A slapstick comedy misfire
Ghoomketu, produced by Phantom Films and Sony Pictures Networks, failed to get a theatrical release due to financial issues and lack of distributors but has succeeded at last to see the light with ZEE5. However, despite an interesting premise and a great cast, it doesn’t quite live up to the expectations.
Story
An aspiring 31-year-old writer Ghoomketu (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who hails from a small town, Mahona in Uttar Pradesh, has eyes on becoming a big writer. After being declined by a local publisher, he absconds to Mumbai leaving his family behind to test his writing skills in Bollywood.
He tries his hand in every genre from romance to horror but fails to impress the directors. He never loses hope and continues to narrate his stories relentlessly which border on stupidity and lot of absurdity.
A dim witted police officer, Badlani (Anurag Kashyap) is handed the responsibility of tracking down Ghoomketu in Mumbai. He fails to apprehend him even though they coincidently live on the same premises.
Finally, after a 30 day trial period and exhausting all the money he’s got, Ghoomketu starts thinking about his family and decides to come back to his town. Once he reaches home, there are many pleasant surprises waiting for him.
Performances
Nawazuddin Siddiqui shines as Ghoomketu. He turns an ordinary character into a hilarious one with his histrionics and impeccable expressions.
Ila Arun shoulders a major chunk of story after Siddiqui and gives a stellar performance. Raghubir Yadav who plays Ghoomketu’s father is truly mesmerizing and their chemistry is perfect.
In addition to Anurag Kashyap, the cameos by Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha, Chitrangada Singh, Richa Chadha, Nikhil Advani, Lauren Gottlieb and Amitabh Bachchan are the main attraction of the film.
Positives
The silver lining is the reality check presented by the film that villages or towns are more congenial for peace, happiness and healthy family relations.
Writer director Pushpendra Nath Misra has handled the family aspect of the story very well to point out diversities between city and village lives in a heart touching manner.
Negatives
Shoddy writing and poor editing makes Ghoomketu a flat and abysmal film without much substance except one or two sparks. While a few opening and closing scenes show some distinctness, the rest of the film moves on without any clue. It leaves the viewer utterly confused and baffled in the end.
Worth it?
Comedy is a tough nut to crack. Any faulty writing or over the board handling can prove disastrous for the whole film as has happened in this case. In conclusion, Ghoomketu is a decent film but disappoints overall.
