Life Ki Toh Lag Gayi - Passable
Rating: **1/2
There are certain movies for which one doesn't carry too many expectations. Due to this reason whatever little that is presented on screen and has some entertainment value to it turns out to be an added bonus. 'Life Ki Toh Lag Gayi' is one such film. Since you start on Ground Zero, it is easy to take home what is finally offered by the makers.
In that aspect, one does feel that collectively, actors like Kay Kay Menon, Ranvir Shorey and Manu Rishi can't really fail. Okay, so some even believed that Pradhuman Singh may be good enough to pull in the audience (after 'Tere Bin Laden') but one would still want to see more of him before being too hopeful about what he has to deliver in his very second outing. As for Neha Bhasin then well, one wanted to check out what she had to offer on screen in her debut outing.
Eventually, the film does turn out to be a mixed bag. It isn't one of those surprise packages in the offering that blow you away. Still, as mentioned earlier, there are points in the film where you do watch the story unfold attentively and at places even let out a chuckle or two.
Credit for many such chuckles goes to Manu Rishi who, as a cop, is natural to the core all over again. An actor who has been delivering consistently, whether in a cameo (Soundtrack) or a far more elaborate role (Ek Deewana Tha), it is a pity that most of his films haven't been commercial successes due to which his act is going unnoticed time and again. However if at all 'Life Ki Toh Lag Gayi' would be talked about for any reason, it would be for Manu who is the life of the film.
Now that's a little ironic because the film was being sold in a major way on the name of Pradhuman. The makers had a good reason to believe that since this was the second outing of Pradhuman after 'Tere Bin Laden', he would turn out to be the USP here. However things don't quite go as per the plan as this time around he goes over the top (though as per the character's demand) and since his part isn't written well, it hardly fails to attract your attention. As a rockstar who doesn't really have any plans worthy enough to be executed, he tries to help out his 'devdas' friend Ranvir Shorey. Now even though this sub-plot could have been really amusing, it works only in bits and pieces.
In a story made of various episodes that tie up towards the end (a la 'My Friend Pinto' and little known flick 'Emotional Atyachaar - The film' which had released a few months ago), this one too tries to bring in humour, pathos and thrills. This is where Kay Kay Menon fits into the proceedings who, just like 'Chalis Chauraasi', has an under developed part that borders on hamming. Now that's a pity because he is the senior-most of the lot and also the most talented if his past work is anything to go by. However an enterprise like this doesn't really do good justice to his presence in the film.
Thankfully the film isn't all about men which means a hint of glamour comes in courtesy Neha Bhasin. Okay, so she is still climbing the ladder as far as delivering a good performance on screen is concerned. Also, her part is clich�d as it brings on screen the infamous casting couch syndrome prevalent in the film industry. Still, when one looks at the other characters who are going through their own grimy situation, Neha at least brings in some light on screen.
Now how one hopes that director Rakesh Mehta had enlivened the proceedings right through the film's duration. Though one does expect a few gritty dramatic moments in the narrative, as rightly conveyed through the title, the film as a whole turns out to be a barely passable affair that could be given a watch by those who wish to encourage new filmmakers trying to make their presence felt in the industry.
Rating: **1/2
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