Gulaab Gang Review

Hai Ram... Sampat Ji ka daala dana. Marketing aur project making ka hai zamanna. Got it.. Na.. forget it.. this commercial Makhana (butter) on the toasted bread of Sampat Pal female brigade `Gulaabi Gang' in Bhundelkhand U.P. starring the diva's of B-town Madhuri and Juhi appeared roasted for a good heavy grilling bollywood break from its fast from male dominated commercial potboilers coming on the eve of international women's day.

But when actually tasted (seen) it appears over fried in its `massy' pride where Juhi Chawla steals the show by amazingly posting the wickedness on her soft cute face with elan while the b-town Dancing Queen tries hard to redeem with those Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon type inspired stunts but she appears too glamorous in those handloom saris to ignite any worries for her and her gang in the heart and mind of the audience who feel the feminism in the movie forced.

Its Bundelkhand U.P. the land where Rani Laxmi Bai (Jhansi Ki Rani) sacrificed her life fighting the British in that 1857 mutiny almost fifteen decades has passed and this part of our India is still struggling to give education to the girl child, all the possible atayachar like domestic violence, rape, dowry etc happen here. A girl Rajjo (Madhuri) rises for the occasion runs an organization called `Gulaab Gang' wearing pink and taking the rod (read law) in their hands with a small provocation wink.

Enters Sumitra (Juhi) an uncompromising shrewd and nasty politician drawn on the lines of Mamta, Mayawati, and Jayalatita's of Indian politics who wants to use the clout of Rajjo for her political interest differences occur very soon and the both find pitted against to outclass each other.

Helmer Soumik Sen in his own story asks his co -writers to add every possible glory and sensationalisms available in Indian cinema's commercial potboilers where we have corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, shrews netas, pervert young MLA sons and all but the writes and the directors just couldn,t hold the interest and make it convincing the shifting of gears from Praksh Jhaish cinema to do something of a Shyam Benegali type of thingie misfires leaving the audience baffled and puzzled for most of the time feeling disconnected and bored.

If not for Juhi clap worthy heroics as an actress and surprising better and much determined act by Madhuri's comrades played by Divya Jagdale, Priyanka Bose and Tannishta Chatterjee ` Gulaab Gang'  would have become impossible to sit through. What more disappointing is to find Mrs Nene in her second phase of career getting a novel character but still just couldn,t polish her with her nuances as an actress the way we saw in Mirtyudand, Lajja.. sad to see the b-town dancing Queen just couldn,t step her up according to the required tunes as a actress though she still looks stunning in those handlooms and those Ikat's but will the audience settle with this at the price of their ticket... only to feel Didi's tevar for hardly any cinematic favour.. doubt.

Rating **