Don't do it!

Shaabash - You Can Do It
Director: Shankar Mondal
Cast:  Hitesh, Mansi, Atul, Vedita
Rating: *
U/A

In the opening scene of this film, two over-made up college girls dressed in pretty pastel dresses are chatting on a Nainital bench. One, Mahi, is playing the guitar (very fake) and the other, Gracy, is expounding the virtues of a 'physical relationship'.

In the next scene Gracy (Vedita) and boyfriend Vicky (Atul) are viciously ragging the new kid in college. So what does this have to do with yoga and why is this film a tribute to BKS Iyengar, you wonder, especially as the yoga teacher himself is always screaming and seems in desperate need of a pranayam session.

So, new boy Neil (Hitesh) and Vicky become sworn enemies. While Neil takes succour in yoga and in courting mock guitar playing Mahi (Mansi), Vicky and Gracy continue being the It couple on campus. They are also the dance champs, gyrating to lyrics like 'You don't know me buddy, I don't care for anybody… but me, myself' and 'Kiss me one more time; I want you to be mine'.

The lyrics only match the dialogues. A sampler: 'Life in itself hai ragging'. Add to this continuity jumps galore, poor camera work, a motley crew of headache-inducing characters and a story that cannot decide if it is comedy, murder mystery, coming of age or yoga philosophy and you have a mish-mash called Shaabash.
 
An interval point twist shakes up this small town and the audience. Sadly, when a murder investigation could have redeemed this film, the writers and director opt for a comedic track which is as funny as doing 50 surya namaskars.

You feel embarrassed for the young actors who over-act and are over-styled - eager to be stars before they have become actors or learnt the craft. Of the support cast, there is a token gay character, perpetual failure, lecherous teachers, corrupt politician type and, for some inexplicable reason, a comatose wife who never regains consciousness. Or maybe she had already seen this movie!