The Emraan Hashmi starrer leaves a bitter aftertaste...
Film: Why Cheat India (Satire-Drama)
Critic's Rating: 2.5 / 5
Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Shreya Dhanwanthary
Writer-Director: Soumik Sen
Duration: 2 hours, 01 minute
Language: Hindi (U/A)
Story:
Why Cheat India exposes the malpractices, scams and flaws in the Indian education system. Rakesh Singh aka Rocky (Emraan Hashmi) is a con man; an unscrupulous agent who goes to great lengths to amass wealth. His avaraciousness has him looting students, politicians and the corrupt administration. However, when his path crosses that of simpleton, Nupur (Shweta Dhanwanthary), Rocky realises that someone, somewhere will make him accountable for his actions.
Review:
The film has its heart in the right place. It mirrors the ills in the education system, putting everything under the microscope. From plain copying to getting ‘dummies’ to write papers for wealthy brats, you get a ringside view of the paisa phenko, tamasha dekho (throw money and watch the show) syndrome. However, it’s never enough for a film to just have good intention. The makers should have definitely paid more attention to the execution. Here was a golden opportunity to give us a movie that would jab us in the jaw. Instead, it falls flat.
Every literate Indian knows that our education system is flawed and in many cases, fully corrupt. Each of us is aware that we need more than just IQ and aptitude to become an engineer or a doctor. Student suicides, examination paper-leaks and Vyapam scams are nightmares we live with continuously. In the face of all this, this satire could have really dug its teeth into the whole system and torn it to shreds, exposing the dirt and grime under the skin of the men, who run our institutions. But the script is too disoriented. It’s too much of a loose cannon and doesn’t focus on any one solid aspect.
For a film that tackles education, the screenplay should have concentrated on plain speak. Instead, this one takes an incoherent approach. You neither feel sorry for the students nor for the teachers, the dean and the lawmakers. In fact, you cannot empathise with anyone or anything because the screenplay goes from college to hotel rooms, examination halls to the agent’s home so jerkily, you start thinking you are on our Indian roads, where potholes, paver blocks and speed breakers jostle you out of your thought process every few seconds. You can certainly demand to know, ‘Why cheat India’?
Except Emraan Hashmi, there are no recognisable people in the cast. Okay, okay it can be argued that we like giving a chance to talented actors, blah, blah. But the flip side is that we also enter cinema halls and pay hefty ticket prices to see stars. If the idea was to make a drab documentary, then the intent should have been spelt out.
The music is a mixed bag of decent tracks, some hummable, some not.
Verdict:
This one leaves a bitter aftertaste.
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