MUMBAI: Sajid Khan’s ‘Himmatwala’, which hit theatre screens yesterday, is well on it’s way to becoming yet another one of those brainless comedies which may end up as a super hit.
‘Himmatwala’ has already opened to fierce criticism all around, with most critics slamming the film worldwide, and audiences giving it the thumbs down too.
Sajid Khan has come a long way in establishing his brand of ‘dumb and dumber’ style humour. His early films like ‘Heyy Babyy’ and ‘Housefull’ were decent enough comedies, with a proper storyline and plot, in addition to big actors. However, as time progressed, his “A Sajid Khan Entertainer” films began to forget the all-essential script, and just sort of seemed to run with silly gags, and offensive spoofs.
In spite of the obvious stupidity and inaneness inherent in Sajid’s recent films, these have still managed to shatter the glass ceiling, and do roaring business at the ticketing windows.
Sajid himself has mentioned that he doesn’t really care what critics think of his films, stating: “I don’t need a certificate from people who know nothing about films, be it Bollywood or International.” But now, with ‘Himmatwala’, it seems like Sajid doesn’t care about his audiences either.
With a little introspection, we can arrive at the reason for such films doing well at the box office.
Is it because as a country, we are so dumb, and our standards of comedy are so low, that we readily accept whatever ‘rubbish’ is doled out to us?
Or are filmmakers just catering to the lowest common denominator, when they make such unfunny, slapstick, crass, crude films?
It’s been so long since we’ve had an intelligent comedy film, one that keeps us on our toes, and the gags are more in the dialogue than in the action.
The last film I could well and truly credit for having tickled my funny bone was probably the Imran Khan starrer ‘Delhi Belly’. Before that, it was ‘Hera Pheri’, which was a crisp comedy with smart dialogues and an equally smart plot. ‘Oh My God’ was a creative satire, but could have been executed better.
Whereas inane, ‘double-entendre’ comedies are another genre that filmmakers have been exploiting, and these films can also be filed under the ‘Dumb and Dumber’ genre. Specimens of this school of filmmaking include ‘Kya Kool Hai Hum’, ‘Masti’, ‘Kya Super Kool Hai Hum’ and many others.
Intelligent, urbane, multiplex audiences: are we really that dumb, so as to readily gorge on such stupid, senseless, unintelligent comedies? Isn’t it time we woke up and demanded crisper, sharper and smarter comedies from our filmmakers? Isn’t it our duty to lap up good cinema, and reject trashy films, in order to send a clear message to filmmakers, hell-bent on feeding us this trash?
Isn’t it finally time we said ‘Enough’ to such stupid films?
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