Bobby Jasoos review: Flawed, predictable but a fun Vidya Balan film

Having grown up in Hyderabad, relished its legendary biriyani and connected to the city’s colorful mélange of culture, lingo and panache, I had only one thought running through my head while watching Bobby Jasoos. Why does Bollywood never ever get Hyderabadi speech right? Or, to put it in culturally accurate lingo, humesha Dakhni language ku kaiku pindi me mila dete ye haule logan? Directed by Samar Shaikh, Bobby Jasoos is not a bad film. It’s actually a decent effort, coming from a first time filmmaker, but it’s way too simplistic to command your attention and for someone from Hyderabad, the way the actors struggle to sound authentic is very jarring. Even though there is the talented Vidya Balan in the lead role, one has to really strain to ignore the film’s shortcomings. That said, if you’re in a casual enough frame of mind and are willing to suspend your disbelief, Bobby Jasoos might just be a passable harmless watch on a lazy weekend. Balan plays Bilkis, a mildly neurotic but lovable 30-year-old singleton who is desperate to become a private detective. When I say ‘desperate’, I mean a cooky level of desperation. She assumes the identity of a Super Detective alter ego Bobby Jasoos to carry out little assignments, like spying on her friend to check if she’s seeing anyone. [caption id=“attachment_1603127” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A still from Bobby Jasoos. Image courtesy: Facebook page.[/caption] A big case finally lands on her lap when the shady Anees Khan (the legendary Kiran Kumar) waves a big wad of cash to her for an assignment to find two women. While simultaneously trying to slip away from an arranged marriage, Bobby unearths the women, but begins to wonder why the shady dude wants these women. Things take a predictable turn from then on, as the plot comes up with flimsy excuses to put Balan in a variety of disguises. At just over two hours, the film gets over before you hit the snooze button and thankfully doesn’t have any item song type stopovers. Although it relies heavily on deus ex machina, Bobby Jasoos manages to stay afloat even after the interval. There are a couple of fun lines (courtesy of Shaikh and his co-writer Samyukta Chawla), but they’re let down by the actors’ shaky delivery. To its credit, the film is set in the Old City Hyderabad, and although it doesn’t get the details and lingo right, the Muslim neighborhood and milieu of the place is fairly entertaining and a refreshing change from what we generally see in Bollywood. If only the hilariously bad and caricaturish Aryan Bajwa didn’t show up to undo the goodies. Supriya Pathak is a wonderful compensation for Bajwa though, as is the amazing Kiran Kumar who seems to be subtly parodying his turn as Azghar Singh from Thanedaar. We need a desi Expendables starring all the ’80s’ and ’90s’ Bollywood villains, led by Kiran Kumar. Rajendra Gupta appears as Bilkis’s disapproving father, but his character falls to the contractual obligation of a Bollywood happy ending. It’s one of the many elements in the film that come across as half-baked and too convenient. Don’t take it too seriously, and you’ll dig Bobby Jasoosand forget about it. But if you’re looking for a memorable film with a repeat value, you’ll be disappointed. As for those aspiring to make more Hyderabadi films, I have one small request – t_hoda Dakhni authenticity me try karo miyan, aiseich picchar nakko banao, galeez lagta humku._