I've
often
said
that
'small'
or
low
cost
films,
very
often,
have
much
more
to
offer
than
several
biggies
that
thrive
on
star
value
primarily;
content
is
a
secondary
issue
for
these
films.
Ticket
paying
audiences
insist
on
watching
good
films
and
that's
where
a
strong
word
of
mouth
plays
a
vital
part
these
days.
Positive
feedback
can
lure
viewers
even
after
the
crucial
opening
weekend
is
over.
Films
like
Tere
Bin
Laden,
Udaan,
Do
Dooni
Chaar,
Phas
Gaye
Re
Obama
and
Band
Baaja
Baaraat
endorse
this
statement.
I
genuinely
believe
that
the
audience
for
hi-content
films
is
multiplying
with
each
passing
week.
The
viewer
is
willing
to
give
his/her
precious
time
and
invest
his/her
hard-earned
money
on
a
film
with
substance,
which
only
goes
to
prove
yet
again
that
content
is
the
backbone
of
business,
the
low
cost
or
absence
of
top
stars
notwithstanding.
The
day
of
the
underdog
has
finally
arrived.
In
the
1970s,
Hrishikesh
Mukherjee
and
Basu
Chatterjee
popularized
comedy
films.
The
trend
was
carried
forward
by
Sai
Paranjpye.
Early
1990s
saw
the
emergence
of
David
Dhawan,
Priyadarshan
and
Anees
Bazmee
proving
their
mettle
with
slapstick.
First-time
director
Srikanth
V.
Velagaleti
merges
comedy
with
thrill
elements
in
his
debut
outing
Utt
Pataang
and
the
experiment
succeeds
to
a
major
extent.
Utt
Pataang
is
a
difficult
film
to
conceptualize,
pen
and
also
execute.
Besides,
it
requires
seasoned
players
-
known
for
their
abilities
to
deliver
natural
performances
-
to
get
the
characters
right.
Utt
Pataang
isn't
one
of
those
films
that
tell
you
to
leave
your
brains
at
home.
On
the
contrary,
this
one
demands
your
complete
attention.
Blink
an
eyelid
and
you
would
miss
out
on
a
vital
sequence
and
the
narrative
thereafter
would
only
get
difficult
to
decipher.
Utt
Pataang
is
a
smart
film,
which
gradually
sucks
you
into
its
world.
What
sets
it
apart
from
comic-thrillers
is
the
fact
that
the
entire
drama
takes
place
in
a
single
night.
At
first,
you
wonder,
hey,
what
happened
to
Saurabh
Shukla?
Where
did
he
disappear
from
the
restaurant?
Then
you
wonder,
why
is
Vinay
Pathak's
girlfriend
Mahie
Gill
desperate
to
have
her
belongings?
Much
later
you
question,
who
is
that
look-alike
of
Vinay
Pathak
and
what
is
he
doing
in
his
apartment?
But
you
get
your
answers
in
the
post-interval
portions
and
the
rejoinders
only
highlight
how
intelligent
the
screenplay
is
and
how
efficient
the
director
has
been,
in
terms
of
keeping
you
hooked
all
through
those
1.50
hours.
Final
word?
If
out
of
the
box
themes
are
your
choice,
head
for
Utt
Pataang
right
away.
This
one's
no
Utt
Pataang
film
in
the
name
of
entertainment!
Utt
Pataang
talks
of
incidents
that
occur
in
one
night.
Vinay
Pathak
is
on
the
brink
of
a
break
up,
caught
in
a
dangerous
money
deal
gone
horribly
wrong.
Caught
in
this
chase
for
the
bagful
of
money
is
his
private
detective
friend
Saurabh
Shukla,
a
heartbroken
woman
[Mona
Singh],
a
French-obsessed
gangster
[Vinay
Pathak,
again]
and
the
gangster's
moll
[Mahie
Gill],
all
thrown
into
a
dangerous
game
of
cat-and-mouse
chase.
Layers
of
secrecy
unfold
and
the
game
gets
worse
as
the
night
wears
on.
For
any
comic-thriller
to
succeed,
it
ought
to
clear
the
doubts
--
in
the
most
simplistic
manner,
mind
you
-
before
the
film
reaches
the
finale.
The
screenplay
[writers:
Saurabh
Shukla
and
Srikanth
V.
Velagaleti]
is
almost
perfect,
except
for
an
instance
towards
the
second
half.
The
best
part
about
this
film
is
that
barring
the
simpleton
Vinay
Pathak,
everyone
has
a
crooked/shady
side
to
him/her,
which
makes
them
appear
very
real.
In
fact,
each
one
is
double
crossing
the
other
and
that's
why
you
feel
ecstatic.
The
screenplay
writers
and
director
complement
each
other
wonderfully
well.
If
the
writing
is
watertight,
the
direction
is
top
notch.
In
fact,
the
writing
would've
gone
for
a
toss
had
a
lesser
director
wielded
the
megaphone.
Arun
Varma's
cinematography
captures
the
look
of
the
film
well.
I'd
like
to
give
brownie
points
to
the
editor
[Sankalp
Meshram]
for
the
sharp
edit.
Sanjoy
Chowdhary's
background
score
enhances
the
impact.
Saurabh
Shukla's
dialogue
are
realistic.
Vinay
Pathak
proves
yet
again
that
he's
a
super
actor.
Though
he's
getting
typecast
as
a
simpleton,
the
other
role
-
with
a
French
fixation
-
is
what
catches
your
attention.
Also,
he
gets
the
French
accent
and
pronunciation
right.
Saurabh
Shukla
is
remarkable
all
through.
Mahie
Gill
springs
a
surprise.
She
plays
a
con
woman
who's
emotionless,
who's
lusting
for
money
most
convincingly.
Mona
Singh
does
very
well.
Sanjay
Mishra
doesn't
get
much
scope.
Brijendra
Kala
is
okay.
Delnaaz
Paul
is
cute.
Murli
Sharma
and
Govind
Namdeo
appear
towards
the
finale.
Both
are
perfect.
Kurush
Deboo
is
fair.
On
the
whole,
Utt
Pataang
springs
a
pleasant
surprise.
It
has
a
novel
premise
and
what
makes
it
even
more
appealing
is
the
way
the
subject
material
has
been
executed.
In
fact,
it's
a
difficult
film
to
conceptualize,
pen
and
also
execute
and
should
be
appreciated
by
those
who
have
an
appetite
for
out
of
the
box
themes.
Director:
Srikanth
V.
Velagaleti
Cast:
Vinay
Pathak,
Mahie
Gill,
Saurabh
Shukla,
Mona
Singh,
Sanjay
Mishra,
Brijendra
Kala,
Govind
Namdeo