Billu - Not Good, Not bad !!

So Finally I got a chance to catch up Billu on Monday. Actually I hate when I miss a movie in weekend. I prefer to watch in Friday-Sunday period. But better late then never, and New multiplex has opened near to my place, so I was definately looking forward to the screening [No, not because of the movie, but because of new screen that's it. ]

I wasn't expecting much from the movie. Nor waiting for it like I did for earlier release like LBC and DevD. But I thought this will be refreshing outing of 'Bolly movie' after 'different' movies in recent past. So while being impressed by red-black interiors of hall, Billu started. With some nice Title credits. Nice images and collages kind of greaphics with nice music. Hummm...this would be nice. Opening scene of North Indian village is wow. Nice location they have chosen for the movie. But as the movie progressed I was finding how to go deep into it. Cause It was so very much shallow. It was not engaging its viewers till now. Some were expecting a couple of laughs as its a Priyan's venture. But that was not there too.

Besides that, Irrfan is doing good job till now. And Lara Dutta did look marvelous. [she should be standardized for sultry village woman, she was looking equally wow in 'Mumbai Se Aaya mera Dost']. Humm..enter SRK. Suddenly we are taken to Planet Mars !! Some dazzling effects -and there, King Khan is - I knew this is gonna happen, Khan is used to play himself in his movies nowadays - and then 'press start' for the item number !!! Start !! Press Stop !! STOP !! Two scenes...........some dialogues........START !! Another IT Number !!! STOP !!

Why?? There was no need of song 'Ae aa ooo' with clippings of all SRK movies, claiming that 'He is King'. Humm...no discussions please :-). SRK comes to Irrfan's village to shoot for his movie. Villagers go frantic. In filmi way ofcourse. Larger than life. Rumours fly in village that SRK is friend of Billu. Everyone goes crazy and makes Billu their God. Now Irrfan plays this part very good, maintaining his charm and low profile. Lara and two kids also go nuts about meeting their favorite star. There, Lara was good with cute kids too. Still movie isn't engaging. I was thinking why ??? Till interval, why this movie doesn't get grip over viewers? Everything is perfect, so why?

Second half was also like this. Story moves on, but hardly any comic relief. & we get 2 more IT numbers !! Story moves on, but lacks of punch. Story itself is so very much simple, that it can't grip us or make us involved in it. Climax was good though [of course, having SRK in climax, is a worry free zone]. I was hoping that this could have been much more engaging and more involving.

Irrfan is -good [not best in this] . I never have complaint about him, in even a tiny role of his any movie. He plays his part perfect always. But problem was with character's development. Also much importance was given to SRK too. So the attetion of writer must have been divided between the two resulting injustice to Title character of the movie. Lara was very good. She looked fabulous and acted well too. Two kids were also good especially the boy 'Duggu'. Supporting cast - Asrani is just about okay. Rajpal Yadav [uff...I hate him] is average. Om Puri is wasted.

SRK - he is playing himself. And it shows on screen. He makes each and every issues clear on screen. He got chance cause this is his movie, he resolves Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar issue. He tells indirectly that he is here to work, not to play politics. He even makes remark about religious comments by politicians. And much more. And that all is fine. I liked the way he interected with a 'school trust' guy, who was making remark about bollywood. That was real 'him' -not the character. In climax scene, speech in school was damn good. SRK performs that scene very well.

And there, movie goes wrong. Movie titled after Irrfan, gives much attention to SRK and fails. Screenplay could have been better if they emphasized on Billu more. Also, if they had used North Indian dialect in dialogues, movie could have been better. What we hear was villagers speaking clear Hindi !! Art direction was good. Only two problems are, main set of village street - especially Temple and Gate looks so unreal. Besides that, overall it is good. Cinematography is brilliant. Beautiful village is picturised so well that many frames look like a painting on canvas.

Songs were quite OK. I haven't heard soundtrack since it got released !. But it was good on screen. Especially, I liked how 'Khuda-ya-Khair (village version)' gets transformed into 'Khuda-ya-Khair (Lounge version)'. Very smooth transition it is !! Loved Priyanka in it. In first IT number, Deepika was looking very average [looked tired, to be specific]. And Kareena is looking WOW !! Overall, only one item number 'Ae Aa ooo' was bad, out of place. Other songs were just okay.

At the end of the day, its a movie that you can love it or hate it. Mixed reactions are everywhere. Many people are loving it for its simplicity and many hates it cause very less laughters are in it [being a priyan's movie]. I too, have mixed reaction, something was good and something was bad. I was not bored, still I was not satisfied.

So here I would Rate it 2.75 out of 5 stars !!

P.S.: am I going blah ..blah ..blah ..these days ? I think I m writing so many words !!