/> MOVIE DETAILS

Cast: Sanjay Suri, Sharman Joshi, Chitrangda Singh, Boman Irani, Shabana Azmi
Director: Onir
Producer: Vashu Bhagnani, Sanjay Suri, Onir
Music: Gaurav Dayal, Vivek Philip
Lyrics: Amitabh Varma, Nanette Natal

THE FILM

'Maa Kasam', if not for this phrase and it's excessive usage, Sorry Bhai would easily have one of the most progressive films to have been churned out of Bollywood this decade.

A female falling heads over heels in love her would-be brother-in-law, the young man too reciprocating after a few 'nahi yeh theek nahi hai' calls and his parents too ultimately agreeing to the affair. Pun intended!

'If not for the elder son, the bride is anyways coming home for the younger one' - is what the parents would have thought.

So far, so good. And why not? After all the film breaks the cliché and sees the lady of the moment, Chitrangda Singh, taking this bold call.

In this film about 'bhais', she is actually the central protagonist as she applies all the tricks in her book to get the kind of man she wishes to spend her life with. 'This is my only chance and I don't wanna regret for the rest of my life that I blew it away.

So what the hell', is what she says to herself. Attracted to Sharman, she decides that Sanjay is not the guy she wishes to live with forever. So what if there has been a five year relationship, there are perhaps 50 more years to follow and she would rather make a move now or feel sad forever.

Well, Sharman too has similar feelings. And he falls in line as well, courtesy Ms. Singh who cajoles him, sheds a tear or two and finally seduces him good enough to make him exclaim - 'Now I am quite sure that you can't be anyone else's bride than mine'.

Eh eh, that's what a trial room rendezvous does to a man, as explained by Onir in a strikingly naughty happening that is shocking, yet pleasant. So what happens next?

Well, mission accomplished, and it's time now for the film's title Sorry Bhai to make an appearance.

And appear it does. Once, twice and many more times. And every time Sharman does that, it's time for 'slap slap bhai'.

Emotional yet funny, as it's hard to stop from laughing with the elder one clearly being disgusted by his younger brother act and still continuing to be affectionate about him as well as the woman who was once his own. Now if only the film would have followed the same trajectory and come up with a convincing end, Sorry Bhai would have been a complete film to watch.

However, this is where the 'maa kasam' angle comes into picture (well, there is a mom on scene as well, Shabana Azmi, and you would understand the relevance of 'maa kasam' once you watch the film) and takes the film back by a couple of steps.

Moreover, the final resolution, as suggested by one the principal protagonists in the film, is a little unbelievable as well, hence making you feel if Sorry Bhai could perhaps have been a much better watch.

It's the love story between Sharman and Chitrangda which is the mainstay of the film that makes you continue to smile for most of the film's duration. Add to that some lilting melodies by the composers and for a change you are happy that they play mainly in the background to help the story move rather than being wasted in lip synch!

From performance perspective, the film clearly belongs to Sharman and Chitrangda, both of whom are very good in the complex parts that they were required to enact.

Boman and Shabana come up with their warm and cold act well though Sanjay gets only a few scenes, especially towards the pre-climax, where he has to demonstrate his acting prowess and he does well there.

PACKAGING

The DVD comes in a regular plastic case though it is better than the usual Moser Baer 'thin plastic case' that had almost become a trademark for cheap priced DVDs over the years

DURATION

The film's duration is 113 minutes

SPECIAL FEATURES

The DVD doesn't come with any special features

TECHNICAL DETAILS

- 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
- Subtitles in English
- Dolby Digital 5.1 and Stereo

PRICE

Rs. 149/=

CONCLUSION

To the credit of Onir, one must agree that for 80% of the film's duration, he really entertains, and how! It's all about relationships, believable at that, and this is pretty much on display at all levels.

So whether it is Boman-Shabana interaction or Boman's affection for Chitrangda or Chitrangda's discomfort with Sanjay or Sanjay's distant relationship with his parents or Shabana's self-admitted partiality towards Sanjay - all of this makes for a watch which one can pretty much relate to.

Rating: ***