ALOO CHAAT
Of Scorching Papas & Videshi Mahi lass
by Vishal Verma

A Mirchi Movies Ltd.& Maverick Productions Pvt Ltd in association with Red Ice films presentation. Producer: Anuj Saxena, A. P. Parigi & Gary. S. Executive Producer: Himadri Ghosh. Director: Robby Grewal. Story: Divynidhi Sharma. Screenplay

Robby Grewal & Divynidhi Sharma. Genre: Comedy. Target Audience.

Starring
Aftab Shivdasani...... Nikhil
Aamna Shariff (debut)...... Aamna
Linda Arsenio
Kulbhushan Kharbanda...... Purshottam
Manoj Pahwa...... Hakim
Dolly Ahluwalia...... Beeji
Meenakshi...... Seeto
Sanjay Mishra...... Chhadami Mama
Chandan Anand

Technical Analysis
Perfect example of the side effects of corporatisation. Mirchi Movies the production company with the brains associated with Benett & Coleman doesn,t waste a single opportunity to produce a tedious movie.

Though an improvement over the apology in the name of a kid movie ‘Harri Puttar’, Aloo Chat is as tasty as a raw potato with a salt less chutney which is a befitting example of a film that feels forced in its formula and naked in its construction.

‘Aloo Chat’ is unfunny, uninspired, deceptive, childish, ill-conceived, boring, and poorly realized.

A pure entertainment for the brain dead; ‘Aloo Chat’ is a lifeless, frustrating travesty of YRF’s all time great romancer DDLG and turns into a comedy that suspends laughs for cringes, wit for idiocy, and pleasure for agony.

The idea of a girl from a different religion winning over the conservative Punjabi family with a videshi thrown in for international sale is unconvincing and it matters more when it comes from a reasonably decent helmer Robby Grewal (MP3, Samay) who at least where fairly absorbing even though being a commercial dud.

‘Aloo Chat’ is an achievement for the erstwhile budding helmer who showed some promise as he now fails to make even an average movie.

The script doesn,t hold & still it’s pleasing to report that this is not the worst movie of the year (amazing isn,t it).

If it has its plus by any measure then it’s the performance by the veteran Kulbushan Kharbanda, Manoj Pawa, Dolly Ahluwalia, Meenakshi & Sanjay Mishra.

Surprisingly the lead characters Aftab, Linda & debutant Aamna fall flat on their faces.

Robby Grewal & Divynidhi Sharma – the helmer & the writer respectively prove how to ruin an interesting plot into a tiresome boredom.

The movie gets one point for the performance by the entire secondary cast.

The Story
Set in the in Delhi, this script by Robby Grewal & Divynidhi Sharma struggles for laughs.

Aloo Chaat is a story of one Punjabi family as they counter their fears and apprehensions of their US returned to be married son and his modern age with hardly any symbolism with the crispy, mouth and eye watering bites of the Dilli Ki Mashoor Desi ghee Ki Aloo Chaat.

Nikhil (Aftab) falls in love with a girl, while completing his studies in America. On his visit to India for a vacation, his parents start showing him Punjabi girls for wedding. Knowing the temperament of his father Purshottam (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), he feels hesitant to disclose about his love affair, hence approaches his father’s best friend who is a sexologist Hakim (Manoj Pahwa) by profession and has a great influence on his father. Together they plot to bring Nikhil's girlfriend into the family…against all odds and opposition from Chhdami mama (Sanjay Mishra), Beeji (Dolly Ahluwalia), Seeto (Meenakshi).

Promotion
The buzz is lacking everywhere.

Business Analysis
‘Aloo Chat’ is unlikely to attract many legs everywhere due to the absence of laughter, buzz & popular face. Chances are very dim.

Other Credits (As Available)
Cassettes and CD's on T-Series. Music Director: RDB, Xulfi, Vipin Mishra & Mehfuz Maruf. Background Music. Sanjoy Chowdhary. Cinematography: Sanjay Kapoor. Choreography: Pony Verma & Andy Kumar. Art: Urvi Ashar & Shipra Rawal. Editor

Aarif Shaikh. Sound: Rishi Oberoi. Dialogue: Robby Grewal & Divynidhi Sharma. Media Relations: Prashant Golecha. Promos: EFX. Publicity Designs: Glamour Design Studio. Reviewed at Fun Republic Preview theatre, Mumbai on March 19, 2009.

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