Samir Karnik’s fifth movie, YPD, definitely has all that it requires to call a movie humorous. With no second thought, the three Deols are much better than the self-proclaimed Robin Hood (Akshay Kumar in Tees Maar Khan) of India when it’s about going close to the genre of comedy.
Though YPD has no such OH MY GOD! story to keep your eyes glued to the screen, it however is like that bucket of popcorn in your hand – enjoyable till the time it’s there.
Director Samir Karnik knows what safe landing means. YPD, even if it won’t be a hit, will somehow land safely, just like how his other films like Kyun Ho Gaya Na (2004) and Heroes (2008) did.
It was in 2007 when the three Deols of the Dharmendra family (Dharmendra, Sunny, and Bobby) came together in “Apne” to ensure that they too have their legacy in Indian cinema just like the Kapoors. Though Apne was not a blockbuster, many however enjoyed the three Deols doing their tricks together, especially Dharmendra.
While the Deols seemed like a creature almost at its extinction after Apne, with YPD, they have made it loud and clear that, though not often visible, they still exist in Indian cinema.
Despite falling really ill in 2008, it’s good to see Dharmendra back on the big screen after “Apne” and “Johnny Gaddar.” Well, elder son Sunny Deol has always been popular for his household action abilities. Sadly, younger son Bobby has had super flops one after the other since “Soldier” in 1998, disappointing the legacy of his father and older brother.
His charismatic performances of “Kareeb” and “Soldier” no more lasted post-1998, and all other films that followed later were nothing more than a difficult survival in Bollywood.
Unfortunately, junior Deol is not as fortunate as Akshay Kumar who, despite facing more than ten super flops in two years, is still the dear one for producers.
It’s pleasing to have the trio come together once again to make you laugh for two and half hours.
Named under the popular song of Dharmendra, “Main Jat Yamla Pagla Deewana” from the 1975 movie Pratiggya, the show stealer in YPD is definitely the performance of the three in this evergreen number of Dharmendra’s once again.
YDP is story of an Indian banker Paramveer (Sunny Deol) in Vancouver, living with his wife, mother and children and wanting to find and reunite with his long-lost father Dharma (Dharmendra) and younger brother Gajodhar (Bobby Deol).
Even after knowing this, that Dharma and Gajodhar are the biggest conmen in Banaras, Paramveer decides to bring them back to the family, and leaves for Banaras. On meeting them, Dharma chooses to shy away from the truth that Param is his eldest son. But Paramveer doesn’t give up. He befriends Gajodhar and treats him like a brother. He uses all his muscle to rescue these conmen from the people who are after them.
In the meantime, Gajodhar falls in love with Sahiba (Kulraj Randhawa), a Punjabi kudi, whose muscled Punjabi brothers are looking for an NRI to tie her knot with. Paramveer, coming up with a plan to win back the girl for his younger brother, takes them to the beautiful land of Punjab.
Jasvinder Singh Bath’s script gets pretty predictable most of the times. As I said earlier, that the story is nothing extraordinary to give you the goose bumps, plots like those of confused identities, marriage mayhem, extended family, and cultural values are predictable well in advance in Bollywood flicks.
The first half moves clumsily while you find enough laughing gas post-intermission.
There are the Deols’ charismatic and impeccable chemistry, local dictions (Canada pronounced as Canneda) and Punjabi humor that keep ticking your bones now and often. Not to miss is definitely over-the-top action scenes of Sunny Deol. At times, I was thinking even Rajnikanth would have failed to do what Sunny Deol did in the movie. In one scene, the windowpanes literally break into pieces and a dozen people are injured just because he screams so loud. This was something even Rajnikanth and Akshay Kumar never succeeded in doing. Indeed, the action scenes were LAUGHABLE throughout.
After doing Chintuji (2009), newcomer Kulraj Randhawa has left her charisma with her second release, YPD. She definitely has a long way to go. Anupam Kher suits best for the annoying and funny Punjabi Praji while Nafisa Ali does her best with what precious little she gets to do. Needless to say, it’s pleasing to see powerful Sunny Deol and Dharmendra still have that Veeru personality alive as actors.
I was wishing to see the youngest of the Deols – Abhay – in a guest appearance to make the movie a happy and complete foursome family.
Well, even with a short fuse in the blockbuster list, YPD will definitely help the Deol dudes regain their sustainability in the industry, which they have had lost long ago, especially Bobby Deol.
Starring: Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Nafisa Ali, Kulraj Randhawa, Anupam Kher, and Emma Brown Garett
Directed by: Samir Karnik
Produced by: Samir Karnik and Nitin Manmohan
Rating: 2/5
Screening at QFX
The writer is Program Officer at Indian Cultural Centre (ICC), Indian Embassy.
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