Quick Review: Benny and Babloo is a sardonic comedy

Film: Benny and Babloo (A)
Director: Yunus Sajawal
Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Rajpal Yadav, Shweta Tiwari, Riya Sen, Anita Hassanandani
Rating: *1/2

When a five-star hotel bellboy (Menon) and a 'ladies bar' waiter (Yadav) start their respective jobs, they begin to discover a new world of drugs and flesh trade.

The film draws parallels between the discreet escort services for the so-called elite and the in-your-face industry of the not-so-sophisticated dance bars.

Mostly satirical, it gives you a glimpse at the aam aadmi’s life story, with the clear message that every individual, irrespective of her class, struggles with dilemmas of her own. 

Like the Chandni Bars and Page 3s, this film seeks to offer you an insight into the ‘real’ world and mocks the superficiality of the upper class and their pecuniary attitude towards life while drawing a pitiful picture of the lower classes and their mountain of troubles.

While the rich get away owing to their bulging pockets and far-reaching influence, it is the poor who bear the brunt despite their integrity.

Though the film centres on a crucial subject, it does not really touch you because neither is the theme uncommon nor is the screenplay so dynamic that it appeals to you. It comes across as a familiar story told through a renewed approach and redesigned apparatus.

Kay Kay Menon is unquestionably the vim and vigour of the film with his fabulous South Indian Hindi and, of course, his superb acting skills. Rajpal Yadav is in his elements, but does not offer anything new.

Shweta Tiwari and Riya Sen have minuscule roles, yet perform moderately well. Anita Hassanandani, for a woman working in a dance bar, really looks out of place in spite of her loud make-up and even louder Bhojpuri accent.

Basically, the film aims at extracting sympathy for the out-of-work dance-bar women, all of whom work there out of ‘majboori’, yet are modest enough to not market their bodies.

At the same time, the film exposes the two-faced elite-class (hi-fi) women who actually prostitute themselves in the dark discos of affluent hotels.

All in all, the film is an average attempt at highlighting a well-known social issue. It is not good enough to charm you.