What Is the Story About?
Disney Plus Hotstar’s latest direct to digital release Bahut Hua Samman is a satirical comedy, which seeks to create awareness among the masses about their duty in a democracy – their duty to question and censure those they’ve voted to power.
Bony (Raghav Juyal) and Fundoo (Abhishek Chauhan) are two struggling engineering students in a Varanasi institute. They’ve flunked their final year exams, haven’t been placed in a job from campus and carry out petty con jobs to sustain themselves.
One fine day, they’re set up by the maverick Baba Bakchod (Sanjay Mishra) to earn crores of rupees at one go, by robbing their university bank, called, errr….you don’t wanna know this, but we’ve gotta tell you….MCBC Bank. Only thing is, two small-time thugs Raju (Bhoopesh Kumar Singh) and Bhola (Sharat Sonu) get to the booty before them and they land up in the clutches of kickass police officer Bobby Tiwari (Nidhi Tiwari).
It soon becomes clear that Baba Bakchod wanted them to rob the bank because it held a very precious loot – Kohinoor; which, after the bank heist, is nowhere to be found. Dangerous people want to get their hands on Kohinoor – sleazy Guruji (Dibyendu Bhattacharya), Union Minister Ajay Singh (Punkaj Kalraa) and his ruthless hitman Lovely Singh (Ram Kapoor). They unleash murder and mayhem, and next on their radar are Baba, Bony and Fundoo, with determined Inspector Bobby Tiwari in hot pursuit of the criminals.
Also, to clarify, ‘Bahut Hua Samman’ is the clarion call of the satirical movie. It means that the time to respect no-good politicians is over, and the time to hound them for accountability is here!
Performances?
Sanjay Mishra is brilliant and badass as Baba Bakchod. He’s the one that wears the pants in the film, and he’s mighty good at it too. Abhishek Chauhan has had a great year, with his performances in Cubicles and Undekhi being roundly appreciated. Bahut Hua Samman is the cherry on top. He pulls off a convincing performance as Fundoo, which could very well have descended into the realm of hamming with a less capable performer.
Raghav Juyal is cute and credible as Bony. The dancer turned actor has made a good move to get into acting, and with the boom in OTT content, is a welcome addition to the acting arena. Nidhi Singh is terrific in her role as the hard-nosed police officer Bobby Tiwari. She gives a restrained performance throughout, but goes over the top where needed. Her superb skill with the UP dialect enhances her performance exponentially. Nidhi Singh owns the role, and is the best thing about Bahut Hua Samman, along with Sanjay Mishra.
Ram Kapoor is a revelation as the cold, calculating and cruel hitman, with a penchant to tell moral stories before killing his victims. He lends credence to the role, with his ‘silent assassin’ turn.
The rest of the cast is adequate, though it’s surprising Namit Das would take on the bit role he has in Bahut Hua Samman. Not that he doesn’t ace it.
Analysis
Bahut Hua Samman has been produced by prolific production company, Yoodlee Films. It is an eminently entertaining film, if you ignore the loopholes, loose ends and convenient plot devices. The treatment of the film will remind you of ALTBalaji’s kickass show, Apaharan: Sabka Katega, including the feel of the vintage eighties. Bahut Hua Samman brims with deadpan humour, witty writing and snarky dialogue. Apeksha for Alexa is hilarious. As are several sequences in the movie – Inspector Bobby Tiwari’s particular brand of third degree torture; the starting sequence, when the two con men break into a car; the breaking into the bank, and several more.
Nidhi Singh and Sanjay Mishra’s dialogues are sparkly. Take a bow, Avinash Singh and Vijay Narayan Verma, who have written the movie with a deft hand. Ashish Shukla handles the material with an assured touch, doing well in the direction department.
The humour in Bahut Hua Samman is a mix of old school slapstick comedy, sharp lines, along with a sizeable dash of crudeness. The ‘t*tti’ sequence had us go ugh, with our noses turning up involuntarily. The plot may be called somewhat implausible and simplistic. A lot of situations conveniently resolve themselves, adding to the incredulity.
The use of popular and peppy songs of the eighties era adds its own special touch to the proceedings, especially a little known R D Burman number, Dhanno Ki Aankhon Mein. Watch out for the climax, which is a delightful watch for the sole reason that it is choreographed so perfectly to the 1982 Nazia Hasan number, Boom Boom. The climax, set to that psychedelic song, is certainly the high point of the movie.
Another stand-out element of Bahut Hua Samman is the brazen likeness of its Guru Maharaj to the real-life Baba Ramdev. The similarities are too many – both reel and real babas run super-successful FMCG companies that manufacture everything from ghee to flour to toothpaste; the location of the fictional guru’s research facility – Gorakhpur, same as Baba Ramdev’s company; and finally, the narrative that makes no bones about the fact that the government is hand in glove with the seer, which is the reason for the meteoric rise of the reel guru. About the real-life Baba, well, we ain’t saying nothing.
Finally, when the dust settles and all’s well with the world, Bahut Hua Samman leaves you with the message to speak up, to question, to demand answers – in other words – to keep the spirit of democracy up, running and healthy.
All said and done, Bahut Hua Samman is a good one-time watch, funny and entertaining, if you don’t overthink things much, that is.
Music and Other Departments?
Music and Other Departments?Bahut Hua Samman has made very good use of old Hindi songs, fitting them perfectly into sequences that seem tailor made for them. The cinematography is above average, though it doesn’t explore the sights and sounds of Varanasi as much as it could have.
Highlights?
Performances of the lead cast, especially Sanjay Mishra and Nidhi Singh
Use of eighties’ Hindi numbers
Witty dialogues Very good use of the UP dialect
Drawbacks?
Simplistic story
Convenient plot devices
Implausible plot
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, mostly
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, as a one-time watch
Bahut Hua Samman Review by Binged Bureau
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