- Movie : Vikun Taak | विकून टाक
- Producer : Uttung Hitendra Thakur
- Director : Sameer Patil
- Star Cast : Shivraj Waichal, Chunky Pandey, Rohit Mane, Hrishikesh Joshi, Varsha Dandale, Samir Choughule, Rujuta Deshmukh, Radha Sagar & Jaywant Wadkar
- Story, Screenplay and Dialogues : Siddheshwar Ekambe, Charudas Bhagwat & Sameer Patil
Viewpoint: Director Sameer Patil of ‘Poshter Boyz’, ‘Poshter Girl’ & ‘Shentimental’ fame has a habit of tickling us and pinching us both at same time through his issue based social comedies. In his newest film ‘Vikun Taak’ he again succeeds in doing the same though the issue feels a bit forced in the end of the film, and film’s plot jumbles itself up also by the end. Yet the overall experience of watching the film remains pleasant.
What Works?
- Casting has been crucial to all of Sameer Patil films. He truly wins his first battle by getting the right people for the right part. And he does it again! From Shivraj Waichal in the lead, to Chunky Pandey as an ‘Arab’ (with a deliberately silly Arab accent) or the new actor (Rohit Mane) who plays the hero’s friend, and the rest of the ensemble cast all of them fit their parts perfectly and compliment each other through their performances.
- Another common trait in Sameer Patil‘s films is the way he marries old Marathi cinema subjects to modern sensibilities. His films though set in rural or urban backdrops they would easily appeal to both audiences. For example in the beginning of the film we see a marriage being called off at the very last moment, something we have seen so many times in our old Marathi films, but the twist here is that it’s been called off by the bride’s side instead of the groom’s! And this isn’t a gimmick in any way!
- Vikun Taak’s biggest strength is even though it uses a social backdrop to extract humour from, it never disrespects and sensationalize the backdrop. On a plot level yes it feels jumbled up by the end but we never feel that the backdrop was just there as a filmy element, it feels authentic.
- The film sets up it’s conflict effectively in the beginning of the film and because of that we feel for the protagonist and are really want him to get out of trouble. Had the set up failed in making us feel for him, the journey would have been less interesting.
- The humour is hit and miss, sometimes the joke work and sometimes they feel a bit cringy (especially in the second half) but there is still a newness about the humour that doesn’t make us feel we are watching something that we’ve watched before.
What Fails?
- I said that the film has an authentic social backdrop but beyond that there’s a specific social issue and social commentary regarding human organ trafficking in the film. Which arrives too late in the film and feels forced into the plot. Had the film introduced it earlier, it would have really raised the stakes for the ‘thrill’ part of the film.
- There’s a love angle in the film that never really feels justified for it’s existence. It simply feels like a mandatory inclusion to have a female “heroine” in the film.
- As said above the plot of the film jumbles itself up in the end. The film feels a bit confused on the point it wanted to make, and we realize the point they wanted to make had nothing to do with the plot but had to do with the lately introduced social issue. While doing so it also forcefully villainizes a supporting character who always felt really harmless.
Final Verdict: ‘Vikun Taak’ is a fun film overall that is well acted and directed and give us a good light feeling that lasts at least a day but it’s very doubtful whether it will have any repeat watchable value or not?
