Three Libidinous oldies, one crazy bimbette and a reigning superstar - with these oddballs, director Abhishek Sharma (of Tere Bin Laden fame)revisits the Bollywood classic 'Shaukeen',but with genX humor and plenty of uproarious moments.
When Two is Company, Three is Crime. With an interesting voice-over of Akshay Kumar (who plays himself!) introducing the lecherous threesome, we get a glimpse of their lives through the antics which primarily begins with a daily dose of visual Viagra in the jogging park and ends with goofing it up.'Umar Pachpan ki par Dil Bachpan Ka' is the underlying characteristic of the incorrigible Laali(Anupam Kher),Pinki(Piyush Mishra) and the bachelor KD(Annu Kapoor) who are crazy to get into some 'Ohh-la-la' fling.After a couple of their attempts misfire, the trio heads to the scenic Mauritius,much away from the radar of their policing families.And as luck would have it, they stumble upon the gorgeous and sultry Ahana,the 'Earth Child'(Lisa Haydon)who swoons them with her oomph.Ahana is a die-hard Akshay kumar fan and when the trio learns it, each one of them begins his pursuit to please her with the hope of a return favor.
The Shaukeens, written by Tigmanshu Dhulia , borrows the template from the 1980 film with the same title, but doesn't match up to the spontaneity of the plot or the ingenuity with which the stalwarts(Ashok Kumar, Utpal Dutt and AK Hangal)had approached their characters in the original. And here,I would blame it on the shoddy writing and uninspiring screenplay which overclouds the talents of the cast.The sexual innuendos,the projection of Bangkok in poor light or the trio's repeated request to Ahana to slip into bikini makes you cringe after a point in time, ignoring the fact that the lass is more concerned about the number of likes on her FB pics.
Agree, the jokes might appear crass in the beginning but you get to redeem your boredom with the entry of Akshay Kumar. Taking digs at self seems to be latest mantra in Bollywood and Akshay does it sportingly with a great élan.As an 'Alcoholic' actor desperate to win a national award, his self-deprecating humor works enormously for the benefit of the film and us.And here I would give brownie points to the writers who competently synergize the main plot with Akshay's part.
What can also be appreciated about the Shaukeens is the chemistry between the three oldies and their comic banters. They are the best of friends otherwise , but the most hopeless competitors under the influence of Ahana. Among the lot,I liked Annu Kapoor the most. With his nymph in crescendo,Annu makes his character despicable for the dignified viewer,yet evoking the likability to root for. Actors in cameo - Cyrus Broacha, Gaurav Gera and Subrat Dutta are a pleasure to watch.Not to forget, the other celebrities of the Bollywood film fraternity - Abhishek,Sunil Shetty, Kareena and Dimple Kapadia!
Shaukeens is not a bad movie, it makes for a fun watch.Its like a piece of creamy cake.The fun lasts till the glossy garnishing is over.
