Comic distress

KATHMANDU, JAN 22 -
The amount of pre-release hype Cha Ekan Cha received certainly raised audience expectations. The fact that it stars almost all well-known faces from Nepal's most popular sit-coms had already excited moviegoers, most of whom were possibly looking forward to having a fun time and a few good laughs at the theatre. And the film meets all expectations; there will be many laugh-out-loud moments here. This is probably the best Nepali comedy ever made!

Well, I'm only joking, of course. Cha Ekan Cha is nothing more than a big screen transformation for the big sit-com star. It has a weak plot, boasts of an even weaker execution, and these—as well as all the other factors at work here—only serve to make the film lengthy and exhausting. Comedy bigwigs like Deepak Raj Giri, Shiva Hari Poudyal, Kedar Ghimire, Sita Ram Kattel, Sandeep Chettri and Jitu Nepal are seen romancing actress Neeta Dhungana in different song sequences. But the film has no story, and Dinesh DC's poor direction fails utterly in terms of bringing the best out of each of these actors. Nothing substantial will happen in the film for as long as you are at the theatre, and then the credits will finally roll. Whatever happens on screen is so nonsensical that after a point of time, you'll just want to jump out of your seat and yell for someone to make the film stop.

The 'story' here goes something like this: Astha (Dhungana), a rich girl, is asked to get married, "as soon as possible," by her ailing grandfather. The girl, who lost her parents in a plane crash the day she was to get married a few years ago, now wants a person who will (1) respect women, (2) never lie, (3) never cheat. But surprise, surprise, the only kind of men who enter her life are those who belong to the 'liar' or 'cheater' categories. A businessman, a lawyer, a police officer, a poet, a servant and a beggar, she meets and romances them all, but is unable to find a suitable partner in any. And her journey, her quest for her Prince Charming, is not the least interesting. It's quite funny actually to see a girl who has all the success and money she could ever want in a lifetime falling for every random guy she meets. Sigh!

The male characters in the film play quite surreal characters; no one really connects with audiences. Special mention for Chanchal Pandey (yes, you heard it right!) played by Deepak Raj Giri. The whole Dabangg spoof is over-written and over-played here. The filmmakers have managed to copy lyrics and tunes, and even dance moves from the Salman Khan-starrer, which is funny, NOT! There are no original jokes and the one-liners have been heard a million times before. Raj Ballav Koirala, who plays a Newari Don in the film, is not impressive either. He only adds to the list of mediocre performances here. And the film's climax is exaggerated, for no conceivable reason.

Only a few films have the power that enables them to give you immense happiness when they finally run their course and come to their respective ends. Cha Ekan Cha is definitely one of those films. It is a plain debacle in the guise of 'comedy'.

Labels: Entertainment, Highlight