December 3, 2010 : Film: Phas Gaye Re Obama
Director: Subhash Kapoor
Cast: Rajat Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, Amol Gupte, Amit Sial, Sanjay Mishra, Manu Rishi among others
Genre: Crime Comedy
Rating: ****
Bollywood has proved yet again that it is not always an ensemble star cast and a big budget that works for a film. Phas Gaye Re Obama is the perfect example of a film where it is the content made better through superb performances that wins the hearts of not only the audience but also the critics. It may be recalled here that many films hitting theaters in 2010 were critically acclaimed movies in spite of the fact that they were made at a paltry budget (read Udaan, Tere Bin Laden, Love Sex Aur Dhokha).
Phas Gaye Re Obama begins from where we see the NRI character Om completely bankrupt in the recession hit America. Om, played by Rajat Kapoor, returns to India to acquire the necessary amount of money required to keep his house in the US. But as soon as he lands on Indian soil, Om is kidnapped by underworld dons. The gang who has kidnapped Om are of the idea that he is still a rich man and therefore he will give them money to cope the recession. Phas Gaye Re Obama is the first film which deals with the innovative subject of recession hitting a terrorist gang! And it is this subject which makes the film a must watch.
Something that all film connoisseurs can look forward to is the brilliant screenplay of Phas Gaye Re Obama. Though the cast is nothing to boast about, their acting skills completely overshadow their image. The editing of the Subhash Kapoor project which hits theaters today falls short of expectations at certain places, but the story and performances make up for minor glitches.
