Entertainment: It is worthy to watch once due to entertainment for the Kids. !!

Watching Akshay Kumar’s new movie Entertainment put me in flashback mode. I went back to 1985. KC Bokadia’s Teri Meherbaniyan, starring Jackie Shroff, Poonam Dhillon and a black Labrador named Moti, had just released.  The movie is the directorial debut of writer-lyricists Sajid and Farhad. The two have worked widely with Rohit Shetty, writing blockbusters such as Golmaal 3, Singham and Chennai Express. They are the masters of an intentionally low-IQ and illogical situational humour. Their best work is cheerfully silly and yet it makes you laugh.

 

But Entertainment has none of the inspired madness of Golmaal 3. The movie is set up as a sitcom with random gags tacked onto a sliver thin tale about a dog named Entertainment who inherits fortune worth Rs. 3,000 crore.

 

Debutant filmmakers Sajid-Farhad were sure that they wanted to keep the mood of Entertainment primarily comic.

 

In addition to catering to the target viewers of kids, there are things for the grown ups too. (Spoilers ahead) Whether it is the chartbuster outing of Akshay and Tamannaah in the form of 'Johny Johny' from which you just can't take the eyes off to the many plans implemented by Akshay and his buddy Krushna Abhisheik to get rid of the dog to the Karan-Arjun 'jodi' of Prakash Raj and Sonu Sood to the complete ghost drama that ensues to Tamannaah playing an Urvashi-Menaka-Rambha combined into one to show her 'mahima aprampaar', there is good bouquet for adults to feast on as well.

 

The story about of Akhil Lokhande, the illegitimate son of a Bangkok billionaire, finds out that his inheritance has been willed to a dog, Entertainment. And there are also other baddies playing dogs-in-the-manger.

 

Entertainment tells you the tale of how one Daddy's Najayaz Aulad (illegitimate child), abbreviated in the movie as DNA, stumbles upon the fact that he is actually a poor Mumbai boy born to a billionaire from Bangkok. His father, Pannalal Johri (Dalip Tahil in a garlanded photo-frame on the wall), has bequeathed his wealth to his pet dog Entertainment (Junior), because he could not in his life-time locate his real son, Akhil Lokhande (Akshay Kumar).

After a romantic interlude with his girlfriend Saakshi (Tamannaah) in Mumbai, Akhil flies to Bangkok. His best friend Jugnu (Krushna, good comic-tuning) and he make grand plans to get rid of the dog, who stands between him and his billions.

But the canine is nobody's fool. Man and beast find ways to outsmart each other and when they can't kill each other, they join forces. Here, a fresh set of villains, Prakash Raj and Sonu Sood, named Karan-Arjun (there are many stereotypes), are introduced. They, too, are eyeing the same pile of wealth. So now, Akhil and Entertainment have to get the better of the baddies.

In between this all, there is actually a story that is woven into the narrative which escalates well in the second half once all the principle protagonists and their intent is established well.

 

But, one can't ignore the fact that somewhere around the middle of the first half, Entertainment ceases to be as funny as the plot demanded. One expects the movie to go on an entirely different level once Akshay and the dog come face to face but surprisingly the laughs from this point on are only sporadic. Furthermore, the uses of actors’ names in dialogues work at times but then also seem forced at places. Sajid-Farhad seem to have tried bringing in just about all in their first movie though one feels that a more spread out approach would have done wonders.

 

However, what one appreciates most is the kind of humour that works extremely well for the kids, mainly in the first 20-30 minutes and then most of the second half. Sequences with Riteish Deshmukh and Shreyas Talpade are plugged in well and the fiery yet comical interaction between them and Akshay brings on laughs. Later in the second half when the whole Karan-Arjun's sequence of 'Yeh Bandhan Toh' plays, it brings the house on fire. It is fun to see Sonu Sood do mimicry of Shah Rukh Khan here.

 

In the meantime, Akshay shows once again that he enjoys his time while performing to comic scenes and though he keeps his comedy under control due to this being a movie for kids, there is a glance of a naughty side of him on display which makes one like his overall act. Tamannaah has a much better role to play when compared to Humshakals and while she looks really pretty, it is fun to see her in a soap opera mode. Prakash Raj is first-rate, though it is Sonu Sood who is all the more entertaining in contrast. Krushna is in form too though the dialogues given to him make his act go overboard. One wonders though why is Mithun Chakraborty relegated to small supporting parts, first in Kick and now Entertainment. As for Johny Lever, he gets a considerable role after long though one expected some more trademark humour of his. In the meantime, the dog has his moments, especially towards the interval point.

 

Debutant-directors Sajid-Farhad, who have the dubious distinction of having written very successful Bollywood no-brainers like the Golmaal series, Dhamaal, and Housefull 2, and who have salvaged themselves to a degree by writing the Singham movies, could have salvaged their first directorial venture by keeping it tight, despite the stereotypes.

 

The director duo does well to capture the imagination of their target viewers - kids - well and keep them happy.

 

Akshay Kumar is in top form. Having done a multitude of masala movies, he's become a khiladi. His bonding with the dog (especially in comic scenes) has those 'oh-so-cute' moments. The golden retriever is not a wonderful actor; but his eyes can melt your heart.

 

On the whole, it is worthy to watch once for Akshay’s bonding with the dog.