Direction: Nupur Asthana
Actors: Rishi Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurrana, Sonam Kapoor
Rating: **
Towards the end of Bewakoofiyaan, Mohit, played by Ayushmann Khurrana, angrily declares: “Enough of me and my life!” My sentiments exactly.
After two hours of watching Mohit lose his job, his car, his house, his posh club-hopping lifestyle and his girlfriend, I was exhausted. This is one of those films that doesn’t either offend or engage. It just goes on, in a bland, listless manner, until we hit happily ever after.
Director Nupur Asthana and writer Habib Faisal are aiming here to show us how hollow consumerism is. How finally what matters isn’t the four-bedroom apartment, credit cards and designer shoes but relationships, and above all, love.
The irony is that this lesson comes from the house of Yash Raj Films, which for decades has stoked our desire for beauty, riches and luxury — or at least our lust for chiffon saris and Switzerland.
However, the film has its moments. At one point Mohit asks his girlfriend Mayera, played by Sonam Kapoor, if she would love him even if he were a waiter. She says yes but then looks worried; would she?
{{/usCountry}}However, the film has its moments. At one point Mohit asks his girlfriend Mayera, played by Sonam Kapoor, if she would love him even if he were a waiter. She says yes but then looks worried; would she?
{{/usCountry}}But such moments are few and far between. Mostly, we are subjected to Mayera’s father, played by Rishi Kapoor, putting Mohit through the paces — he even wants certified copies of his PAN card, Aadhaar card and passport. Kapoor is a fabulous actor, but here he is saddled with a character that is midway between caricature and slice-of-life. Sonam looks lovely. She attempts to imbue Mayera with some texture but it’s an uphill climb. The strongest performance here is Ayushmann’s. His anger and frustration at losing the good life are palpable. Still, it’s going to take a better script than this to make me summon emotion for out-of-work yuppies.