Movie Review – Firangi – by Suhel Johar

Not This Time Again Kapil Sharma!

Kapil Sharma is one of the biggest names in Indian comedy. After a successful career as a stand up comedian Kapil Sharma decided to become an actor. Firangi is Kapil Sharma's second outing but like his debut film, Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon  he has once again failed to impress you.

The Rajiev Dhingra directed Firangi was initially set to release on 10 November 2017 which was moved to 24 November 2017 but on 21 November, the release date was again postponed due to the delay in obtaining a censor certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification

The story of Firangi tells a tale of pre-independent India, a time when people across the country were uniting against the British rule. However, Mangat Ram aka Manga (Kapil Sharma), a village simpleton who has been branded as ‘useless’ by his family and villagers, seems to be the only person who has a reason to believe that the British may not be that bad after all. Manga has a special skill, which becomes indispensable to the British people. The slow-witted orderly of British officer Daniels (Edward Sonnenblick) Manga hopes to impress his lover Sargi (Ishita Dutta) with his position. Sargi is from the neighbouring village, which is the potential site of a liquor factory that will be set up by Daniels and the local king Inderveer (Kumud Mishra). The Britisher and the royal team up to use Mangatram to hoodwink the villagers into parting with their land. The orderly must set things right if he has to win over Sagri and her village folk.

After Manga realises he's unsuspectingly responsible for facilitating these events, Firangi swoops onto an oft beaten track of betrayal, melodrama, atonement, trickery and triumph. The story is a combination of romance and patriotism and has been hugely borrowed from Aamir Khan's Lagaan.

Somehow, all villages in Firangi look the same and you see the same 15 people roaming everywhere. The costumes and accents are inconsistent. The British sound more like an American. Inderveer’s daughter, a London returned princess Shyamali (Monica Gill) dresses and acts more British than the British. She speaks to her fellow Indians in English and with the British in Hindi.

The film has a very lengthy and stretched narration that is hard to sit through. Apart from a weak story line and an incomprehensible script with some poor editing is the root cause for the film to disappoint you! The story that could have been told in just 2 hours has been said in 2:40 hours! To make it worse for the audience Firangi moves at a snail’s pace leading us to a half  baked climax. In fact the film isn’t really tacky or repulsive, it’s outright boring and that’s probably worse because it’s not even unintentionally funny. There is absolutely nothing that can be liked about the film.

Story and direction by Rajiev Dhingra is unimaginative and poor. He will need to hone up his directorial skills. All his characters come off as mere caricatures rather than as real people. Rajiev Dhingra, Balwinder Singh Janjua and Rupinder Chahal are the culprits for the film’s wayward script. Cinematography by Navneet Misser is okay. Editing by Omkar Nath Bhakri is bad. Music by Jatinder Shah is ordinary.

Performancewise, Kapil Sharma as Manga is unconvincing and totally miscast. After two failed attempts its time Sharma restrategises how he intends to go about to realise his celluloid dreams or just stick to television. Ishita Datta as Sargi is poor she needs to work hard on her acting and dancing skills. Kumud Mishra is neither funny nor menacing. Monica Gill irritates while Inaam Ul Haq disappoints. The only two actors who put in some effort are Edward Sonnenblick and Anjan Srivastav who plays Sargi's grandfather.

On the whole, Firangi abounds in stupidity and idiocy and would be of interest to only fans of the comedian Kapil Sharma.