Conclusion: ‘Khatta Meetha’ is a promise that fails to deliver up to its potential, only for die hard Akshay fans who religiously watch his every release.
Priyadarshan’s Khatta Meetha might seem like a comedy, but it’s a bit more. It’s actually a satire on the corruption that plagues our system and even forces those with ideals to break down and surrender. The film is a remake of Priyadarshan’s Malayalam original Vellanakalude Nadu, but that’s strictly a statistic because Akshay Kumar is not Mohanlal and one assumes he doesn’t want to be either.
The story is about Sachin Tichkule (Akshay) who desperately tries to be a successful government contractor in a super corrupt system. His father, Ramakant (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) and his brother and in-laws are all successful contractors and they look down upon Sachin’s inability to do anything right. Gehna (Trisha) is the new Municipal Commissioner in charge of Sachin’s contracts and her bitter college romance with him ensures she’s hostile.
In terms of story and writing the film seems a bit undercooked. Most of the plot developments like a murder, failed contracts and even the climax seem forced. Not the humour though, the film is replete with many gags and most of them hit the right note. Look out especially for Rajpal Yadav’s histrionics and Asrani’s hilarious conversations with several people at one go.
Two specific merits of Khatta Meetha are the dialogue that reflect upon the corruption that possesses our nation’s governance and Akshay’s restrained performance. Picture Akshay telling Trisha about the Rs 1 lakh he’s granted for building a crossing, which he has to share with a minister, municipal officers and civic authorities, after which he’s left with a meagre Rs 25,000 to build the bridge. Such reflections of reality in the film, though not comprehensive, are still good enough to make you think. What also helps is Akshay’s timorous body language. He exudes a certain lack of self-confidence that so perfectly captures the irony of RK Laxman’s common man.
Khatta Meetha will give you good cinema mixed with an indecent dose of brash humour. If you choose to overlook the loud Manoj Joshi and Johnny Lever you may find satiation in Akshay, Urvashi Sharma and Neeraj Vora’s performances.
Priyadarshan’s been innovative in making this film and though he’s managed to pull off a large part of this two-and-half-hour film, he has also failed in parts. Watch the film without expectations and you’ll come out a bit upset at the state of affairs but happy.
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