Atithi Thum Kab Jaoge (2010): Hindi Movie Review

Cast: Ajay Devgan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Paresh Raval

The director spends a good portion of the film explaining what Atithi (guest) means as if apologizing for picking a title phrase that the audience might confuse with the more common name Adithi! Atithi thum kab jaoge (guest when will you leave?) results in a pretty much predictable story of a guest that overstays a family's hospitality and patience. Paresh Rawal who plays the guest 'atithi' is truly trying. Agreed, his penchant for delivering humorous roles and comic timing is noteworthy but his characterization gets testy more so on the viewer's nerves. The end result abates the intended comic effect leaving the viewer stranded on their fraying nerves. Konkona Sen Sharma's done a decent job but one wonders why she's wasting her talent here. In her efforts to break into successful commercial cinema, should she have to take on such lackluster roles? Ajay Devgan suits this role with his trademark frown. The songs look plugged-in and unnecessary as they neither complement the mood, sound mellifluous, nor help carry the story forward. They're skip-worthy like the rest of the movie.

Rating: A reluctant 2 out of 5 stars.