No logic just masti
Film: Coolie No 1
Date: 25.12.2020
Producer: Vashu Bhagnani
Director: David Dhawan
Cast: Varun Dhawan, Saara Ali Khan, Paresh Rawal, Javed Jaffery, Johnny Lever
Ratings: 2.5 stars
David Dhawan directed Coolie No 1 is a remake of his 1995 film by the same title which was a remake of Tamil film Chinna Mapillai released in the year 1993. Usually, it is the younger directors who remake old hits of veterans, but this is a rare instance of a director venturing into a remake of his own film.
The film tells the story of Rozario/ Paresh Rawal, a well-known businessman in Goa who in his pursuit to find grooms for his daughters is high handed with Pt. Jai Kishen/ Javed Jaffery, who does not take the affront kindly and resolves to take revenge with Rozario. Jaikishen is mounting the station bridge, talking to Sara Ali Khan’s picture in hand when the picture falls on Raju Cooli/ Varun Dhawan sleeping on the railway platform and it is love on first sight for Raju.
So, Kishen and Raju make a plan to woo Rozario and Raju’s friend Deepak joins the plan. Within a few scenes, Raju is married to Saara and the story moves from Goa to Mumbai. The genre s you have gathered by now is sort of revenge and the treatment is super cool. There are crazy twists and turns to the story because Raju is cooking up a new lie every day – about his father, his twin brother and more, while the director single-mindedly focused on showcasing one song after another irrespective of whether the situation demands it or not, until all six songs (two remixed and recreated) are out of the way.
Nothing makes sense and nothing is supposed to make sense because cars drive up on the railway platform here, a mechanic turns into a gynaecologist, a manager into a doctor and the uncle of the heroine transforms into a local waiter. The coolie bunks his railway duties as and when he is in a mood for song and dance and nobody complains. Raju’s colleagues share a unique telepathy with the hero collectively show up in his moment of crisis. The climax with all the acrobatics is hilarious.
We have been discussing the relevance of logic in cinema for decades but the fact is films are eventually made out of conviction and in this case, conviction of two people, director David Dhawan who has been convinced of his brand of cinema for 20 years and actor Varun Dhawan who adds life in every meaningless scene.
Supporting cast Paresh Rawal, Javed Jaffery, Johnny Lever do their best and Sara Ali Khan is natural as always. Must you watch Coolie No 1? Not if you are the kind who looks for logic in everything, then my advice is stay miles away but if you are the kind who wants to have s fun in festival, then get on to Prime Video with family and friends and chill out. It has been a long time you have been served to this kind of a movie, so enjoy and merry Christmas to all.
Bhawana Somaaya