puri of the next generation. Namrata aaaooogah Shirodkar, Diya Mirza, Shweta Menon, Divya Dutta (last two sex only please) have small and basically ensemble roles to play. Raveena looks and does great.

There are quite a few beeps 'n' bleeps throughout the film, but the few ma****s and behen****s Ms Asha Parekh missed out are well-timed and funny. There are some real LOL (ask the chat junkie) pieces like the qawwali saying something about Rupa and her baniyaan. And for the really real film buff (you know who you are!), don't miss the Guy Ritchie - inspired cut-paste editing style.

In these times of 70mm shutdown, this is definitely a happy movie.