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[/amazon_link]Rating : Poor (-1/5)
Genre : Comedy
Year : 2014
Running time : 1 hour 48 minutes
Director : Eeshwar Nivas
Cast : Yami Gautam, Ali Zafar, Anupam Kher, Kirron Kher, Jia Singh
Kidwise : PG
This is going to be a short review because I hated the film. It is bad; I wanted to write that in all caps. TS is directed by E. Nivas, which is really surprising considering that Nivas also directed one of my favorite films, Shool. Yes, he did direct a bunch of other forgettable films after, so maybe Bollywood is wearing him down.
I’m not a big fan of the hero, but the trailer of this film seemed reasonable. Post-watch I will say that the trailer is better than the film. If you have seen the trailer, cease and desist! Do not go any further! If you are like me you might lapse into one these optimistic, charitable moods where the general thought in your head is “How bad can it be?” Do not let your guard down; Bollywood movies like this one exist to let you know that it can be very bad, so consider yourself warned.
The story is about a Pakistani guy and an Indian girl, living in London, in love and wanting to marry. The film then deals with the guy’s attempt to meet her parents and win them over. Families being what they are, there is expectedly a lot of opposition to the match. Matters are not helped by the fact that the girl has an overwrought Punjabi Maa (Kirron Kher), a doltish dad (Anupam Kher), a zany old grandfather, a trouble-making sister (Jia Singh) and an overzealous brother. The story gives ample opportunities for real humor, but the director bumbles it up and gives us one overdone, unfunny, tiresome film. Plus if it weren’t cheesy enough, the lead pair are named Aman and Asha. Really.
I liked Yami Gautam in Vicky Donor. She seemed young and fresh and vivacious then. Saddled with a silly role in Total Siyapaa, that vivaciousness soon vanishes. The hero Pakistani actor and singer Ali Zafar can be, at best, only tolerated. I think he should focus on his singling career. Kirron Kher does the role she has done so many times in her career already (e.g. Dostana)- the doting Ma horrified at what her offspring is about to do; she does do condescending horror rather well.
I drifted in and out of sleep, until finally I woke up to find the movie still droning on, shut it off and went to bed. I read an article where Zafar actor thinks that this film will help India-Pakistan relations. Apparently he hasn’t seen the film.
In short, TS reminds me of air-travel; I need barf-bags for both.
Kidwise : Nothing overtly scarring, but I did find the jokes involving kids in rather poor taste, e.g., there is one scene where Asha’s 4-5 year old young niece is playing at being pregnant, and that is used to create “humor”. Writer’s block much?
