Phas Gaye Re Obama

What's the recipe for a winning motion picture? A gigantic financial plan? Striking locales? A mammoth star cast? Strictly going by the number of low cost films that found tremendous appreciation, it reiterates and restates the fact that content always reigns supreme. 'Small' films like LOVE SEX AUR DHOKHA, TERE BIN LADEN, UDAAN, PEEPLI [LIVE], KHICHDI and DO DOONI CHAAR have had a lot to say when compared to several mammoth ventures, which drove on star power while content took a complete backseat.

Subhash Kapoor's PHAS GAYE RE OBAMA banks on a taut screenplay and not a showy star cast to deliver the goods. Choosing an interesting plot is one thing and doing justice to it is another. But the assorted characters, the sequence of events in the narrative and the bunch of talented actors do the trick. At the same time, though the film has the right running time, it could've done with some sharper editing at places.

Final word? PHAS GAYE RE OBAMA may not boast of stars to entice the viewers in hordes. It may not have a colossal canvas [on the contrary, the making is very basic]. It may not have a wonderful musical score to act as a hook [there are hardly any songs here]. But PHAS GAYE RE OBAMA succeeds, and succeeds largely, in its endeavour: Make the viewer laugh at the right places. A small little gem that deserves a watch.