BOTTOM LINE: Uneven Crime Comedy That Tries Too Hard To Be Funny
Rating: 2.25/5
Skin N Swear: Random Swear Forwards At Some Moments
| Platform: Amazon Prime | Genre: Comedy |
What Is the Story About?
A bunch of goons working under the wannabe rookie don, Muscle Mani (Mahantesh Hiremath) is after a suitcase containing ‘samaan’. What happens when Suleiman, the driver of the Don, mistakes a French expatriate, Simon for the person? The chaos that occurs in the wake is what the film is all about?
Performances?
Danish Sait is a gifted comic talent who has been a viral sensation on social media, a stand-up comedian, RJ, host and writer. In short, a multifaceted talent. Unfortunately, he fails to make a mark in French Biriyani. The character of Asgar offers very little of his usual exploits. There are a few glimpses here and there, but overall it feels lost among the crowd.
Analysis
Pannaga Bharana directs French Biriyani. It has a simple plot that is routine and predictable one for a crime comedy. There is a shipment that needs to be taken, but, miscommunication and confusion lead to chaos among various parties.
It is a simple and predictable formula of a crime comedy. What makes it work, in general, is tout writing and electrifyingly quirky characters (with appropriate casting) and slick making. On paper, French Biriyani has everything. However, it still fails to make a mark.
For starters, one gets a feeling that there are one too many characters in the narrative. After a point, due to the many faces on screen and each individual carrying a unique trait, one feels lost. Of course, if one were to stick to the main person of the group, it might feel less taxing and provide a bit of relief.
And then, we get to the more critical aspect, the comedy in the narrative. It is a mixture of multiple styles – farcical, satirical, spoof, black comedy, parody and so on. So, you have a block like the ‘racist comedy’ one, it works, but a few others happening around it, don’t.
Similarly, there is a genuine attempt to make fun of the routine crime comedy clichés and the real-life chaotic instances involving the Indians. They take place with different comedy punches, setup and style.
The problem is they all don’t fit well together in a smooth way in the narrative. It wears down the viewers, and the pace feels lethargic. If you think you are enjoying the gag, but something is missing, and the proceedings are not working as a whole, this is the problem.
And finally, a climax has to deliver sensationally and wrap up the various threads satisfactorily. It doesn’t happen that way here. The ending is weak.
Overall, French Biriyani has a lot that brings laughs, but in parts. As a whole, it fails to leave a mark and disappoints. Give it a try if you love crime comedies, but have low expectations and go with the flow.
Other Artists?
The film is filled with actors. Among the many, Sal Yusuf, Rangayana Raghu and Mahantesh Hiremath are the key players. They have the roles with a more significant impact on the narrative and feature in plenty of comedy scenes.
Mahantesh Hiremath starts in a sketchy manner but grows on as the narrative progresses. It ends with a whimper, though. Rangayana Raghu, on the other hand, comes out as a winner despite less screen time compared to others. He features in the best parts of the film. Sal Yusuf plays the French guy who is the centre of all the action. However, he doesn’t make his act comes across that way. He is okay at best and gets repetitive soon.
Disha Madan, Nagabhushana, Sampath Kumar, Pitobhash Tripathy etc. play the key roles in the inner circles of the more prominent players mentioned-above. They are decent and do their parts well.
Music and Other Departments?
The music by Vasuki Vaibhav is alright. The songs are integrated into the narrative even though they take off like an exclusive video. The background score is okay. The cinematography is neat by Kharthik Palani despite the movie being a low-budget affair. The editing by Deepu S Kumar could have been tighter. The writing by Avinash Balekkala is decent. The comedy in parts as individual gags is fine but doesn’t work as a whole, as said above.
Highlights?
Few Funny Gags
Characterizations
Length
Drawbacks?
Too Many Characters
Loses Momentum Towards End
Uneven Narrative
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, in parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes with reservations
French Biriyani Kannada Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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