Atithi Bhooto Bhava Review: Pratik Gandhi And Jackie Shroff Fail To Make A Mark

Film: Atithi Bhooto Bhava

Cast: Pratik Gandhi, Jackie Shroff, Sharmin Segal, Divinaa Thackur

Director: Hardik Gajjar

This film starts off as a romcom between two young adults located in Mathura and then takes an outlandish turn. The narrative appears to be marrying two parallel narratives - a Love Aaj Kal meets Athithi and, in spite of the intriguing concept, the resultant never quite hits the right notes to be entirely amiable or credible.

Shrikant Shirodkar (Pratik Gandhi), a not-so-successful stand-up comedian and Nethra Bannerjee ( Sharmin Segal), an air hostess, have been in a live-in relationship for three years but the recriminations from Nethra are an on-running gripe. She is forever complaining that he doesn't remember their anniversaries, her birthdays or any important milestone worth remembering about their relationship, or even her likes and dislikes.

Yet she is not willing to let him go and neither is he. One evening, fed-up with her nagging, he goes to a bar and gets drunk (a first for a teetotaler like him) and on his return, he encounters the ghost of his past-life nephew Makkan Singh (Jackie Shroff). The ghost accompanies him home and refuses to leave until he has accomplished what he has come for.

Don't look to make sense of this plot. Needless to say, it becomes convenient for Nethra, Shrikant, his stand-up colleague Sucharita (Divinaa Thackur) and the ghost to embark on a road trip, ostensibly to reconnect with the ghost's past-life love, Manju, in order that he be able to put her long wait to rest.

Phew! Got us thinking. If love was so complicated that you needed to indulge in ghosts just so that you can rectify the kinks in your own relationship then what's the point of being in love?

Shrikant and Nethra don't seem to be made for each other in the first place. We don't get to see their love or affection for each other - only their gripes about each other. So frankly, you never get invested in their relationship.

After that, having to accept that they are all too willing to embark on a lark on the say-so of a ghost who doesn't make sense at all, plays out as ludicrous. It's overreaching, if you ask me.

The script has obviously been written in a bubble where reality has little room to creep in. Not that there aren't any funny moments. Brief spells of humour and levity do keep the interest going but there's only so much one can condone in the name of humour.

The music is pretty hip but the direction and editing are certainly not complimentary to the byplay.

The performances don't flow smoothly enough and the comic timing is a little delayed, stilted and off.

It's a pity that Pratik Gandhi and Jackie Shroff fail to make a mark in this ridiculous mash-up of ghosts, love, and recriminations.