Nautanki Saala!

So, Rohan Sippy decided to Bollywoodise Apres Vous. Which is a French comedy that I had somehow managed to watch when I was in college and was doing cool things like watch French movies about restaurateurs. It means “after you” and was quite good, even with subtitles.
Hence the special curiosity to check the Hindi version out. Sippy picked the right guy to play the Hindi Antoine in a character that needs to have comic timing, good acting and intelligence. Tada! Who else but Ayushmann Khurrana, he who is firmly establishing himself as the next potent sexy-brainy mix that is hard to ignore?

But sadly, one strong actor does not a movie make.
Nautanki Saala tries to do things different, succeeds in bits, but falls flat for the most. So Khurrana is Ram, who directs plays that are clichéd-ly called things like "Ravanleela". He also plays Ravan in Ravanleela, which is, you know, sooo fresh.
But Sippy does do a good job of handling his comic sequences. It’s always a pleasant surprise to see a Hindi mainstream comedy that does not have crassness, crudity or jokes that make one want to throw up. Khurana is brilliant in most parts, but frankly, the script gets jaded towards the end and the leading lady does not do anything to help the man. And I’m going to keep giving him the benefit of doubt. The man is extremely talented and good looking, pulled off a Vicky Donor, and in a world where Abhay Deol is increasingly getting lost (where is he?) Ranbir Kapoor needs some good competition. Kunaal Roy Kapur as the friend is good, but it’s not his movie, so he can't do much.
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Which reminds me, why a smart character like Ram would fall for someone who came across as nothing but a brainless ninny (and not even that hot), was lost on me.  Or maybe that is the point the director was trying to make. Who knows?
By the time the movie ends, you don't really know what point Sippy was trying to make at all. And like in his earlier movies, he has a potentially good story-- all the complexities of modern-day love--but does not tell it well. Ram falls in love with his friend’s girl and decides to ignore all the feelings to do the right thing. Only, it’s real love so the supposedly high point in the movie comes from a uber sexy Ram saying “bahut ho gaya nautanki, sala” and kissing his lady love passionately, fiancé and friend go to hell.
Because all the world loves a lover, the audience would have rooted for them, except for that the lady (I looked her up, Pooja Salvi) can’t act or kiss to save her life. Despite all the brave tongue show.
Anyway, that settles one part of the movie, but the plot hereafter is
like warm beer. Much as you want to drink it, beyond a point you just have to accept that beer does not taste good warm.
Friend, can you just already accept your girl likes Khurrana better? I mean, who won’t? Fiancee, can you accept your man loves the friend’s girl (to be fair she does, quite early on, and exists sans drama. Respect.)? Girl herself, can you accept you are currently dating an idiot and come on, how silly are you, really? Ok. Good.
So now we've untangled our cliched and done to death plot and need to end this show. What do we do?
We'll make our girl, who’s a florist, get on stage in the middle of a full-blown professional performance and get her to deliver perfect lines.
And the audience will love it. Because that's how professional theatre works. At least in DTPH, Madhuri and SRK had rehearsed being on stage for a long time.

There’re a couple of very good renditions of old favorites like “So gaya yeh jahaan” and “Dhak dhak karne laga” that the director has managed to weave into the movie in the middle of all this, and those are the moments that keep you from totally hating it. Those, and some comic sequences.
Watch it on cable or Netflix when they air it.