With Dhol, Priyadarshan returns to what he does best: comedy. And like all the comedies he's known for, this one is also like old wine in a new bottle.
Dhol -- a remake of the hit Malayalam film, In Harihar Nagar -- tells the story of four unemployed youths, Sharman Joshi, Tusshar Kapoor, Kunal Khemu and Rajpal Yadav, who want to get rich by marrying into a wealthy family.
Enter Tanushree Dutta, accompanied by her grandparents, who moves in the neighbourhood bungalow in search of her brother's killer.
The four friends try everything to woo Tanushree, and then discover that the only way to get close to her is by giving her information about her deceased brother.
What follows next is predictable of Priyadarshan's movies. The hawan scene is hilarious, as the four boys start pouring water on her home, as they think it is on fire when in truth, there is a havan pooja happening. Another hilarious moment is the office scene with Asrani where he pretends to be a Tanushree's prospective bridegroom.
But the film is full of predictable scenes, and one wonders if Priyadarshan has lost his originality.
Post-interval, the film takes a serious turn, totally constrasting with the fun first half.
Rajpal Yadav is the best among the four. He is not only innovative but also different from the rest of the three actors in his style of comedy.
The other three actors -- Sharman, Tusshar and Kunal are not that bad either. Om Puri in grandfather's role, however, is unimpressive. The film's heroines, Tanushree and Payal Rohatgi, are a complete waste.
Pritam's music fails to impress, and except for the passable title track, the rest doesn't pass muster.
After Hera Pheri, Hungama, Hulchul, and Malammal Weekly, this latest offering from the filmmaker is funny in parts, but falls short.
Rediff Rating: