Raat Gayi Baat Gayi: A classy, slice of life affair
Rating: 3.5 out of 5*
Starring: Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Neha Dhupia, Irawati Harse Mayadev, Navneet Nishan, Dalip Tahil and Anu Menon
Director: Saurabh Shukla
Advertised hinting the film as the desi version of Hollywood’s 2009 super hit The Hangover, Raat Gayi Baat Gayi is anything but that! But that doesn’t take away the fact that it’s a wonderfully crafted entertaining affair.
It is basically the story of Rahul (Rajat Kapoor) and his wife, Mitali (Iravati Harshe). The couple had, the previous night, attended a party with friends including Saxena (Dalip Tahil) and Amit (Vinay Pathak) and their respective wives, Jolly (Navneet Nishan) and Nandini (Anu Menon). At the party, Rahul had had a drink too many and had been following Sophia (Neha Dhupia), a sexy woman, at the party. The two had escaped to a room upstairs and were about to get naught, but Rahul just cannot remember what happened thereafter and if anything at all happened. Waking up in the morning with a hangover, Rahul is not sure whether his wife knows anything about his one-night stand with Sophia, that is if ever there was one. But his wife is in a foul mood. His friends, Amit and Saxena, don’t make things easy for him. Amit himself is in the midst of a marital crisis because Nandini has thrown him out of his house for cheating on her by prefering online porn over. As for their novelist friend, Saxena, he too has skeletons in his cupboard but he is a smart operator. What funnily shocking revelations tumble out as Rahul goes in search of what exactly happened in the night makes for a fun watch.
Narrated in a non-linear manner by actor cum writer-director Saurabh Shukla, the film is his finest effort as a director. Also, full marks to the production company PNC for delivering what one can truly term a ‘multiplex film’. The production values are of absolute high standards and the setting perfectly upmarket. There is absolutely no sleaze and the adult humour is just what one often hears at the parties. Great one-liners spread across plenty of sequences leave you laughing your guts out. The twist at the end is again a big surprise. The peppy songs are pleasant to the ears and very situational with the Love in C major being the pick of the lot.
Neha Dhupia in what can be called her first major multi layered role is a real delight to watch. Playing a sassy tease, Neha tantalizes, decieves, emotes and also brings out her character’s vulnerable side with amazing ease. Rajat Kapoor is very natural as always and shares great chemistry with his buddy on screen Vinay Pathak. Vinay after a long time is back in form. He is superb in the scene where he apologises to his wife. Irawati Harshe is yet another natural performer and one hopes we get to see her more often. Channel V’s Lola Kutty fame Anu Menon is very impressive. Navneet Nishan is very endearing. Dalip Tahil fits his part perfectly well. Ranvir Shorey as the attention seeking NRI is a laugh riot. There are also a host of cameos amongst which the most impressive being of filmmaker Sudhir Mishra.
Don’t expect a sleazy sex comedy while going in for this one and you shall be in for a great pleasant surprise.
