RohitVerse
Rohit Shetty has created his own Universe, should we call it RohitVerse? The last scene of Cirkus brings a wide smile and takes you back to Rohit Shetty’s claim to fame ‘Golmaal’ franchise. How I wish if he can come up with a film based on this (you have to watch the last scene). Coming back to what you are here for and that is yet again a part of the RohitVerse with most characters that you have seen in previous Rohit Shetty films probably leaving aside just the two leading ladies (Pooja Hegde and Jacqueline Fernandez). After Ajay Devgn, it seems we will get to see Ranveer Singh too as a fixture in RohitVerse.
Cirkus
Set in the late 1960s and said to be inspired from Shakespeare’s ‘The Comedy of Errors’, which was earlier adapted by Gulzar as Angoor (1982) featuring Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Verma in double roles. Most, including the youth, would agree for Angoor to be a better fare even in today’s times. Not that Cirkus is bad but then the expectations from a Rohit Shetty film is always high, to be a complete entertainer and a laugh riot. Cirkus could have fallen flat short of these expectations but is thankfully saved by Sanjay Mishra the actor and Rai Sahab his character, who salvage the proceedings.
Golmaal
Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus is a golmaal of angoor and delves into adoption, blood relation and upbringing debate, drifting off-track right from the beginning. Roy Jamnadas (Murali Sharma), an orphan himself, now a doctor, takes care of Jamnadas orphanage but repents that he never got adopted! He is discussing about the now popular IVF technique in those times and is questioned about the resulting blood lineage. He points out with numerous examples of problematic relations between real (blood) brothers. To prove his point, he gets an opportunity to swap two pairs of twins who get adopted by two set of parents. He believes that it is not in the blood but the upbringing that matters in one’s character building. Fair enough, but he also assures that he will let the four kids know the fact when they are grown-ups! Again, a debatable decision.
Golmaal Returns
The twins are Ranveer Singh and Varun Sharma both christened as Roy and Joy respectively in their respective families. Both are now grownups with one Roy in Ooty running a Cirkus business with himself being the main attraction as ‘Electricman’ holding naked electric wires, whereas the other Roy in Bangalore ‘feeling the shock’. The comedy of errors begins with one set of Roy and Joy visiting Ooty where the other set of Roy and Joy reside and are well known. One is married and the other is romancing. This could have been a laugh riot with identical twins living in different cities coming together to create ludicrous situations of mistaken identity, misunderstandings reign when people mistake one for the other!
Phir Golmaal
Besides the main characters of Roy and Joy there are characters thrown-in to spawn laughter, and one might impulsively laugh too but it is too forced and doesn’t stay for long. Like there is Momo (Siddhartha Jadhav) and his sidekicks making periodic appearances with weird acts as also Naagmani (Vrajesh Hirjee), a curious looking taxi driver, both are forced and don’t bring laughter as expected in a Shetty film. To top it all is Johnny Lever who is wasted big time. There isn’t much to write about the mothers (Ashwini Kalsekar and Sulabha Arya) and girlfriends Mala and Bindu (Pooja Hegde and Jacqueline Fernandes) who just add to the mix-ups, chaos, and disorder.
Zameen
It is Rai Sahab (Sanjay Mishra), Bindu’s father who gets the opportunity to bring the house down with his histrionics and some funny sequences that salvage the two plus hour outing and wake you from your slumber.
Chennai Express
The music of the film is composed by Devi Sri Prasad, Badshah and Lijo George-DJ Chetas. The single titled ‘Current Laga Re’ has Deepika Padukone as Meenalochni ‘Meenamma’ Azhagusundaram (reprising her character from Chennai Express) for special appearance and make the song look interesting with the setting and the dance steps to stay with you.
Finally
All in all, Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus spends more energy in creating colourful visuals trying to please your eyes but fails with below par writing and stagy performances. If you are in a ‘mood for an outing’ this weekend with your family than this might not hurt!
Movie: Cirkus
Director: Rohit Shetty
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Varun Sharma, Sanjay Mishra, Siddhartha Jadhav, Murali Sharma, Pooja Hegde, Jacqueline Fernandez, Johnny Lever, Mukesh Tiwari, Vrajesh Hirjee, Ashwini Kalsekar, Tiku Talsania, Vijay Patkar, Brijendra Kala, Anil Charanjeett, Uday Tikekar, Abhinay Raj Singh, Sulabha Arya
Duration: 138 Mins
Cirkus
Director: Rohit Shetty
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