“Hum badmaash zaroor hain, kameene nahin,” states Rajbir (Parvin Dabas) to his three gang members. The discussion is about a burning issue in their village. Farmers’ land is forcibly being taken away from them at a fraction of the market price. The land is being “gifted” by the Chief Minister to a wealthy industrialist. A factory will be put up there, and they are promising menial jobs to the farmers. Aghast, the farmers, led by grassroots activist Malik (Yashpal Sharma), start a non-violent protest.
Now, when Rajbir and gang are given a huge sum to break this protest, it leads to the discussion above. There’s a neat backstory to Rajbir’s decision in the end. These galat bande then go on to do something sahi, perhaps for the first time in their lives.
The screenplay gently guides you through the turns in the story. It’s a very exciting story, and very relatable in present time. Anna Hazare is a household name and his anti-corruption, non-violent movement is reminiscent of these villagers’ determined fight for their rights. You’ll also draw a parallel between the real and reel movements in Malik’s insistence of keeping the fight non-violent and non-political (he states this in a hilariously executed scene).
But how do you make a relevant film entertaining and enjoyable? Parvin Dabas gets it bang-on. This former model-actor turned director (his wife Preeti Jhangiani has produced the film), never lets the issue weigh on the film. He is concerned with the subject, yes, but not overwhelmed by it. And so you have slow-mo action set to video game music (great fun), chases atop roofs as the locals watch, witty repartees between rival gangs, and characters that make jokes while breaking someone’s legs.
The fantastic first-half unfortunately leads to a watered-down second. The portion that leads to the Chief Minister getting embarrassed is way too convenient. The film deserved a better thought-out and less conventional finale.
Co-writer and director Parvin Dabas’s storytelling is self-assured, and his ability of telling a relevant story that’s also fun, is significant. Dialogue by Sanyukta Shaikh Chawla (also the co-screenplay writer with Dabas) crackles with delicious, sardonic humour (calls the government “sabse bada mafia”). The technical crew delights—the film’s cinematography, screenplay, editing, sound design, songs, background score are all masterful.
Performances are superb. Parvin Dabas (Monsoon Wedding, Khosla Ka Ghosla) is earnest as the small-time crook who undergoes a transformation. As the gang members – Doctor, Ambani, and Sexy—Kuldip Ruhil, Ashish Nair and Vansh Bhardwaj are impressive. Yashpal Sharma as the leader, Kiran Juneja as the Chief Minister, Anupam Kher as the industrialist, Neena Kulkarni as Tai, Sharat Saxena as the bad guy, Tena Desae as the girlfriend, and Udit Khurana as the CM’s son elevate the film with their performances.
So there you have it – a pertinent and timely film, that’s also super-fun. Give it a shot!
Movie
Sahi Dhandhe Galat Bande
Director
Parvin Dabas
Cast
Parvin Dabas, Vansh Bhardwaj, Ashish Nair, Tena Desae, Kiran Juneja, Anupam Kher
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