War Chhod Na Yaar
Year: 2013
Writer-Director: Faraz Haider
Cast: Sharman Joshi, Soha Ali Khan, Javed Jaffrey, Daleep Tahil

The Indo-Pak war, (and the perpetual cross-border tension!) have found the Bollywoodian cinematic expression through films such as Aakraman, Border and LOC. But all these films have just portrayed the grim, gritty guns-and-gore side of war. For the first time, someone is making an attempt to satirize the serious topic and present the funny side of this rather needless enmity across the border. So how does this concept work in War Chhod Na Yaar?

What’s the plot?

A corrupt Indian defense minister, an inept Pakistani premier, a war-mongering Chinese general and a shrewd American politician (all characters played by Daleep Tahil in different getups!) are plotting a full-scale Indo-Pak war. Each one has his own selfish motive in this elaborate scheme. The Indian minister takes a famous TV journalist (played by Soha Ali Khan and based on- who else- Barkha Dutt!) two days in advance on the border post to get a ‘Breaking News’ story. What the journo sees is beyond her imagination. The two opposing squadron leaders (Sharman Joshi and Javed Jaffrey playing the Indian and the Pak officer respectively) are best of friends; the troupes are playing antaksharis and the only attacks across the border are verbal volleys fired in jest. So is this really the ‘Cross-border tension’? Who exactly wants war out here?

What’s hot?

·         The basic premise of ‘War is useless and there is no winner there!’ is noble. Expressing that through comedy is something novel in Bollywood.

·         The light-hearted treatment does evoke a few laughs.

·         The film manages to highlight the fact that greedy super-powers eager to sell their arms and the spineless, unethical Indo-Pak politicians are the main reasons why these two neighbouring countries waste their precious time, effort and money over needless wars.

·         Sharman Joshi, Javed Jaffrey and Sanjay Mishra deliver competent performances. But the best one is a cameo by Mukul Dev, who plays an Afghani infiltrator.

·         Sejal Shah’s cinematography neatly captures the war-zone.

What’s not?

·         The film lacks good comic material and has inconsistent pacing.

·         Portraying Pak soldiers and politicians as inept buffoons takes away from the central theme of Indo-Pak friendship and amity.

·         Unnecessary toilet humor and over-stretched gags.

·         Daleep Tahil and Soha Ali Khan fail to make a mark.

·         The romantic angle doesn’t work well.

Verdict

A film of this nature needed cutting-edge wit and geo-political savvy in its writing and characterization. Precisely that’s where the film fails big time. Still it is a laudable attempt with a very relevant central theme.

Rating

2 stars