Bangistan is yet another film out there to teach us about religion and humanity. The movie is a message oriented comedy film which urges you to think about what is actually going on. But is a great disappointment to the fans that had expectations from this film. It has a total confused plot and you will BANG your head by the time BANGistan ends. Save your bucks and skip this flick. Watch it only if you are a Riteish Deshmukh/ Pulkit Samrat's fan.
When a former film critic sets out to make his first film, he is expected to, among other things, weave an intriguing theme around the plot. Bangistan, director Karan Anshuman's debut film, delivers on this front very ably: It is about two forever-quarelling neighbouring countries, South and North Bangistan! Why this 'intriguing' name? Because the two protagonists become suicide bombers later in the film. But that doesn't justify the title, right? The premise on which Bangistan rests is very interesting as it brings out the differences between religious prejudices and intolerances without being overtly preachy. Bangistan races through with a nice tempo, only to be brought to an abrupt halt with its highly predictable, and 'heroic’ (read Bollywood-ised) climax. Still, it’s left with a lot of watchable and well thought-out moments. Bangistan deserves applause for its message-oriented content.
The worst possible scenario for a comedy is one that doesn't tickle the funny bone. One struggles to find real humorous moments in Karan Anshuman's directorial debut which is rather ambitious as it looks to both amuse and preach like Rajkumar Hirani's PK did more recently. Bangistan fails to do either well, turning infuriatingly mawkish especially when propagating the message of religious harmony and world peace. Zaniness is tricky path to tread on in movies. Done right, it delivers copious amount of laughs. Mess it up, one is bored and disgruntled. Bangistan falls in the latter category. In an entirely forgettable outing, only Deshmukh manages to walk out of Bangistan the least battered but that's also to do with the fact that his is a largely restrained character, who is told to resort to OTT theatrics only towards the climax. After O Teri, Pulkit Samrat further cements his reputation as one of the hammiest actors. Yes, his character is loud and animated, but surely that doesn't have to border on intolerable cruelty. It seems poetic justice then, that in what's an unintentionally funny moment, Deshmukh's Hafeez screams, "Bahut boora actor nikla tu". Ouch!
True to its title, Bangistan makes more than its share of noise. But this mildly wacky satire on the futility of religious bigotry does not make too much sense. The central premise of the film is so overly pea-brained that the comedy that it delivers is 'explosive' only in that it manages to reduce any genuine prospects of humour to smithereens. Bangistan, for all the hoopla that it whips up, is a damp squib that does not deliver much bang for the buck. It is neither a blast nor a riot. It is more like an overpainted runaway truck that loses its wheels before the trip has well and truly begun. It careens out of control before you can say bang and hurtles scratchily down a path that hits a dead-end all too quickly. Stay out of the way. If you really desire to visit Krakow, pack your bags and spare yourself a Bangistan detour.
Bangistan spends most of its runtime cloyingly trying to establish itself as a satire, when the best it delivers is a haphazardly put together set-pieces and characters we just can’t be bothered about. To top it all, the film wobbles towards its climax in a way that is clumsier than its narrative. From social misfits to suicide bombers and eventually reformed pacifists, Pravin and Hafiz launch into abrupt and overly preachy monologues to wrap up the proceedings just as hurriedly as they had begun. Bangistan is eventually reduced to being a satire on the notion of a satire, falling tremendously short of a bang for your buck. But there’s only so much you can do with a weak story and direction.
The thin plot is stretched out over equally thin gags. Samrat is a tad too chirpy, and Deshmukh, who is usually capable of lifting anything he’s in, a bit too grim: a comedy needs more substance and consistency, especially something underpinned on a message that needs to be spread far and wide in these divisive times. The film finds its laughs in the odd moment, but comes off, over all, flat and tepid.
The basic premise of Bangistan is interesting in itself. This quirky comedy tells you the simple story of two naive men, willing to go to any length for their respective faiths. Action kick-starts in North and South Bangistan, a fictitious but beauteous land where opposing faiths, the Muslims and the Hindus, have their headquarters. A voice over informs you in a tongue-in-cheek fashion that bombs go off here at the least provocation, hence the place is aptly named Bangistan. The director, who wishes to depict the futility of war fought in the name of God and religion, stays on track. Despite the dry choice of subject, Bangistan makes valiant attempts to keep the humour alive during its two-hour running time. The characters of Riteish and Pulkit, who do not have a single mean bone in their bodies, are convincing as the Dumb and Dumber combo; blundering bumpkins who are a misfit on a terror journey.