Shakal Pe Mat Ja Review

Shakal Pe Mat Ja has an ensemble of character actors who are known to give powerhouse performances. Therefore, there is some curiosity about this film. Also, in the past we have seen that such small budgeted-concept driven films are the ones which hit the marquee more than some of the so called magnum opuses. That being said, there were also some small films that were not that good. Wonder how Shakal Pe Mat Ja is?

A group of friends, who are also amateur filmmakers, are planning to make a documentary film. They forget to take the necessary permissions and start shooting near the Delhi Airport. The airport police, with Raghuveer Yadav as their head, get suspicious about them filming the planes and arrest them. They are mistaken for potential terrorists and grilled by the police.

In the confusion however, they actually manage to foil a real terror plot. Omama (Zakir Hussain) and his terrorist cronies want to bomb a flight. Omama, just like the airport police head is also a bumbling fool and messes up all the time. His plot is foiled by the filmmakers and is handed over to the police.

An interesting plot with the potential to make an uproarious film, but like in the film, the makers of Shakal Pe Mat Ja too seem to be amateurs. There is comedy but in bits and pieces. The concept of the film is good and one can just imagine the comedy of errors that can take place in it, but the writers have failed in doing so. What they have managed to do is create a lot of confusion and the humorous situations are all lost in them.

Some of the dialogues are funny but some of the punch lines are lost in the loud background score. This reduces the humor in the film even further. Had the screenplay been drafted a little more, it would have been a great effort. There are too many characters in the film which adds more to the already hard-to-follow plot.

The direction of Subh is amateurish. Directing a comedy film is probably the hardest thing to do as your debut. Till today, there are veteran directors who shy away from directing such films. Subh should have taken something easier to direct. However, his courage must be admired and the hard work he has put into this film is good. He also has gotten decent performances from all the actors. Subh will get better with time.

Saurabh Shukla and Raghuveer Yadav are the stand out performers. Comedy is their forte and none of the actors seem to hold their own when those two are in screen. They all get dwarfed. The other supporting actors have also done well. Subh is also the lead actor of the film and gives a good performance. It' s nice to see Aamna Sharif on the big screen doing something funny rather than the usual rona dhona she had to do in saas-bahu sagas on TV.

The editing in the film is great. There is some really good editing on display. It is nice to see a well edited film after a long time. Sadly, no such positive comments for the cinematography. The cinematographer has failed to capture the slick looking Delhi airport. The music in the film is not that great. Hard to believe Salim-Sulaiman would give such ordinary music.

The background score is another huge flaw in the film. It is too loud and ruins most of the punches. They have also inserted those silly sound effects to enhance the punches. Sadly, that only suits in cartoon shows for kids. The production value is decent.

The film was not that well promoted. Hardly people know about the release of the film. Therefore, this is going to hamper their business and cost them viewership. Also, Rockstar is doing well despite the mixed reviews which will further hurt Shakal Pe Mat Ja.

Rating: **

Verdict: An honest effort ruined by a loose storyline. It will be difficult for the film to make it to next week when a few more big films are releasing.

Reviewed by: Harshal Anand

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