Friday 28 November 2014

UNGLI: What a waste of a noble intent! [2/5]

Corruption has now been so widespread in our system and quite an acceptable thing in a sense that we often don’t even try to be judgmental about it. No wonder when the creative brain behind the critically acclaimed RANG DE BASANTI, Rensil D’Silva decides to bring the story of an unusual ‘fight against corruption movement’ on screen again, even he doesn’t try to sound deep, profound and sure about the solution. So, we see a group of young souls coming together to punish the ‘corrupts’ in the most absurd but enjoyable manner, of course to the viewers and not the victims. Despite showing sincerity in the objective, UNGLI stays low, average, mindless and an infertile effort, mainly because of the lack of gravity in the treatment.

A retired old man [S M Zaheer seen in a long time] is forced to make regular visits at the government office to get his hard-earned pension sanctioned as he can’t stand the significance of bribery in the system. An autowallah asks for double-fare as the distance is too short to make big money. And then, there is corruption in the police organization to get preferred profitable postings by paying heavy sum to some illicit third party. All the instances are no new but the punishments set by the new ray of hope fondly called as the ‘Ungli’ gang are sure innovative and dramatically entertaining. Corrupts are made running non-stop for their lives in the sports ground. Some go under trial to eat the money in its most literal sense. And the Mumbai autowallah is sent to Delhi in the rail-cargo with his auto to satisfy his hunger for ‘lamba-bhaada’.  

The ‘Ungli’ gang includes a medical intern [Kangna Ranaut], a crime-journalist [Randeep Hooda], a computer engineer [Neil Bhoopalam] and a pizza-loving muscleman [Angad Bedi] with the new entrance, an expert in kissing stuck in the midway to find out true colors in his personality [Emraan Hashmi]. Meanwhile, the police [Led by Sanjay Dutt playing his age for a change] are all seen treating them as the most dangerous group ever came on this planet. Come on, don’t they have enough celebrity programs to attend and provide security to the most undesirable politicians? Leave these guys alone, as they won’t last long considering their one-dimensional performances and the all uncooked mediocre lines they speak with full intensity. Picture this, “mujhe sudhaarte-sudhaarte, sudhaarne wale bigad gaye” or “Aansuon se sirf whisky dilute hoti hai”. Claps? Mention not, please!

Rensil D’Silva’s UNGLI is also a big fail in its screenplay. You always get confused with the timelines after each cut in the shots. Neha Dhupia playing a TV journalist and the veteran Raza Murad playing the Commissioner of Police come back in a regular interval only to show their disappointment in trying to catch & cover the gang but nothing to call it a success in their kitties as the gang is apparently so smart; which again they aren’t. Performances are equally unremarkable. Sanjay Dutt being the most avoidable to comment and Randeep being the most tolerable of the lot!    

D’Silva’s UNGLI takes huge inspiration from his RANG DE BASANTI in its intention but ends up abusing it in similar ways he gives the title ‘Basanti’ to the booty-shaking girl [Shraddha Kapoor tries her hands] in the most idiotically written item song ‘Dance Basanti’. What a repositioning! And what a waste of a noble intent! [2/5]

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