BY SUMAIYA SHEIKH
Story:
Finally, Akshay Kumar’s much-awaited film Laxmmi Bomb or should we say Laxmii has dropped on the OTT.
The film is a horror-comedy; there is a ghost seeking vengeance on those who have wronged her. Akshay Kumar plays a Muslim man Asif who is a businessman and happily married to a Hindu woman Rashmi played by Kiara Advani. Their intercaste marriage wasn’t accepted by Rashmi’s family and she has not met her family in three years. They then get a chance to make amends for their elopement when Asif’s mother-in-law invites them home for a family reunion.
It has been mentioned in the very first few minutes of the film that Akshay’s character is a self-made businessman and also a part of an association that dispels myths about ghosts and supernatural beings.
The story goes on and we see Akshay, Kiara and their nephew’s character going to meet Rashmi’s family. Eventually, something happens and Asif gets possessed by a feisty transwoman who was murdered by greedy real-estate tycoons.
The film goes on and we also get to see a flashback and how eventually Laxmii dies and what happens to her.
Writing:
It was Sadak 2 which topped the list of poor films of 2020, but Raghava Lawrence and Farhad Samji kept no stone unturned to make Laxmii even worst. Writing is nothing but abominable, it gets even disturbing sometimes. It is very easy to do a horror-comedy however The comedy seems stale and the horror portions are filled with predictable jump scares.
Some punches were undoubtedly good but we do expect a lot from an Akshay Kumar film especially after a film like Bhool Bhulaiyaa. The writers miserably failed to make us belief in any of the things which are happening in the film.
Direction:
These were not Raghava Lawrence’s best shots. Even with such profound actors, the director couldn’t create magic on the screen.
Music:
Amar Mohile, Tanishk Bagchi did a decent job. The heart-pounding drum beats strange sounds of a woman crying, a child playing on a rocking horse creates goosebumps. Songs of the film are also quite good. However, the placement of the songs in the film is rather confusing.
Performances:
Ashwini Kalsekar, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Rajesh Sharma are legends in comedy but poor writing and underrated direction have spoiled their presence. Special mention needs to be made for Sharad Kelkar who plays the original Laxmii with a lot of gumption. Even though his screen time was very less, he made a mark with his presence. Akshay Kumar was surprisingly not at his best in the film and we could expect better form him in future. Kiara, as usual, had nothing much to do in the film except wearing beautiful outfits and looking sexy.
Verdict:
Laxmii is a pure disappointment. Being a horror-comedy, it fails in two main departments of the film, to scare you and to giggle you. It’s better not to waste 2 hours on the film and make a dalgona coffee instead.
Critics Rating:
