Raja Natwarlal: Predictably lame

The fire of a conman movie is its unpredictability – the ability to make you overlook the improbabilities and put a smile on your face. Raja Natwarlal tries to evoke the aura of Mr. Natwarlal, immortalised by Amitabh Bachchan in the eponymous flick. But then, Emraan Hashmi is no Bachchan, and the searing revenge mode of the 1979 film is sorely lacking in this new age story of a conman trying to settle scores.

The weakest point in the film is perhaps when Hashmi, as Raja, tries to convey his anguish at the death of his mentor and friend, Raghav (Deepak Tijori), at the hands of the low-level goons of the high-flying criminal Varda Yadav (Kay Kay Menon). The flat delivery of perhaps the most critical moment in the film by Hashmi makes for unintentional hilarity. But then, hilarity in Raja Natwarlal is almost always unintentional even when you are willing to overlook all the loopholes in the plot.

From the word go, the film is as predictable as it gets. So it comes as no surprise that the no-nonsense man who tries to pull in the crowds for Raja, a wayside trickster, is his friend Raghav. And of course, it will be none other than Raghav who will bear the consequences for the foolhardy bravery of Raja, as he goes ahead with a heist job.

To further narrate the predictabilities of this movie would be to play spoilsport, so let us suffice to say that if you are an avid Bollywood buff, you will get the entire drift of the film in no less than 15 minutes into the movie. The surprise factor, if you can call so, is Yogi (Paresh Rawal). He is a delight, as he joins Raja, on a mission against Varda. From the streets of Mumbai, the film then shifts to Cape Town, from where Varda controls every nook and corner of the Indian city, or so we are asked to believe.

There are mean but bumbling cops, and yes, there is Humaima Malik as the love interest of Raja. Needless to say, every one of them is as dumb as they can get. Playing a club dancer, Humaima’s anger at Raja for hiding his true job (she believe he is a contractor and the cops say ‘take out the tractor and you get what Raja really is’), is laughable. And she does not make the act very convincing either. It is a wonder why Humaima decided to opt for such a lame role to launch her Bollywood career.

Kay Kay Menon, whose artificial moustache takes away the gleam of evil from his eyes, is no doubt superbly talented but there is only so much he can do. Tailored for Hashmi, the film is not one of his best. He put on his usual deadpan expressions, and tries to give a swagger to Raja. There are a few endearing moments in his act and a few good lines that he delivers with the right punch.

The music by Yuvan Shankar Raja, his debut in Bollywood, is easy on the ears and serves the purpose of setting the mood.

Ultimately, Raja Natwarlal is let down by its own ambitions. Kunal Deshmukh might have wanted to create the most likeable conman, like ever, but all he gets is a film that is as dated as its storyline. A passable flick at best, Raja Natwarlal is strictly for Hashmi fans.

Raja Natwarlal

Starring: Emraan Hashmi, Humaima Malik, Paresh Rawal, Kay Kay Menon

Directed by: Kunal Deshmukh

Rating: **