Mere Baap Pehle Aap

Genre: Comedy

Cast: Paresh Rawal. Om Puri, Akshaye Khanna, Genelia D’Souza, Naseruddin Shah, Genelia D’Souza, Rajpal Yadav, Shobana

Director: Priyadarshan

Showing in theatres near you

Kathmandu

Madhav (Om Puri) decides to marry a girl he has chosen from a matrimonial website and goes to ask for help from his best pal Janaradhan Wishvanbhar Rane (Paresh Rawal). Janardhan has already been in odd situations helping his friend and refuses, but Madhav is not ready to take no for an answer. So they set out in search of a girl, but their antics land them in the police station, where Janardhan’s son Gaurav (Akshaye Khanna) comes to bail him out. Once they are home, one sees the reversed role that these father-son duo share. While Janardhan sits quietly and afraid, it is Gaurav who is in charge and treats his father more like his son scolding him. But things don’t end as his father gets caught in another similar escapade then another...

While Gaurav is busy looking after his father and managing the business, a young girl Shikha Kapoor (Genelia D’Souza) starts giving him prank calls. As they come to know each other better, Shikha’s friend who is getting married, invites Gaurav, his father and Madhav to her wedding in Kerala. And there Janardhan meets Anuradha (Shobana), who is Shikha’s teacher. But after they return Janardhan’s behaviour starts changing dramatically which raises his son’s suspicions. And it is Gaurav and Shikha’s efforts to find the truth behind this change and the events that follow that form the story.

As in any Priyadarshan movie, the comedy is great and there are hilarious moments. Though not a laugh riot from the start to the end, it is a movie one can enjoy without much complaint. It is the story which has a freshness to it that makes it quite entertaining and the dialogues definitely are top notch and make you laugh.

Though it would be difficult to accept a son treating a father like the way Gaurav does, it is the dialogues that make it easy and comic too.

As expected Paresh Rawal portrays the timid dad really well, and Akshaye who plays the most responsible person, brings out the comical element even when he is having serious talks with his father. Om Puri makes you laugh and even irritates you at times — whatever the role demands he furnishes it. Genelia, who plays the part of a very talkative girl, will be remembered for the vivacity she brings though at times it’s a bit overbearing. Naseruddin Shah has a very small part but plays it with utter conviction, but one does wish the ending he brings would have been different. Rajpal Yadav is one actor who doesn’t seem to contribute anything to this movie and Shobana is just a pretty face in the movie and her acting skills aren’t utilised much.

Besides the usual foreign locations, it is the beauty and culture of Kerala that the movie portrays which is a significant part of the movie. The most disappointing aspect are the songs, which one does not remember once they leave the hall.