Gulabo Sitabo review: Amitabh & Ayushmann's shades of 'petty' make the dramedy shine

• Director: Shoojit Sircar
• Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Vijay Raaz, Brijendra Kala, Srishti Shrivastava, Farrukh Jaffar
• Producer: Ronnie Lahiri, Sheel Kumar
• Where to watch Gulabo Sitabo: Amazon Prime Video

The plot

A 78-year-old man named Mirza Nawab is completely in love with and attached to Fatima Mahal, a place where he and his wife live along with some tenants. Baankey Rastogi, one of the tenants, has been living along with his family of three sisters and mother for a long time, avoiding to pay the rent as much as he can. One morning, Baankey accidentally knocks down a wall of the mansion, which leads to a growing rift between him and Mirza that finally reaches the police station. There, an archaeological division officer, played by Vijay Raaz, hears them and becomes aware of the ancient house and starts trying to get it declared as a heritage site. Mirza gets a lawyer involved to transfer the ownership of the house to himself as it belongs to his wife, played by Farrukh Jaffar. This starts a battle between Mirza and the tenants, led by Baankey, leading to a hilariously unexpected ending.

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Watch the Gulabo Sitabo trailer here:

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What works?

Gulabo Sitabo is the perfect blend of fine acting, attention to detail and excellent direction. The setting of the movie is done with utmost perfection as every scene reeks of dilapidation and ruin, which is the background against which the whole plot is set up. The twists in the plot are light and are set up so perfectly that one is always engaged in every minute of the movie. Sircar plays with the plot like a weighing scale, as every second scene will make one believe that Mirza is winning and the next completely upends the entire story towards Baankey. The dialogues and characters are hilarious, and it is refreshing to see that the humour is not slapstick but actually ingrained within the characters and the plot of Gulabo Sitabo.

The characters in Gulabo Sitabo are not only written well but also played excellently by each and every actor. Whether it be a major character or a minor one, everyone looks realistic and in their element. Amitabh Bachchan once again proves why he is the ultimate superstar of the entertainment industry as Mirza is so wonderfully believable that halfway across the movie one forgets that it is Amitabh Bachchan. He encapsulates Mirza's unnerving pettiness along with the sharp personality. Ayushmann Khurrana's angsty character is up to perfection as well, right from his irritation to his lisp. He is clearly fed up of his situation and there are barely any moments when you see Baankey smile, thus making one pity the character. Vijay Raaz is the same as he is always, convincingly perfect in his role. Srishti Shrivastava is also a refreshing element of the movie, and she manages to grab the attention in every frame that she is present in. Farrukh Jafar has your heart from her first scene to the last in Gulabo Sitabo.

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What doesn't?

There is not much to criticize about Gulabo Sitabo. Srishti's character Guddo certainly had more potential and could have been more central to the plot. A little more detail about Baankey's personal life other than family would also have been welcome. Another very fun part of the movie was the past of Mirza and Begum and one is left wanting to know more about the same.

Gulabo Sitabo review: Final thoughts

Gulabo Sitabo is certainly a breath of fresh air amid all the tensions and worries of the real world. The movie is engaging and there will be a smile on the viewers' faces throughout the movie. I would definitely rewatch the movie, only to enjoy the small details, from Amitabh Bachchan's wobbly walk and Ayushmann Khurrana's witty and sarcastic dialogues. Get ready to chose sides, are you Team Mirza or Team Baankey?

Reviewer Rating: 4.5/5

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• Promo image credit: Stills from the film