Review: 'My Friend Pinto' offers a few good laughs

Film: My Friend Pinto
Director: Raaghav Dar
Cast: Prateik, Kalki Koechlin, Arjun Mathur, Shruti Seth, Makrand Deshpande, Divya Dutta
Rating: ***

The film starts on a note that will make you feel, ‘Oh, the same old boring, boring stuff!’ But if you manage to sit through the first 45 minutes or so, you might start liking the film and it only gets interesting as it progresses.

The director of the film, Raaghav seems heavily influenced by films of the Jaane Bhi Do Yaron genre (to give an example from Bollywood) and guess what? Here too you will find a dead-body that is being tossed around.

The film has everything that makes you smile — a gangster, two deputies of the chhota gangster aka Thomson and Thomspson, one Kalki Koechlin, cops, kidnapping, jumping from ceilings and buildings, a cute puppy and a constantly squabbling husband-wife jodi.

Prateik does a good job as Michael Pinto who has received a huge psychological setback after the death of his mother (otherwise you cannot explain his stupid acts). You learn to not explain his stupidity and just go with the flow. Prateik maintains the innocence on his face throughout even though there are a few forced naach-gaana sequences (except the last one). He plays a village simpleton who has come to Mumbai from a Goan  village for the first time. He looks at the city with wide-eyed wonder and unknowingly gets into one situation after another.

The other actor who stands out in the film is of course Divya Dutta, who carries her scenes well. There is a particular drunk scene with Prateik which you might like. Makarand Deshpande stands out as the Anna Don, but doesn’t have much scope to show his prowess. One who stands out as the odd man here is Raj Zutshi, whose puffy face and eye-bags are sometimes a sore when you see close-ups. Kalki is cute, but doesn’t have too many scenes in the final cut.

Overall, the film is a nice weekend watch that you can go with your family. And yes, your school-going kids will enjoy it too.