All gone wrong

Having spent an hour and 40 minutes watching a movie and not knowing where to start… this can be a sign of being deeply moved or utterly unimpressed. In this case, it’s the latter, and the rating reflects it. But there’s more to a review than just the rating. It should include a critical analysis of the performances, storyline, production value, music and, of course, direction. The score card for ‘Tenu Ghodi Kinney Chadaya’ is pretty low on all counts.

The beginning is abrupt, almost as if the director forgot to lay a foundation for the story. There is an attempt to introduce us to the characters, but it’s such a shoddy job of connecting the cast and the storyline that you can’t wait for the next scene to begin. Actually, there isn’t really a story. It’s just a mishmash of absurd ideas thrown together. So much happens, yet none of it makes sense.

At the heart of the story is a Punjabi wedding, but it doesn’t feel like a celebration — it’s more like an impending task that has to be done and gotten over with.

The groom, Bant, played by Harby Sangha, is desperate to get married to fulfill his childhood dream of mounting a horse. That box is checked within the first few minutes. On his wedding day, Bant seems completely free to while away time with his friend, away from the festivities. And before you know it, he gets kidnapped. Don’t be shocked, there’s an alternative to everything — even a groom. At least that’s what they show us in the movie. The sarbala, a 15-year-old, becomes the groom, thanks to the bride’s grandfather, Zorawar Singh, played by Mahabir Bhullar. There are no laws to follow, and no one questions this bizarre idea since Zorawar has a team armed with guns.

If any of this sounds funny, your imagination is doing a better job of picturing it and coming up with dialogues than the movie itself. Some silly lines are thrown in, but they fall flat. There’s also a song awkwardly inserted that only disappoints further.

In terms of performances, although this movie boasts of some seasoned actors, none of them is in form. In fact, you wonder what convinced them to sign the movie. Maybe they decided to “unact” this time.

There’s a quirk to each of these characters, perhaps intended to instill laughter, but you find yourself asking, “Could it get any lamer than this?”

Raavi Kaur Bal, who plays the bride Bubby, has only a few scenes, and they are as insipid as the rest of the movie. Raj Dhaliwal, who takes centre stage on many occasions, delivers a performance that is on par with her colleagues.

By the way, ‘Tenu Ghodi Kinney Chadaya’ has a social message: to rise above casteism and promote interfaith marriages. However, it surfaces in such an uninteresting way towards the end that it leaves you with a bigger question: why was this movie made in the first place?

Movie Review