Oct 15, 2016 02:52 PM
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Saat Uchakkey is the directorial debut of Sanjeev Sharma, songwriter, and theater man, and maybe this movie is, definitely, evident that it’s his first time. Anupam Kher is a diwan living in a haveli, which a Muslim woman claims it’s her’s, and Kalawati who exists, only, in dreams.
The opening scene at a psychiatric ward with a senior doctor advising his understudy to leeway bit of optimism and soon we know to get familiar with the patient under observation. Bichchi(Annu Kapoor), who is God/patient/narrator goes on rambling about a treasure buried in the depths of haveli and many more sermons so loud and damaging, one’s ears can go numb from stinging.
Well, no one but Pappi(Manoj Bajpayee) notices few words out of his non-stop haggling, and thus sets out to make money the easy way. We see him standing on the balcony wearing a salwar and his foot on the railing. He looks down at the courtyard below and stands as if he is little courage away from fleeing but still alert enough to do it. this just portrays his whole character – bluff and limited guts.
This story revolves around Pappi’s dream to be quick-rich and buys lottery so that he can win a killing one day, and marry his girlfriend Sona(Aditi Sharma). He needs accomplices who have same desires and so he gets them. His partners in crime are metalsmith Khappe(Aparshakti Khurana), Haggu(Nitin Bhasin), a gambler called Ajji(Vipul Vig), trinkets and knick-knack seller Babbe(Jatin Sarna); and last but the not the least, the multi-talented petty criminal Jaggi(Vijay Raaz). These make up the seven rogues of the title Saat Uchakkey.
Tejpal(Kay Kay Menon), who is also looking for marrying Sona, is suspicious that there is something cooking. He is a good cop with good character. And because of this Sona, a smart girl, plays him and Pappi according to her needs. She knows how to make them revolve around her and get the sun shining.
Everything takes place in Old Delhi, not the ones with Jama Masjid and Red Fort in the background, close-knit houses and kite-flying. This is more about that Old Delhi, where the ghost stories are still alive and fuelled.
In the first half, it is all about cussing. There are scenes when the words are paused or mute but later on even those little beeeeps is missing. Maybe censor board people realized that muting these words will make this movie a silent movie.
It is as good as a crash course in abusive ranting, but who doesn’t cuss these days. There are many who can’t speak a single sentence without hurling a cuss out. But that’s not what this is about. Director has taken up the whole first half in developing the characters who are either fighting each other or shoving things behind their backs. It is unclear till then what the movie is going at. This is clear only in the second half when they have realized that there are too many loose ends to tie up to make it comprehendible.
Saat Uchakkey is a comic caper that has gone wrong. It was made to be witty, wicked, flights of fancy and gritty realism. Sadly, it just ended up being shy of creativity or more of conveying what broth was cooked up in writer’s mind.
It could have been a laugh riot considering the three actors, Manoj Bajpayee, Vijay Raaz, and Kay Kay Menon; who are known for their comic timings, satires, and histrionics. There were times when a roll of laughter is let out and it is truly enjoyable when you look at each actor playing their characters perfectly.
What lacked after such good performance was the undercooked script. The narrative also doesn’t help in bringing the story back on track. It is just side-railed or on a wrong rail altogether. Over-aspiration from a script that is under-written. Maybe, I am trying to say that you get what is needed but left with a feeling of incompleteness.
