Bhagam Bhag

Bhagam Bhag
(translates as "running around")
2006
2/5 stars


Champak Chaturvedi (Paresh Rawal) is the director of a theater group whose heroine (Tanushree Dutta) attracts a British businessman into hiring them for a London show.  His two male leads, Bunty (Akshay Kumar) and Babla (Govinda), are both vying for the attention of said heroine and annoy her enough that she quits, leaving Champak in a lurch.  While in London, Bunty and Babla search for a replacement, leading to a mix-up with a drug ring, trouble with the police, a murder, and involvement with an amnesiac, suicidal actress, Munni (Lara Dutta).

With three superb comedians in the lead, and an excellent supporting cast, this suspense-comedy had such promise, but did not deliver.  There was little-to-no chemistry between any of the main actors, particularly between Akshay Kumar and Govinda, so most of the humor simply fell flat, or the situations were so silly that they just were not funny.  The thriller element  was good, but simply was not strong enough to override the rest of the movie. The songs were average or below, with one being particularly off-putting.  Overall, Bhagham Bhag was such a disappointment.

Rajaji

Rajaji
1999
3/5 stars

Rajaji (played by Govinda) is an unscrupulous, lazy wastrel who decides that he will marry a rich woman, so as not to have to work.  He meets Payal (Raveena Tandon), daughter of a millionaire, and deceives her into falling in love with him.  It is only after they marry, that Rajaji discovers that Payal is actually the daughter of a gardener.

(Cast also includes Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, and Aruna Irani.)

The plot of this romantic comedy/drama is predictable, but still enjoyable.  The costumes are beautiful, and most of the scenes look lovely.  The music is average, with the exception of the memorable " Tere Pyar Ne" which is used twice in the film.  Govinda was convincing, nicely balancing between comedian and hero. He had good chemistry with Raveena Tandon, who gave an average performance.  The veteran supporting cast was solid.

The problem with the movie was the last twenty minutes or so, when an unnecessary subplot emerged, creating chaos for the last scenes of the movie.  The ending could have been strong, had this been absent and the emotional impact left intact.  Overall, though, it's worth watching once, especially for Govinda fans.

Dulhe Raja

Dulhe Raja
(translates as "the bridegroom Raja")
1998
3/5 stars

The oh-so-cute Govinda plays Raja, owner of a small eatery located beside a luxury hotel.  The hotel's new owner, K.K.Singhania (Kader Khan) feels it lowers the value of his property and attempts to buy out Raja.  When Raja refuses, the two become sworn enemies, even though Raja has fallen in love with Singhania's daughter Kiran (Raveena Tandon).  In the meantime, Singhania and Kiran argue over the man (Rahul, played by Mohnish Behl) that Kiran wants to marry, so to get revenge, Kiran becomes engaged to Raja, who thinks she is sincere.

(Johnny Lever also stars, as Singhania's personal assistant.)

The movie is predictable but often funny, with catchy songs, lovely costumes, and mostly strong supporting actors.  Kader Khan and Govinda give excellent performances, with great chemistry between the two.  Raveena Tandon is the weak link in the film, being stiff at times and never fully believable.  Over all, Dulhe Raja is an average movie that will be enjoyable for Govinda fans, but won't draw viewers back for a rewatch.