Kaalakaandi movie review: ALL kaala and NO kaandi

Directed By: Akshat Verma
Produced By: Rohit Khattar, Ashi Dua Sara
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Oberoi, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Deepak Dobriyal, Vijay Raaz, Sobhita Dhulipala, Isha Talwar, Nary Singh
Duration: 1 Hour 52 Minutes
Bollywood Bubble Rating: 1.5/5

‘Kaalakaandi’. After hearing this title, what would you expect from a film? Of course you would think it to be a movie where the characters will have some fun, do some crazy stuff and you would be laughing out loud. Frankly, even the trailer of this Saif Ali Khan-starrer indicated that.

So, let me tell you what ‘Kaalakaandi’ is all about. Rileen (Saif Ali Khan) is the good guy who never drinks and smokes, but one day he comes to know that he has stomach cancer. Now he has only few days to live. He decides to do all those things which he has not done to date and tries a drug. Post he pops the pill we see Rileen’s story proceed with two other parallel stories that are there in the film. One of a couple (played by Sobhita Dhulipala and Kunaal Roy Kapur) and other of two local gangsters (played by Deepak Dobriyal and Vijay Raaz).

Written and directed by Akshat Verma (the writer of amazing film ‘Delhi Belly’), ‘Kaalakaandi’ turns out to be a yawn fest thereon. This film could have been much, much better if Akshat had only concentrated on Rileen’s life. While watching the movie too you would want to understand what Rileen is doing instead of knowing what’s going on with other characters.

A person who has taken a psychotropic drug for the first time would actually go on to do crazy stuff, but here it gets limited to just a few things. The things that Saif’s character imagines are also very dull.

What I love about the movie is the chemistry between Saif and Nary Singh. We haven’t seen many films in which the lead actor has shared the most screen space with a transgender. A bold move that has paid off.

When it comes to actors, it is Saif Ali Khan who has nailed it in the role given to him. You would wait to see him on the screen and go all wacky and wicked. But, unfortunately the weak script doesn’t do justice to Saif’s talent.

Talking about other actors, Sobhita Dhulipala, Nary Singh and Amyra Dastur (cameo) are impressive. Vijay Raaz and Deepak Dobriyal have nothing to do apart from abusing each other. Akshay Oberoi is just there as an eye candy for female audiences, and for Kunaal Roy Kapur, NO COMMENTS.

Overall, Kaalakaandi is all kaala (dull) and nothing kaandi (fun). You will surely need psychotropic drug to enjoy this film or you would be also running like this from the theatres while using some cuss words like, kya ch***yappa hai yeh.

Watch Trailer: 

Murtuza Iqbal

‘Eat Sleep Bollywood Repeat’ is his life Mantra. Dance is his first love and Rani Mukerji is his eternal crush. He is someone who loves being himself, and as for the ones who don’t agree, his reply? “Talk to my hand!”