Saare Jahaan Se Mehnga …. Film Review
Film: Saare Jahaan Se Mehnga
Producer: Ashok Pandey
Director: Anshul Sharma
Cast: Sanjay Mishra, Pragati Pandey, Vishwa Mohan Badola,
Ranjan Chhabra, Zakir Hussain, Pramod Pathak, & Disha.
Genre: Comedy/ Satire.
Rating: 
Lovely & lively take on Mehngai …
A Non star cast film, a debutant director, this small satirical take on Mehngai (Inflation) as it appears seems to be of a middle class family from a small Northern Indian City. But from the look of it, it could represent any small town in any part of the country. The total credit goes to the wonderful story, script and dialogues woven into a hilarious spoof of sorts covering the burning topic of today’s time by the writers Rupesh Thapliyal and co writer Vijay Manral, ably supported by all round involved performances from the assembled cast and the supporting crew. Now bringing them together is the ultimate work of the debutant director Anshul Sharma, who seems to have pulled through a laugh riot with an equal dose of message that Mehngai if tackled smartly does not kill anyone, but on the contrary helps them live through the tough inflationary period one is facing day in day out with no respite whatsoever.
The problem of Mehngai does not affect the upper class and the lower class as it is manage somehow!, but it is the middle and upper middle class who has to struggle to make two ends meet and still manage to live a good decent life and in the process they themselves don’t realize what they are sacrificing, what they are missing till some one or the other in the family brings to notice about the pleasure they once had and now they are not only missing, but virtually getting deprived of it.
Puttan Pal (Sanjay Mishra) works in the local Animal Husbandry, delivering baby cows, while he himself has no kids, for which his father Nagpal (Vishwa Mohan Badola) is just plain frustrated because Puttan is so busy with cows, that he has no time to lead a family life and raise children. There are some really funny and hilarious scenes where Puttan Lal, in the process where he is busy impregnating city cows with two bulls at his disposal, and cow owners wanting time and appointment from Puttan to get their cows laid. One sequence where there is one bull owner who is hounding Puttan Lal constantly to take an extra bull, to ease his problem of overworked two bulls that he has is just mind blowing. His basic purpose was to get his bull a government job, so that he can have an extra yet steady income. Puttan’s family comprises besides his wife Noorie and 20 years old brother Gopal. Noorie (Pragati Pandey) runs a beauty parlor, to raise some extra money for the family. Gopal (Ranjan Chhabra) is good for nothing, thrice failed and a virtual baggage and burden to the family. Only preoccupation he has is follow the girl he loves with dogged devotion. His love interest happens to be his near neighbor’s daughter Suman (Disha), who too seem to reciprocate his passes. So Puttan being the only bread earner with some support from Noorie gives birth to an incredulous game plan, which creates all mayhem and crazy situations.
Some Small Small interludes like theft of electricity, loan inspector spying on the family and especially the emotional bonding of father, sons and daughter in law and the value system of respecting the family elders, and love and attachment are beautifully executed by the director whose sensitivity does not let the other bystanders, onlookers and the other town folk neglected but makes them too react equally to all the situations.
Sanjay Mishra has once again proved his versatility in delivering an A class performance and especially an emotional outburst in the end, which he can’t just control. Imagine his plight that he does not even get chance to change into his clothes and single handedly takes on the Inspector and the officer and everyone around, in his towel as he comes out of the bathroom, having just had his bath. Vishwa Mohan Badola as Nagpal a typical father and elderly head of the family, for whom surprises never seem to stop shocking him, is in his elements full blast. Pragati Pandya’s beauty parlor encounter is really very well enacted and delivers a very mature reminiscence of a middle class housewife. And finally Gopal and Sunman’s love angle is as infectious as it could get. Gopal’s good for nothing look goes with his character. They are into each other and that’s what they portray. Zakir Hussain’s Inspector Eagle is indeed a scene stealer. And as mentioned earlier rest of the cast complemented the lovely, likeable satirical middle class mad house frenzy.
Cameraman Fasahat Khan has been able to capture the small town flavor whish is aptly and smartly designed by Art Director Gautam Sen. The whole mumbo jumbo about Mehngai… and its effect could not have become more effective without the cut to cut and crisp editing by Devendra Murdeshwar and over all control and execution by the captain Anshul Sharma. For a debutant indeed a very commendable take on!
I have not mentioned negatives, because the drama was so invigorating that it did not give me chance to look for it. Just go and make most of the Reality Show at its Best!
