This Mrs.Khanna just isn't worth your time.

Grade: D

Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna

Indian Release Date: 16/10/09
CBFC Classification:  U/A
Running Length: 1 Hour 55 Minutes

Cast: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sohail Khan, Yash Tonk, Nauheed Cyrusi, Mahek Chhal, Dino Morea, Preity Zinta
Director: Prem R Soni
Screenplay: Prem R Soni
Cinematography: Sudeep Chatterjee
Music: Sajid-Wajid

There is one big positive to be found in Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna & especially for those of us who were subjected to the over-the-top scream-fests made by Sohail & Salman Khan last year (God Tussi Great Ho & Hello) it is not loud & over-the-top, in fact it goes so deep in the opposite direction that it creates a sense of lethargy assured to put you sleep. Of the three Diwali releases this is easily the most lackluster but by no stretch the worst that the Khan Brothers have produced.

Prem R Soni tries to be the jack of three trades as the Director, Story Writer & Dialogue Writer & comes off as the master of none. He does however show a little restrained & subdued approach to the direction which at least spares the audience of the emotional overkill we’d be accustomed to in these kinds of movies.

The movie starts off in Melbourne with Raina (Kareena Kapoor) & Samir (Salman Khan) Khanna, whose marriage is currently going through a turbulent time. A quick flashback & a song montage explains how Raina was raised in an orphanage in Dalhousie & continued working there until one fine day she met Samir & the two fell in love & got married. They moved to Melbourne & have lived happily together until, Samir’s actions at his workplace (Melbourne’s “Leading Stock Exchange Company” apparently) puts him out of a job & his career in jeopardy. Samir’s friend Sanjay (Dino Morea) convinces him to join him for work in Singapore & Raina agrees to come along as the “dutiful” wife that she is (leaving behind her job & friends at the drop of a hat). At the airport however she learns that Samir would like her to go back to India to live at his parent’s house rather than with him to Singapore. Raina takes a stand for herself & the marriage instead & decides to stay back in Melbourne till Samir returns a “successful” man.

It is here at the airport that she meets Aakash (Sohail Khan) & Tia (Mahek Chhal) who helps her land a job at a shop run by Victor (Bappi Lahri). Aakash egged on by his friend (Yash Tonk) starts to hit on Raina while she starts warming up to his “good friend” act. Problems arise when authorities come asking around for her work permit & under advice from her friends she & Aakash decide to put in an application for a sham marriage so she can drag out some more time till Samir returns. When eventually Samir does return to take Raina back with him to Singapore, all that stands between the Khannas & marital bliss are Aakash’s feelings towards Raina & a few trust related issues.

Everyone & everything seems lifeless, right from the story to the actors to the humor. Even writing a review for this movie feels like a task in itself. Simple logic seems to have deserted this film on almost every occasion. To state a few glaring holes, Raina manages to afford a decent enough place to live in after working at the airport for just a few days but for some reason still can’t purchase a mobile phone or the fact that a husband & wife who haven’t really had a fight aren’t even shown talking to each other even once during the entire time while they are apart or the entire “attempted” excuse of a twist in the end in regards to the term “Mrs.Khanna”.

The humor though much less than your usual Sohail – Salman Khan film still retains in parts most of the juvenile streak present in most of their films & there’s barely a scene you’d find laughable intentionally (unintentionally, it’s a whole different story). However one of the most irritating aspects was Raina’s constant voice-over spoon-feeding the audience every tiny detail which can be seen on screen, as if our little brains may not be able to process what we see.   

Salman Khan underplays the entire character in trying to give him a worried & soulful look all the time but comes off more as the bored-to-death look though he still dresses like he’s walking the ramp for a fashion show.  Kareena Kapoor’s character is the central focus of the story & she tries very hard to play the timid little dutiful wife who yearns for the undivided affection of the man she fell in love with (blah!). I mean though the character isn’t particularly well written it still isn’t bad but Kareena Kapoor plays it something like that female from those “Paro main aa gaya” spoofs & gives her the typical “Kareena Worried (constipated)” look. You know something’s wrong when Sohail is easily the most earnest of the cast, though I wonder why Yash Tonk turns up with such alarming regularity in all of his movies. The rest of the cast is wasted, though they had one brilliant bit of casting, Bappi Lahri as the owner of a gold shop was a nice one line joke which gets wasted too. Thankfully though Salman & Sohail keeps their shirts on all the time (I think so). Preity Zinta in a cameo is an embarrassment to herself in the film & the sooner she gets her self cut from the footage or forgets about the film, the better for her. Dino Morea’s appearance is the look-down-to-decide-which-sauce-to-dip-your-nachos-in-and-you’ll-miss-it types.

Like I said before the movie is a washout in every department & it’s overall sense of lethargy doesn’t make matters any better. It’s not the worst movie I’ve seen (& trust me I’ve seen some real stinkers) but it isn’t much better either.

Final Verdict: This Mrs. Khanna just isn’t worth the trouble.

Grade: D

 

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