NO LAUGHING MATTER

HASEE TOH PHASEE

DIRECTOR : VINIL MATHEW
CAST : Sidharth Malhotra, Parineeti Chopra, Adah Sharma
DURATION : 141 minutes

"The essence of lying is in deception, not in words." I have a sense of what John Ruskin meant while saying these words, and it seems all the more appropriate in the context I am about to refer to. At any rate, the producers and marketing heads of the film should have guessed as to what I am referring to here. This is precisely my largest point of discontent with the film, and something which also shapes my article to follow on the cinematic experience itself.

For "Hasee Toh Phasee" is touted as a 'rom-com' (romantic comedy) but is hardly anything of the sort. There are no very funny moments, not a single ROFL (rolling on the floor with laughter) point in the plot, and the film brings no overwhelming laughter to your lips. Yes, the grin it gives you on your face is undeniable, but then, that is sadly not what a rom-com is all about, certainly not enough for it to be touted as one. Even if in rare instances, if it does likewise appeal to the viewer, it is very relative and largely lacks universal appeal in this regard.

Having enunciated the bone that I wish to pick with the promotional team of the film, I would now intend to elaborate upon what really works in favor of it. At a fundamental level, the film is simply based on one central concept: that of the marginalized outsider in the family, or the “black sheep” who is inevitably present, only to be rebuked at and neglected. This character, which inhabits the peripheral position, especially in a larger family setup, is the one considered the culprit whenever anything is amiss, and blamed for anything at all that goes wrong. However, it is this figure in the familial setup who is the one ready to explore, thinking out of the box, being different, and of course, shaming others in the process.

Parineeti’s Meeta is exactly this. A transgressor of her fate and defying her mundane pre-ordained destiny, this wacky girl decides to follow her wishes, no matter how many hearts and rules she may be breaking in the process. Intelligent and smart, crazy yet a genius, she pursues her dream, totally oblivious of what the others tend to think of her, and radiating a sense of not caring even when she did. She may be odd in all that she does, but we do realize as an active, participating audience that this is how rebels are born, by going against the norm and following their true wishes and aspirations, not taking into account what society, or even her family may be thinking of her. So this girl eats toothpaste, swallows drugs as if they were Hajmola pills, and talks Mandarin that sounds like gibberish to the common Indian viewer. And if you thought all this was a joke, well, you just haven’t got the point.

Not only that, both the actor and the viewer realize very gradually that there is more than appears with regard to the protagonist herself. Half Two shows a comparatively more mature Parineeti, who not only realizes her gradual falling in love with her sister’s groom, but also the need to be reincorporated into the familial body itself, and it is with this that her character assumes its full growth. So, a wedding escapade and an attempt at suicide having transpired, the reconciliation is finally worked out.

What is notably well dealt with in the film is that in terms of plot, it is the essentiality and seriousness of the subject that is given primal importance, not in a preachy manner, but rather implicitly, certainly sharply enough for a sensitive viewer to evaluate and extract, as well as appreciate. And this is where I feel uncomfortable with the notion of its classification as a comedy. Much of what constitutes the film is a serious subject, and even the scene inching destructively (and deconstructively) close to the denouement actually elicits a sense of pathos from the viewer. Laughter ceases to play a role at all in most parts of the film. I distinctly remember inching close to tears in the attempt at suicide and the sacrificial distancing of the lovers. All these further add on to undermine and erode the film’s status as a light comedy, intended to make the viewer relax and be entertained. A lot of the film attempts to shake us out of our complacency and acknowledge the grim realities of life, of abuse within the family setup, the harassment faced by the individual just in a bid to express his/her own identity, and so on. And Parineeti. What a marvelous job! She is indeed the best thing that has happened to Bollywood in a long, long time. A complete natural, what an actress! You tend to fall short of words in describing her. Every action so spontaneous, every expression so perfect, every move testifyingly original, she is just too good. Be it the comic or the tragic, she excels in each scene that she executes. It is pure pleasure to watch her on screen.

Sidharth’s Nikhil is equally well etched out a character, and he does a good job as the unsuccessful wastrel of the family who has to be content with petty event management jobs while the other gentlemen excel as respectable civil servants. The quiet Nikhil finds himself in one sticky spot after another, once he meets Meeta, and invariably arrives at the spot on time to salvage each situation from disaster. Balanced and mature, quiet and thoughtful, he sure seems to have grown significantly from his debut outing last year. Not to mention the visual delight that he is accountable for, he is pure eye candy, oh-so-sexy even when fully clothed; hence, a complete package. Gorgeous Adah’s Karishma is an equally quipped counterpart to Nikhil, but the film makes it evident that compatibility in visual terms is certainly not its motive, and also problematises the notion of marriage inasmuch as an individual’s desires, and hence, pursuits, are likely to change over time, making us skeptical of the permanence of any bond, normative and social.

The music is good as an accompanying background score. Zehnaseeb and Drama Queen are the ones latching on to your auditory senses, remaining with you even after the film. The cinematography is good, each frame is well-conceived, and the editing is decent.

Hasee Toh Phasee has an average script, and there is no doubt about the fact that at points it may seem like a small idea stretched too far. But then, notwithstanding its erroneous areas, it is the execution of the limited subject matter, the performances, the direction, and most importantly, the thought invested behind bringing it alive on celluloid that grabs your fancy. The honestly and sincerity of the attempt is only too apparent. The sensitivity and accuracy with which the core idea is dealt with engages and sucks you deep into the narrative, and stays with you till long after the film concludes. This is what, in my opinion, makes the film emerge a clear winner, and somewhere, you tend to feel that it was a much deserved win.

So, yes, as the title goes, you would be stepping into a trap if you just laughed. Go beyond the smiles, unravel the essence in its entirety. Having done that, it may not make you laugh. But even if it makes you identify and contemplate upon what you unearth, your time and ticket would certainly have proven their worth.