Jai Ho
Year: 2014
Director: Sohail Khan
Cast: Salman Khan, Daisy Shah, Tabu, Danny Denzogpa

Post-Wanted (2009), Salman Khan has had the best box-office run of his career. With back to back megahits like Dabangg, Ready, Bodyguard, Ek Tha Tiger and Dabangg 2, he has risen to become the Bollywood’s most bankable star. But in 2013, he did not have a single release and his close competitors- Aamir and Shahrukh gained ground with the super-successful Dhoom 3 and Chennai Express.

So when Jai Ho was to be released in the first month of 2014, there was a question in many minds whether Salman’s magic touch would continue to hold sway at the box-office. The fact that Jai Ho was being produced-and-directed by Sohail Khan was not too encouraging, looking at their past duds such as Hello Brother and Main Aurr Mrs. Khanna. But then the film was supposed to be a remake of R. Murgadoss’s superhit Tamil film Stalin and Salman has had the best success rate in terms of remakes from South. So with all these considerations, how did Jai Ho fare on silver screen?

What’s the plot?

When a girl gets kidnapped; when a child gets abused; when a student faces injustice…in fact whenever some ‘aam aadmi’ gets wronged, there is only one savior – Jai (Salman Khan), a hot-headed muscleman with social conscience and iron fists! An ex-army-man (He was expelled from armed forces because he went against an order and saved people from militants!), Jai has two friends (Yash Tonk and Ashmit Patel) and one message- “Don’t say thank you; instead help three people and tell them to help three more.” Sure, he has found the solution to solving the country's woes! His mother (Nadira Babbar), sister (Tabu) and the young girl in his neighborhood (Daisy Shah) love him no ends but a host of villains, led by an evil Home Minister (Danny Denzogpa) are braying for his blood. Will Jai finally conquer them all and sing ‘Jai Ho’?

What’s hot?

·         A few catchy songs peppered by typical Salman moves!

What’s not?

·         True, Salman, just on his charisma, has pulled off hits from some pretty badly written and directed films but this one is one of the worst and even he cannot save that!

·         No problem that it is crude, over the top and illogical- (After all most Bollywood blockbusters thrive on those ‘qualities’!)- but it is so thoroughly unentertaining.

·         The dialogues are tacky and without punch.

·         Some loose talk about ‘Mango people’ (That’s the word for Aam aadmi in Salman lingo!) and Pay-it-forward-in kindness keeps popping whenever the director Sohail Khan remembers that it is the so-called central theme!

·         Within first 40 minutes you get three fights, three song-and-dance sequences; tens of caricatures and a truckload of hammy acting and then you simply cease to care.

·          Salman loses the plot (Wouldn’t blame him there!) and looks lost.  Besides showing off his bare chiseled body; fighting skills and cavorting moves; he has little scope to show his funny, likeable entertainer side. The serious, socially conscious Sallu is a bit too much to take!

·         Daisy Shah, (who makes zero impression!) as the heroine is a strange choice but then Salman is known for it!

·         The film is full of bad performances- especially Nadira Babbar as the mother grates on nerves!

Verdict

Sohail and Salman were promoting this film on various TV shows as ‘a film with a serious message’. Yes, I totally agree with their assertion. The serious message here is henceforth Salman should be choosing his scripts, directors and heroines far more carefully; otherwise the day is not far when the 100-crore; 200-crore club membership will be taken away from him! The ‘Mango people’ can get bitter if they are taken for granted. As they say- you can’t fool all of them all the time!

Verdict

1.5 out of 5 stars