Review: Dhol, a nightmare in the name of comedy

NOT SO FUNNY: Of all the actors in this mangled mess of a film, it's only Rajpal Yadav who gets a few laughs out of you.

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Keywords: Dhol, Bollywood

Cast: Sharman Joshi, Tusshar Kapoor, Kunal Khemu, Rajpal Yadav

Direction: Priyadarshan

Desperate to make some quick cash so they can repay a loan and set up a business of their own, four out-of-work buddies - Sharman Joshi, Tusshar Kapoor, Kunal Khemu and Rajpal Yadav - figure out that the only way they can get rich is if they're able to woo a richie-rich girl into marriage.

As if on cue, Tanushree Dutta moves into the house next door along with her elderly grandparents. Even as they vie for her attention, each trying to outdo the other, our frightfully foolish foursome find themselves inadvertently involved in a mystery of unexplained suicides and believe it or not, a missing drum, thus justifying the title of this mindless movie, Dhol.

Much like director Priyadarshan's last film Bhagam Bhag and to be honest, much like many of his recent films including Chup Chupke, Garam Masala and Hulchul, this one too is a nightmare in the name of comedy.

It's replete with double-meaning dialogues and pavement slang, so much so that you turn away your face in disgust every time they use lines like chaddi mein naag hai and the like.

Once again turning to familiar ground for inspiration, Priyadarshan steals the plot of Dhol from that rib-tickling Malayalam comedy In Harihar Nagar, but what he's unable to bring to his Hindi rip-off is the original film's consistent sense of fun.

Dhol does have its moments, but they're few and far between. For the most part, you're so parched for entertainment, you're willing to laugh at even the handful of slapstick moments this ridiculously complicated film offers up.

What's not funny however, is the loud, over-the-top style of delivering dialogues which seems to have become a trademark of Priyadarshan's films.