Khatta Meetha

Prolific director Priyadarshan’s latest is a muddled Bollywood attempt at satire on the hardships faced by the common man in order to progress in modern India. Simpleton Sachin (Kumar) struggles to complete various ‘road and gutter’ construction contracts as he has to give baksheesh at every point. This overlong film portrays the ingenious means one has to employ to survive in a system endemic to bribery and corruption. However, this accurate observation is swamped by unnecessary and unconnected subplots. This includes the obligatory half-baked romance and dispensable ditties with scantily-clad blonde babes. Kumar’s customary hamming evokes unintentional laughter especially in a flashback sequence where he plays a college student. He throws in one funny joke at real life ex-girlfriend Shilpa Shetty’s expense!