If something could have saved the Sunny Singh-Sonnalli Seygall starrer Jai Mummy Di from descending into just another superficial rom-com, it was staring the makers right in the face. From the trailer at least it was clear that the young lead cast, last seen together in Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, didn't have the charisma to power this film. But unfortunately, debutant director Navjyot Gulati belongs to the school of filmmaking that believes that an 'authentic' setting like Delhi, with two glossy characters, who don't even act like they are in love, would be enough to make the film work. The premise was promising enough - the matriarchs of two neighbouring families in a Delhi locality, the Khannas and the Bhallas, are at loggerheads with each other. So when their children, Puneet (Sunny Singh) and Saanjh (Sonnalli Seygall), 'fall in love' you can expect fireworks. Except the histrionics never quite add up. Veteran actors Poonam Dhillon, who plays Pinky Bhalla, and Supriya Pathak Kapur who essays Laali Kapoor are in solid form. But sadly all their melodrama is wasted in a movie that doesn't have a solid script to stand on. The erstwhile college besties are constantly referenced as Gabbar and Mogambo by their children, but the revelation at the end of the movie, as to the cause of their hatred for each other, is so weak that we are left wondering if there couldn't have been a better plot point. The 'mom-com' would have hugely benefitted from better writing and perhaps even better acting from the lead pair. Their romance is as weak as diluted water, and the chemistry is practically non-existent. With song sequences following each other as if it were a musical, and none even worth humming, the movie sadly fails in giving the audience anything to hold on to. The jokes fall flat, the story meanders at such a slow pace the we feel like shaking up the characters. The romance is not even believable. And the duo on whom we had pinned all our hopes, Dhillon and Pathak, are sadly let down by the script. These two actors surely deserved more. If you enjoy Delhi-centric movies masquerading as romantic comedies, only then watch Jai Mummy Di. ambica@khaleejtimes.com Movie: Jai Mummy Di Director: Navjot Gulati Cast: Sunny Singh, Sonnalli Seygall, Poonam Dhillon, Supriya Pathak Rating: 2 out of 5
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