The question that kept haunting me through out was why would a director with such talent make such a mediocre Masala movie, like ‘Bombay to Bangkok’ with an equally idiotic tagline ‘same same but different’? Everything, from the name to the treatment of the theme to acting, was so very very typical and mediocre. We have been fed on the Bollywood Masala ever since we know. May be Nagesh Kukunoor was just trying the Grandma’s recipe with some Thai ingredients! Ultimately, he could not even create one particular taste and left the audience with burnt tongues and empty stomachs. And what a waste of time and energy!
Rating: 2/5
Nagesh Kukunoor is one of those few talented directors, who have set such high standards for themselves that just one mistake and they fail to stand up to their reputation, not forgetting the viewer knitting his brows of failed expectation and disgust. However, I was not expecting much from ‘Bombay to Bangkok’ (keeping in mind, the trailers and the name of course!), even though the name Nagesh Kukunoor had somehow managed to raise some expectation. The movie was way out of the loved and admired style of Nagesh Kukunoor, too much different from ‘Dor’ or one of my all time favorites ‘Iqbal’. Speaking about his ‘Hyderabad Blues’ or ‘Rockford’ or even ‘Bollywood Calling’, which were of a different genre (call it parallel cinema), were movies that may not have been major box office hits, but they received much critical acclaim. With ‘Dor’ and ‘Iqbal’, Kukunoor proved that he can make 
commercial cinema while showcasing tender and poignant themes and yet woo the audience. Both these movies were good directorial success stories.
When Nagesh Kukunoor stated that he wants to experiment with making a romantic comedy (read a complete entertainment movie) and not repeating himself (read his earlier movie patterns) for whatever hidden reasons, it might have aroused great hope in his producer Subash Ghai (Mukta Arts). It got much attention from movie buffs as well. Now, what he told the audience with the result was, “it is same same as the movies you already have seen but it is different as I have made it!†Hate it or love it, to some extent, what Nagesh kukunoor managed to do pretty well in the movie is the later half of his intended genre, i.e., Comedy, if not the trademark class comedy of Kukunoor, we can forgive him for at least making one smile.
Now coming to the theme, we have a cook aka bawarchi from Bombay aka Mumbai named Shankar (Shreyas Talpade), is desperately in need of money, stealing or rather stumbling up on a money bag left behind by a powerful Mumbai don. In his trial to save himself and the money, somehow he manages to escape with a group of doctors heading for a noble cause, some relief work in Bangkok. Poising as a doctor, Shankar takes the advantage of the much used and abused trick of mistaken identity. However, in the mayhem of mobsters and doctors, our dumb hero sends the all important money bag to some other relief camp and lands up in Bangkok penniless. Not money but love comes his way as Shankar falls in love with the beautiful yet poor massage girl Jasmine (Lena Christenson), who strips to take care of her old father. While you try to sympathize with this damsel in distress, she is off with the hero in search of the money bag and by now the all hanky panky dons are also in the same trail. The movie goes in circles after this. By the time the chaos ends you are in utter confusion.
Shreyas Talpade, Lina Christianson in Bombay To Bangkok
There are situations which are comic, however absurd they might seem. The fake doctor aka our hero prescribes some Viagra to the old father of the heroine and what happens next is totally absurd. Then there is our Mafia Kingpin somehow getting himself scoped up by a very eager female psychiatrist. He realizes his hidden desires of rap singing, credit goes to the often used trick of split personality. The Don then dons the costume of a rap singer and romances with the doctor forgetting all about his hard earned money! All this are mere contextual humor than situational.
Shreyas Talpade is no doubt one of the finest actors of Indian cinema today. With his griping voice, he was quite good but it isn’t his fault if the script is all messed up. He has been good in serious roles as well as in comedy and he proves that he is good in romancing too. Lena was good and carried off her duties pretty well. Naseruddin Shah was no use and Vijay Maurya was the coolest don you ever see. Others did pretty well too, keeping in mind the clumsy script. The confusion of language between the hero and heroine only added to the total failure of the plot as well as subplots. The music was just a so-so effort; the four songs are good for casual hearing. May be the wish to make a very simple comedy film did more damage than expected. Finally, it was too filmy a film.
Lina Christianson in Bombay To Bangkok
This weekend trip to Bangkok is worse than a trip to your grocers. At least there, you don’t need to chew on badly processed and unseasoned Indian-Thai combo food served with equally stupid taste by Nagesh Kukunoor. One suggestion to dear Kukunoor; “Kuks (read cook) buddy, please don’t try your hand at a Dhava man! You are better off in a Restaurant!â€
Rating: 2/5
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