Nikamma Movie Review: Abhimanyu Dassani-Shilpa Shetty's Film Has Nothing To Make You Say 'Killer Lagdi'

Story

Nikamma opens with an injured Adi (Abhimanyu Dassani) checking upon a comatose man in a hospital. When one of the nurses quiz him about his concern for the patient, the film hits the rewind button.

Adi is a lazy, happy-go-lucky guy who shares a close equation with his brother Raman (Samir Soni). With the entry of Avni (Shilpa Shetty) as Raman's wife, Adi imagines himself as being knocked off the 'happy' photograph and desperately clinging to the frame. Later, Adi is forced to relocate to another city, Dhaamli with Avni when the latter who works as a regional transport officer gets a job transfer.

There, the hapless guy finds himself pushed all over the house as Avni entrusts him with day-to-day household jobs. Amidst this, he also finds time to romance his girlfriend Natasha (Shirley Setia). And then like Adi exclaims in the trailer, "Jab life ho itni jhakaas, tabhi lagti hain hero ki vaat."

Enters the villain Vikramjeet Bisht (Abhimanyu Singh) who soon locks horns with Avni. But fret not, there's Mr Nikamma who is all set to be the saviour for his sister-in-law because 'jab problem family pe aati hain na toh ek Nikamma hi kaam aata hain.'

Direction

Nani's Middle Class Abbayi was a commercial potboiler which banked heavily on the performances more than the script. Director Sabbir Khan tries to use the same template for Nikamma. However, his mediocre execution plays a major spoilsport. A massy entertainer needs a certain conviction and this is where Khan stumbles. Also, Sanamjit Talwar's dialogues lack that masala 'spunk.'

Performances

After a mind-blowing debut in Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, Abhimanyu Dassani impressed all with his coy boy act in last year's Netflix release Meenakshi Sundareshwar. With Nikamma, the lad tries his hand at a full-blown masala entertainer. While he does catch your fancy when he is delivering the punches and the kicks, it's a tad heartbreaking to watch him struggle and ham to the fullest when he is expected to deliver the dialogue-baazi aspect. At times, there's a certain loudness in his act that puts you off.

Singer Shirley Setia makes her big-screen debut with Nikamma, and hardly gets any chance to add to the film, barring 'beauty-cutie' exchanges with her love interest. Watching Shilpa Shetty back on the big screen does bring a smile to your face. However, Sabbir Khan barely makes her comeback memorable. Having said that, she is the only reason why you remain glued to your seats.

Abhimanyu Singh is saddled with yet another role that has been repeated in his filmography multiple times. The rest of the cast like Sachin Khedekar, Samir Soni and Vikram Gokhale hardly get a chance to impress.

Technical Aspects

Hari K Vedantam's cinematography lacks novelty. Manan Ajay Sagar's editing scissors could have easily snipped off some portions of the film. The production value of the film is average.

Music

The title track of Nikamma has a nice, club vibe and will strike a chord with the youngsters. Mika Singh's 'Killer' too sounds fun. The rest of the songs are passable.

Verdict

"Kutta paal le, magar yeh vaham mat palna ki tu inhe haat bhi laga paayega," quips a character to another in this Sabbir Khan directorial. In a similar vein, it's time filmmakers realise that not all South films need a remake or an adaptation. If you fail to entertain the audience, the latter won't shy away from telling you 'Ab meri baari aayi'.