Banjo
Cast: Riteish Deshmukh, Nargis Fakhri
Rated: 5.5/10
The minute you think of Riteish Deshmukh, the only thing that comes to mind is Housefull, Kya Kool Hain Hum and Masti. He is not the kind of actor who would be expected to carry an entire film on his shoulders as the solo hero.
But then came Ek Villain, in which he played Rakesh Mahadkar and the way viewers saw him, became a tad different. Even then, most thought it was a one-off performance and that Deshmukh would stick to doing what he does best — comic roles wherein he rolls his eyes and antics to make the audience laugh.
In that sense, Banjo is a movie that many will find difficult to connect with. First, it is totally shot in Mumbai slums, bylanes, amid the dirt and filth of the entertainment city.
Second, its lead actress, Nargis Fakri has too pronounced an accent. Of course, there is nothing wrong if a person has a certain way of speaking, we all do. But not for a Hindi movie in which the audience don’t want a heroine who can’t speak Hindi.
Third, producers like Yash Chopra have spoilt us rotten. We are used to exotic locales. So thekachra dumps are not our idea of entertainment.
Then there is no chemistry between Fakri and Deshmukh. Strange how a person who calls Fakri ‘madam’ falls for her. Can there be a romance where the heroine is totally wedded to her career yet the hero vows to follow her wherever she goesIJ
Interestingly, despite all the filth and the stench that you can imagine emitting from the bylanes, Banjo strikes a chord with you, not just because it has some nice numbers but also because there is something else that stirs your heart around underdogs.
We all know where there are underdogs and the hero a loser, a self-proclaimed extortionist and a drunk who will take advantage of the others when the going gets good, who the winner will be.
But then everyone loves an underdog and Rave Jadhav Tarrat (Deshmukh) is one who wins you over with his long hair and unkempt look even though he can’t play the streetman with aplomb, not even when he comes out of the gutter covered in filth.
Over all, Banjo will keep you entertained with its music if nothing else.