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Sanjeev Sharma’s “Saat Uchakkey” (Seven Loafers) is a supposedly absurdist comedy about seven wastrels who plan a treasure heist in an ancient mansion. The film begins in a mental hospital, where a gullible young doctor is told of the legend of Bichchi, the institution’s most dangerous inmate who’s been in solitary confinement for 20 years.
Bichchi (Annu Kapoor) is a clairvoyant and hypnotist who can apparently control people by looking into their eyes. When he escapes from the institution, he lands up in a forgotten corner of Old Delhi where time seems to have stood still. He comes across Pappi (Manoj Bajpayee), a small-time criminal who is always looking for new ways to earn a fortune so that he can marry Sona (Aditi Sharma), the neighbourhood siren and the woman of his dreams.
When he hears of a treasure that might be hidden in a mansion and is egged on by Bichchi, Pappi gathers a motley group of stragglers like himself and plans a heist. The premise in itself promises humour, but the execution – by Sharma and co-writer Sandeep Saket – is all over the place.
Much of the film is wasted on the internal squabbles of the group and their exchange of profanities. Every third sentence in the film has a cuss word, which in itself may not be a bad thing, but not when the filmmaker tries to pass them off for humour. The gags aren’t funny and the film seems to drag on interminably.
Bajpayee and the rest of the cast plough on, regardless of the meaninglessness of the script. The only person you feel for is Kay Kay Menon, the police officer who is always late to the chase and is left bewildered and empty-handed in the end. That’s how the audience is likely to feel too at the end of “Saat Uchakkey”.
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