A serial that landed on the silver screen

Aloo Chaat
Cast: Aftab Shivdasani, Manoj Pahwa, Aamna Shariff, Linda Arsenio
Director: Robby Grewal
Rating: *, 1/2*

Robby Grewal’s first feature Samay was a rather well made thriller. But this, his third feature, makes you wonder what happened between then and now. As he helms Aloo Chaat, he is seriously crippled by an appalling story, screenplay and dialogues by Divya Nidhi Sharma, as well as a host of other past-their-sell-by-date ingredients (camera, actors, sets).

US returned Nikhil (Aftab Shivdasani) comes home to his conservative Punjabi family in Delhi knowing his conservative father would not accept his Muslim girlfriend. So, in collusion with his father’s best friend a sexologist hakim (Manoj Pahwa) who is also the narrator of the story, he devises a plot to convince Papaji into accepting Aamna (Aamna Shariff, of course). Their scheme is inspired by Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge - so Nikhil pretends to have an American fiancée (Linda Arsenio) while Aamna poses as her friend and thereby sets in motion a plan to win over Nikhil’s family.

The only spoke in the wheel is Nikhil’s suspicious uncle (Sanjay Mishra). But none of them knows that they are the ones about to be outwitted.

All this might have been pleasant enough had there been any wit or technical skill here, but alas. Aloo Chaat looks and sounds like a TV serial with loud background music and effects, tasteless styling and verbose characters.  This aloo chaat is unappetising.