REVIEW: Patiala House (2)

EAST IS EAST

There's a marked thematic similarity between Damien O'Donnell's British comedy East Is East (1999) and Nikhil Advani's Patiala House. Although in terms of its ethos, Patiala House is closer to the quintessential NRI film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, at its heart is a pompous and misguided patriarch (Rishi Kapoor) who has lived in a foreign land for several decades, but continues to hold on to his indigenous roots and worse, spurns the very place he's made his home. Like in East is East (where Om Puri played the Pakistani patriarch George with such aplomb), his family suffers the consequences of his overbearing authority and can do little to stand up to him.

The difference between the two films then lies in the execution of this complex theme of the clash of cultures and generations, and problems of integration in a foreign environment. Besides, the former film was set in Manchester of 1971, when race issues were perhaps more acutely felt amongst the Asian community in Britain. Also, it was far more astute in its observations and peppered with delicious humour, often at the expense of the priggish George. 

Patiala House's approach is decidedly light-weight. It doesn't aim for anything but the supposedly predictable soft spots of Hindi film viewers -- large Punjabi families, growling patriarchs, docile mothers, obedient sons, many weddings and a heart attack. The point isn't to get to the root of racial tension at all. That's just a thematic prop. Like the cricket matches in the film, which are lavishly shot and feature some well-known international players (including former English captain Nasser Hussain testing his howlarious Hindi on us), but lack the excitement and anticipation of a genuine sports movie.

The story is set in contemporary times, though the bitterness that Bauji (RK) carries dates back to the '70s when he and his family were repeatedly humiliated by the 'goras' forcing him to become a tribal leader of sorts defending the honour of his clan and stubbornly denouncing the British in their own land. In the process, he thwarts the dreams of various members of his family, starting with his son Gattu (Akshay Kumar, in possibly the most understated role of his entire career), and a host of youngsters who want to pursue various dreams -- from becoming a rapper to marrying a white man -- but just can't muster the courage to stand up to Bauji.

In walks motormouth Simran (Anushka Sharma, acting like she was still in Band Baaja Baraat) who, along with her little brother Zeeshan decides to shake things up and provokes Gattu to rebel against his father. Meanwhile Advani doesn't care to explain why 34-year-old Gattu who's been running his father's corner store for many years is yet to get married. Hard to digest that a man of Bauji's temperament has allowed his eldest son to stay single for so long and his busy getting the younger siblings married instead.

But it's futile to look for logic in films like these. Akshay Kumar can't pass off as a young man anymore. But he's still got to be the hero and get to romance a heroine half his age, in keeping with Hindi film tradition. And that's all there is to it.

Everything about Patiala House you've seen before. Advani simply follows the beaten track faithfully. If it's still tolerable, it's only because it's rare to watch an Akshay Kumar film without incoherent plots, juvenile buffoonery, and skimpily clad heroines who are the butt of misogynistic jibes.

And because Rishi Kapoor makes just about any film watchable.