EMI
Edgy Munnabhai Installment
by Vishal Verma
Balaji Motion Pictures release thru Raksha Entertainment. Popcorn Motion Pictures production presented by Balaji Motion Pictures and released worldwide by Sahara Motion Pictures. Producers: Suniel Shetty, Shabbir Boxwala, Shobhaa Kapoor, & Ekta Kapoor. Writer & Helmer : Saurabh Kabra (debut). Genre: Comedy. Target Audience: General.
Sanjay Dutt – Sattar Bhai
Kulbhushan Kharbanda – Chandrakant
Urmila Matondkar – Prerna
Arjun Rampal – Ryan
Aashish Chowdhary – Anil
Neha Uberoi - Shilpa
Malaika Arora Khan - Nancy
Pushkar – Arjun
Manoj Joshi – Decent
Daya Shankar Pandey – Gaffur.
Technical Analysis
A good idea can result in an intriguing ad campaign or a commercial. But when you take a take on the loanbazi or credit card thingie going on into a 2hr commercial flick then you need the required chutzpah and norms that can sustain and keep you hooked.
EMI offers the e (read entertainment) to the minimum. Ad man Saurabh Kabra (Ayur, MDH Masalas) steals Munnabhai (Sanjay Dutt – who else) from the comfort of the hospitals & congress headquarters and makes the kind hearted Bhai busy in recovering monthly dues from this defaulters and in the middle gets confused and love struck leaving the audience baffled.
In simple words, the first time helmer writer Saurabh along with his producers Suniel, Shabbir & Ekta neither deliver the message of taking loan according to one’s capacity convincingly nor do they shape EMI into a wholesome entertainer.
Agreed its an overwhelming task of making a worthy message into a paisa vasool stuff for a first timer like Saurabh, but the helmer must have at least stuck to one lane, instead he changes gear from vasoolie to romance and giving tips to the defaulters to improve their life and all, as a result in the second half the viewer comes out perplexed and unmoved.
The notoriously successful Munnabhai, is somewhat revisited over here in the chaotic world of credit cards and bank loans.
With Sanjay Dutt yet again doing the role of goon with the heart of gold, Saurabh should have bolstered it with sparkling dialogue and a heart-warming sentiment, endearing characters and charming comic moments that must have been promised in the plot outline to the producers, but he contributes it into making EMI a defaulting bad debts
With very less chance of recovery. Music has nothing to hum about.
The film bounces between the loan thingie and the goons love interest so shoddily. The characters hardly leave any mark that audiences become agitated and desire that the defaulters should be actually brought to book.
Anyway EMI is a testimony that Sanjay is the best and the only available choice when it comes to the role of a kind hearted goonda.
The promos give the feeling of a feel-good cinema but EMI leaves you dry.
Apart from Sanjay’s Faithfulness, the veteran Kharbanda along with Aashish & Arjun are also loyal to their roles.
The Story
A good idea goes kaput over here.
Sattar ( Sanjay Dutt), owner of Good Luck Recovery Agency, is the saviour and the solution for all those caught in the debt trap. From Bhaigiri to business to politics to social work -- that's how Sattar wants to progress in life. He has already graduated from Bhaigiri to business and is now eager to jump into politics.
Most sought after by banks, telecom companies and various multinationals, today his Good Luck Recovery Agency is a leading recovery agency. Sattar follows a simple rule when it comes to his business -- Loan liya hai to chukana padega.
But will Sattar succeed in using this simple principle when dealing with disparate characters and cases like Anil-Shilpa ( Aashish Chowdhary-Neha Uberoi), Chandrakant (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), Ryan-Nancy (Arjun Rampal-Malaika Arora Khan) and Prerna (Urmila Matondkar).
Promotion
Well promoted in door and outdoor, EMI gives the feel of a feel – good picture. The tagline is catchy and appeals especially in Maharashtra.
Business Analysis
Stripping Munnabhai from his doctor’s uniform or Gandhi topi and asking him to deal with the bank loan defaulters needed depth; wit in writing with identifiable characters to strike the chord, unfortunately EMI lacks all this and as a result will be a defaulter at the B.O.
More credits
Music Director : Chirantan Bhatt, Lyrics : Sarim Momin & Hamza Farokhi, DOP : Paramveer Singh, Editor : Anand Subaiya, Choreographer : Bosco Caeser / Harshal & Vithal, Sound Designer : Dilip Subramaniam, Dialogues : Khalid Azami, Production Designer : Pritam Patil, Executive Producers : Pammi Sandhu & Sunny Narula, Costume Designer : Navin Shetty, Cassettes and CD's on T-Series, Media Consultant and Strategist : Vijay Grover. Media Consultant and Brand Acquisitions: Firoza Kapadia.
Previeved at Fun cinemas, in orbit, Mumbai. Running Time: 127 minutes. Censor rating : U/A.