Sara Ali Khan defends ‘problematic’ plot of original Coolie No 1, says ‘It’s not about Govinda duping Karisma’

Actor Sara Ali Khan has urged audiences to watch the upcoming Coolie No 1 with an open mind. The film, a remake of the 1995 comedy starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor, will feature Varun Dhawan in the lead role.

Sara was asked in an interview about the ‘problematic’ aspects of the original film, in which Govinda’s character cons Karisma’s character into falling for him. She said that if one views everything through a politically correct lens, ‘any scope of humour in our lives will be lost’.

 

She told Mid-Day in an interview, “I’d urge people to watch the film with the honest intention with which it is told. There is a difference between what you say on Twitter, and what an entertaining comedy tries to say. If everybody [expects] everything to be politically correct, any scope of humour in our lives will be [lost]. Of course, you can’t be demeaning. Govinda sir duping Karisma to make her believe that he is not a coolie, is funny. It’s not about him cheating. Ultimately, he falls in love with her, and that’s what most of us look forward to in life.”

Sara also said that her skills as a comic performer shouldn’t be compared to those of her parents -- Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh. “I am not as spontaneous as my dad or my mother. It’s all about reacting to what the other person says. It’s a difficult genre to crack. Varun helped me improve my comic timing. He is much more experienced in this genre,” she said.

In an earlier interview, she had even rejected any comparisons to Karisma, and had said that there is no point in trying to ape what Karisma did, but to put her own spin on it. Directed by David Dhawan, the new Coolie No 1 also stars Paresh Rawal, Jaaved Jaaferi, Rajpal Yadav, and Johnny Lever. The film is slated for a Christmas day release on Amazon Prime Video, after its theatrical release was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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