Review: Maan Gaye Mughall-e-Azam

Evidently, inspired by Ernst Lubitsch’s 1942 comedy, To Be or Not To Be, this Mallika-e-Azam is about her bare back, bling costumes and a plot that would need a research team to deconstruct, writes Khalid Mohamed.

Maan Gaye Mughall-e-Azam
Cast: Paresh Rawal, Rahul Bose, Mallika Sherawat
Direction: Sanjay Chhel
Rating: *

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Sanjay Chhel’s Maan Gaye Mughall-e-Azam is too lengthy a title to announce to anyone, to type and then to watch. You actually performed all those feats to conclude that you shouldn’t have. Never, never, never.

Although Chhel can be a sparkling dialogue writer, here both his lines and direction are as flat as week-old beer. Evidently, inspired by Ernst Lubitsch’s 1942 comedy, To Be or Not To Be (wow, man what sources!), this Mallika-e-Azam is about her bare back, bling costumes and a plot that would need a research team to deconstruct.

All you know is that a hammy theatre troupe, spearheaded by Paresh Rawal (oof, even he can’t save this) is trying to get hammier. And they do when they are joined by a RAW agent (Rahul Bose) and then an ISI baddy (Kay Kay Menon). What they say (loads about RDX) and what they do (try to be Lubitsch meets Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro) aren’t worth half a chuckle. You just sit there, as round-eyed as the Phoonk maid-servant , and hope this Moan Gaye.. will go away like the monsoon flu.