Money Hai to Honey Hai

 Money Hai Toh Honey Hai

Ingredients in this delicious junk comprise: six separate characters, a rich old man, a hunt for heirs to his fortune—and the story rolls. Om Puri's voiceover introduces us to KK Jaiswal's (Prem Chopra) desperate need for six successors.

These characters are all interesting. Manik (Upen Patel, persistently shirtless) is a Chinchpokli struggler wanting to make it big as a model, who lands into the lap of well-known fashion designer Dolly (Archana Puran Singh) in a gender-reversed casting couch situation.

We then meet Manoj Bajpai, the archetypal Sheikh Chili who manages to lose a fortune in bad business decisions, but his spirit remains undeterred. Aftab Shivadasani plays a talented advertising copywriter who believes in stating the truth about a product over glossy promises.

Bobby, played by a tattooed Govinda, is a shopaholic child (hah!) of a wealthy dad who is finally asked to mend his ways or fend for himself. He chooses the latter and uses his cunning to solve people's personal problems for a mighty sum.

Ashima Kapoor (Hansika) is soap star spoofing Smriti Irani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Only, she’s unhappy being typecast and wishes she transform her image from a devi to a film diva. In a connected spoof, a persistently angry Mukti Kapoor (Rakhi Tandon), dressed tellingly in a red tilak and gem-stone rings, threatens her with dire consequences if she dare leave the serial.

The sixth of the lot is Celina Jaitley, for once tolerable in subtle make-up and an acting role. She plays a fashion designer who sells her clothes to Dolly who in turn sells it under her label for several times the price. She wants to reach designer clothes to the aam junta, but doesn’t have the money to realise her dream. That’s the state of the other five as well, as we break for intermission. How they get to the 1,000 crore booty and the hiccups they encounter forms the stagnant premise of the second half. The film is a complete downhill ride thereafter.

For a comedy, the humour is severely below par. Mercifully, the film is largely devoid of the usual vulgarity. Ketaki Dave as the TV serial devotee is hilarious, even if excessive. There’s also a Vijay Mallya spoof, a rather dull one. The only offensive dialogue, among a few, that I can recollect is Govinda leering at a single woman’s cleavage and commenting –"Itna acha maal, godown mein pada hai." Cringe! Otherwise, the comedy essentially emanates from the bumbling six and their sorry state of lives......Read More

Serious film watchers may find this film lacking in several respects, but for those who can do a bhangra or a garba even on a rock song :) , ah they have fun, when and where they want to have fun..so they'll find enough to laugh aloud and do a TP (time pass).

There's govinda in it - so the laughs are surely in. The sweet and lovable Aftaab has perhaps his own sort of fan following and does not disappoint them, though it's really not a turnkey film for him. Manoj Bajpai, a serious actor, doesn't have a lot of space in this film. So your fun time is secured by the fun and masti of Govinda.

So, if you looking for some time to kill, and with friends, and you are in a mood to laugh at anything and everything - and generally feel happy, you may consider this movie.(fingers crossed :) )

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Serious Film watchers, COde red! :) Only if you'd like to see a loose story line which appears to be shifting directions from time to time should you go to see this movie. (Please don't, even in such a suicidal state of mind). The screenplay is not bad considering the poor story line. Not much was possible, but that "much" was delivered.

This film reminds me of the tales that suggest how producers interfere with the director's and writer's work to make sure that their films have all the right ingredients of a masala film. If that is not the case, I think the writer and the director will find this film as a learning experience. Nothing more, definitely not something to be proud of. What they can probably exclaim about is only : Honey, I made a film!

To my mind, a very strong subject was picked up in the middle of the story, and a mockery of the same was seen - the loose way it was handled.

The story line has already been discussed, however an attempt at the perception of the film maker for this movie is as follows:

The middle class is caught in an unescapable circle. What they believe and is just, is not what they can stand by with, if they want to make a decent life for themselves. Some of them have ideas to bring about a change in the society but they need a miracle to survive till then. Some of them, believe in themselves and loose the very few friends who were with them in better times. After all, Money hai, To honey hai!(And the title is repeated a few times -probably to justify it). If these few idealistic middle class dreamers would have it, they would bring about a change in the system.

What will happen, if 6 of such mavericks (mavericks - at least for the existing system) get together and also have a fortune! A lot of money at their disposal! They would make their dreams come true and also fight the fight of the common man.

I so wish, the story could deliver this perception....However, this is what the story turned out to be:

- SPOILER ALERT -

Some people want to live their lives and dreams in their own way, they can't. They are fighting a loosing battle, dissapointed and hopeless. They are looking for thin signs of opportunities, but the opportunity was looking for them sicne some time, they just could not identify it.

Finally they did, and just in time, when the life was as miserable as it could be. They all got an opportunity together to realize their dreams.

(How convinient! lol. Lack of imagination?)

Anyways, for some reason - the story shifts to the sudden need to uphold the honor of the great (idiot) essentric who had provided them the opportunity in the first place.

but....turns out the opportunity was actually not just a vast business empire but a vast business empire with a bigger liability.

The story now shifts  to a strong subject, common man. Why must the common person be judged in respect of beauty and handsomeness. The story quickly algns this strong subject to the this group's agenda of saving the vast empire and bang, a purpose attached to the direction, motivation three fold, full spirits up, lots of dozes of great luck and you have  - a pimms cup with fruits and cucumber, but made up of carrot and neem juice ;) , quite a straight forward happy ending of this film.

And before I forget, the  title is Oh so good, and Oh so misplaced. Such a waste!

Just my two bits.

Om puneet saraf