As soon as you see an Akshay Kumar movie’s trailer you jump to a conclusion that it will be a mindless comedy but let me be clear on this one, Patiala House isn’t just that! It in fact is probably one of the most serious roles Akshay has ever performed. Patiala House is a story about a father son conflict and revolves around the life of Gattu (Akshay Kumar) who has sacrificed his dreams for his father. Even though Gattu is a super bowler, his father didn’t let him play for the England cricket team because their family was subjected to racist attacks years ago. Gurutej (Rishi Kapoor) turned very aggressive after that particular incident and started raising his hand or voice at the drop of a hat.
Only due to his father’s hatred towards England, Gattu, sacrifices his dream and leads a very mediocre life, working in a Southhall corner store for years now. Instead of applauding him for the sacrifice he made, his family’s younger generation blames him for setting the wrong example.
However, Gattu never succeeds in getting over his love for the game and hence secretly practices bowling when there is one around him. Then comes Simran (Anushka Sharma) in the picture as his neighbor and she is the one who assures to get Gattu’s life back on the track. Whether he gets his life and his passion back or not is what builds the rest of the story!
Nikhil Advani’s directorial skill clearly shows in the movie. Even though the plot is quite predictable and anyone can easily guess what will happen towards the end, the way Nikhil makes the narrative move forward is commendable. However, I think he could have used the first half time of the movie in a much better way. There were a bit too many sequences that showed Gattu is a loser. Chopping a bit of that would have made the entire narrative even more effective.
The lighter moments in the film, manage to make you laugh at times and bring a smile on the face. However, since Patiala House (contrary to popular belief) is not a comedy film, don’t go to the cinema expecting that or you’ll be disappointed.
Akshay Kumar stands out because he takes a break from the kind of comedies he is famous for and also because he performs the serious role perfectly. He even looks like a cricketer. The sequences where he is practicing look very authentic too. Anushka Sharma brings life and color in a film which would otherwise have been pretty boring. She indeed is responsible for adding the spark! Her character is of a fun loving and talkative girl and she performs it very well. Rishi Kapoor is perfect as always. Nothing more or less could be said about him.
The music of the film is good enough. Some tracks might not be up to Shankar Ehsan Loy’s level but “Laung da Lashkara” is surely one of the best tracks of the year. I was expecting it to be placed in a wedding sequence and when it came at the end just before the credits that was disappointing. The song deserved a better placement but the fact remains that it will be the most played track at the next wedding season and is definitely very catchy.
That said, Patiala House sure has some flaws too. To begin with, there is a major question left unanswered in the story. If Bauji really was that bothered by the goras and their hatred toward his family, why didn’t he simply pack his bags and leave? No one forced him to stay there so why was he complaining about something that happened years ago? It is funny how he himself chooses to live in England and has such harsh feeling towards the land and its people. So clearly, this was the crux of the story which was slightly hard to swallow. Also, like pointed earlier, the first half of the film is slow and takes a while to settle in. The constant reminders of Gattu’s sad state are a drag on the pace of the film.
The cricket scenes are nicely done but they don’t create the kind of effect Lagaan did and one shouldn’t expect that either to avoid disappointment.
But overall, Patiala House is a good watch. Apart from the plot and all that happens in the movie, it speaks a lot about familial relationships and bonding, affiliations, attachments and how in some circumstances one is ready to leave their life’s dream for people who he/she loves. The film also teaches that fate does offer you a second chance and one shouldn’t let that go because second chances are indeed rate!
-- Hafsah Sarfraz
*CINEMATIC SUICIDE
**FORGETTABLE
***WATCHABLE
****COLLECTIBLE
*****AWARD-WORTHY
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