Review: Andaz Apna Apna Remains A Timeless Comedy

Despite
the
evolution
of
cinema
toward
more
refined
expressions
and
aesthetics
today,
the
exaggerated
comedic
style
of Andaz
Apna
Apna remains
endearing
and
entertaining,
reminding
us
that
sometimes,
we
just
need
a
dose
of
mindless
comedy
to
unwind,
feels
Shristi
Sahoo.

Two
days
before

Andaz
Apna
Apna,
one
of
Bollywood’s
cult
comedies,
re-releases
in
theatres
on
April
25,
I
attended
a
special
screening,
thanks
to
an
invite
from
the
film’s
late
producer
Vinay
Kumar
Sinha’s
daughter,
Priti
Sinha.

The
event,
held
at
the
Andheri
Cinepolis,
was
graced
by
actors
like
Tiku
Talsania,
Sharib
Hashmi
and
Rahul
Dev
as
well
as
fans,
some
even
dressed
up
like
the
film’s
iconic
characters
like
Crime
Master
Gogo.

There
was
a
lot
of
excitement,
nostalgia
and
wonder
in
the
air. 

As
a
’90s
kid,
I
have
grown
up
watching
movies
starring
Salman
Khan,
Aamir
Khan,
Karishma
Kapoor
and
Raveena
Tandon.
So
to
experience
this
retro
classic
in
a
movie
theatre
for
the
first
time
was
remarkable.

The
movie,
which
originally
released
in
1994,
transported
me
to
a
different
era
of
Bollywood
pop
culture.

It
was
released
at
a
time
before
Salman
Khan
had
beefed
up,

Aamir
Khan
had
made
it
to
Oscars
and
Karisma
Kapoor
and
Raveena
Tandon
had
won
National
Awards.

It
was
interesting
to
see
how
the
lead
actors
evolved
over
the
years.

Some
of
their
children
have
grown
up
to
form
the
next
generation
of
Bollywood.
Raveena’s
daughter’s
Rasha
Thadani’s
rendition
of
the
famous
dialogue
of
the
movie
‘ooi
ma’
has
now
transformed
into
the
hit
song
‘uyi
amma‘!

The
introduction
of
the
characters
is
both
hilarious
and
dramatic.

Raveena
Bajaj,
the
daughter
of
the

crorepati
Ram
Gopal
Bajaj,
returns
to
India with
her
secretary
Karishma to
find
a
suitor.

Amar
and
Prem,
two
lovable
good-for-nothing
men,
played
by
Aamir
(Amar)
and
Salman
(Prem),
want
to
woo
her
to
have
a
share
of
her
wealth.
They
go
to
the
picturesque
Ooty
with
the
singular
aim
of
marrying
the
rich
heiress.

Their
initial
encounters
are
fueled
by
comical
one-upmanship.

They
dress
up
as
obnoxious
old
men
to
get
entry
into
Raveena
Bajaj’s
place.
Once
caught,
the
gold diggers
make
for
a
quick
escape.
Not
willing
to
admit
defeat
early
and
lose
their
chance
to
woo
Raveena,
they
toss
to
pick
turns
to
approach
her. 

The
over-smart
Amar
fools
Prem
on
various
occasions
—
remember
‘Do
dost
ek
cup

mein
chai
piyenge,
isse
pyaar
badhta
hai?’
—
and
manages
to
end
up
at
Raveena’s
home
first.

Their
pursuit
of
Miss
Bajaj
leads
them
to
her
father,
Ram
Gopal Bajaj
(Paresh
Rawal).

The
plot
thickens,
or
perhaps
more
accurately,
becomes
gloriously
convoluted.

Ram
Gopal
Bajaj
gets
kidnapped
by
his
evil
twin
Shyam
Gopal
Bajaj
aka
Teja.
He
sends
his
henchmen
in
disguise
of
servants
to
Raveena.
It
changes
a
serious
premise
into
farce
thanks
to
the
ineptitude
of
the
criminals
and
the
bumbling
interference
of
the
two
suitors.

The
next
major
entry
is
the
infamous
antagonist
Crime
Master
Gogo
(Shakti
Kapoor).

His
dialogues
are
not
just
lines;
they
are
catchphrases
etched
into
popular
culture,
like ‘Aankhen
nikalke
gotiyaan
khelunga‘.

Gogo’s
villain-y
is
constantly
undermined
by
his
own
incompetence
and
the
sheer
ridiculousness
of
the
situations
he
finds
himself
in,
often
orchestrated
by
the
very
people
he’s
trying
to
outsmart.

The
plot
takes
another
hilarious
turn
with
the
revelation
of
Raveena’s
real
identity.
This
case
of
mistaken
identity
fuels
even
more
chaotic
scenarios
and
opportunities
for
Amar
and
Prem.

Amar’s
often
dramatic
and
self-aggrandizing
pronouncements,
such
as
‘Main
wohi
hoon
jo
tum
soch
rahi
ho…
ya
shayad
woh
bhi
nahi!’
(I
am
the
one
you
are
thinking
of…
or
maybe
not
even
that!),
delivered
with
utmost
sincerity,
are
amplified
by
the
sheer
absurdity
of
the
situation.

Prem,
on
the
other
hand,
excels
in
backhanded
compliments
and
hilariously
flawed
logic.

His
attempts
to
woo
Karishma
(thinking
she’s
Raveena)
are
filled
with
gems
like
‘Tumhara
koi
haq
nahi
banta
ki
tum
itni
khoobsurat
lago‘
and
it showcases
his
unique
brand
of
awkward
charm.

Their
constant
bickering
and
attempts
to
sabotage
each
other,
often
escalating
into
physical
comedy,
are
the
backbone
of
the
film’s
comedic
momentum.

The
brilliance
of

Andaz
Apna
Apna
lies
in
how
the
plot,
while
seemingly
a
straightforward
tale
of
romance
and
crime,
serves
as
a
mere
framework
for
the
characters’
eccentricities
and
outrageously
funny
dialogues.

The
kidnapping
plot
and
mistaken
identities
are
all
catalysts
for
the
iconic
lines
and
situations
that
have
made
the
film
a
timeless
comedy.  

Despite
the
evolution
of
cinema
toward
more
refined
expressions
and
aesthetics
today,
the
exaggerated
comedic
style
of

Andaz
Apna
Apna
remains
endearing
and
entertaining,
reminding
us
that
sometimes,
we
just
need
a
dose
of
mindless
comedy
to
unwind.