Movie Review: Ungli

Cast: Emraan Hashmi,Sanjay Dutt, Randeep Hooda, Kangana Ranaut,Neha Dhupia, Angad Bedi, Neil Bhoopalam 

Director: Rensil D'Silva  

Rating: ** (2 stars)

Let's start with a simple question. Why do we watch new films? To see a new story, new acting, new dialogues, new starcast, new music...the list goes on. Newness is what matters and excites one and all. Unfortunately, there is nothing new about thrashing the corrupt and triumphantly showing off your middle finger. Ungli suffers from the most common and severe malady known to Hindi cinema - poor script. And making matters worse is some cringe worthy dialogues like Mere Aasoon se sirf whiskey dilute ho sakti hain. Do we see audience already raising their middle finger in disgust?

The movie is the story of four not so young 'youngsters'- crime reporter Randeep Hooda (Abhay), IT engineer Neil Bhoopalam (Goti), car mechanic Angad Bedi (Kalim) and sexy medico-pharma expert Kangana Ranaut (Maya) - all of whom moonlight as self-appointed Robinhoods out to punish the corrupt and delivering their own brand of vigilante justice.

So from corrupt government officials to bribe seeking RTO authorities, everyone faces their wrath for troubling the mango people. After teaching the corrupt a fitting lesson, the Ungli gang as they are famously known, makes available a video in true jihadi style that threatens to bring to task all corrupt offenders. In the midst of all this, a good-for-nothing cop Emraan Hashmi (Nikhil) along with feared senior cop Sanjay Dutt (ACP Kale) enter the fray to apprehend the members of the Ungli gang. Will they succeed? Will the Ungli gang be stopped from taking law into their own hands?  Your guess is as good as ours.

The concept of the movie is greatly flawed. While dealing with issues that are very real like corruption, the solution offered too must be close to reality, something that one can identify with. Masked Robinhoods prowling the city at night to punish the corrupt is not exactly realistic. We could have overlooked the realism had Ungli sufficiently entertained us like A Wednesday. Unfortunately, it comes a cropper on that front too.

Performance wise, the characters and their deep friendship for each other are not clearly sketched out. Randeep Hooda is the only saving grace in the film. He effortlessly looks and holds good. Emraan Hashmi's tries to bring some cheer with his lone kissing sequence, item song (Dance Basanti), the Hashmi swagger but fails to strike a chord in this multi-starrer film that effectively pushes him back to his Footpath days. Angad Bedi is passable while Neil plays his part well.

The biggest disappointment is Kangana Ranaut whose poor acting skills makes you wonder if this is the same actress who enthralled you in Queen. And for Sanju baba's fans, Ungli will bring you no cheer for the now jailed actor brings nothing new to the table and looks forlorn for most part of the movie.  Let's hope PK will give us a new Sanju baba. Mahesh Manjrekar, Arunoday Singh and Neha Dhupia are wasted in nothing roles.

Rensil D'Silva's direction fails to keep the audience engaged throughout. Making matters worse is a distinctly weak climax that leaves one extremely dissatisfied. Not to mention multiple gaffes in the script especially in the case of RTO authorities whose corruption levels we thought were highly exaggerated at one point. The songs too are a major disappointment perhaps a rarity in Emraan Hashmi's career.

Ungli, to be fair, although disappointing is not exactly unbearable. Go for it if you have nothing else to do this weekend.