[Coellacag]

Ho-Hum!! Any other more deserving struggler in his place might have been given a boot strong enough to leave a longlasting mark on the bum, but Chirag Paswan, the son of an influential politician, gets his first Bollywood launchpad served on a silver salver. And one would have no qualms in accepting him as a possible actor, let alone a star, had the lad even thimbleful of talent, a fluky moment of charisma, or a frame-worth of screen presence. But no! Chirag is more wooden than a plank, more uptight than a mannequin and has no ladykiller looks either. So watching this newbie sleepwalk through two-plus long hours of this regressive cinema called Miley Naa Miley Hum is like a slumberous loll on a sleepy afternoon.



The story seems to have been filched straight from the dusty archives of the cinema of the ’80s. Chirag (see! the script’s literally written for him) is torn between his separated parents, played by Kabir Bedi and Poonam Dhillon. Both love him but want him to marry the girl of their choice. So while Papa settles for a Punjabi friend’s daughter (Neeru Bajwa), Mom dear zeroes down on an NRI (Sagarika Ghatge). A few unguarded moments and a song each with the two girls has Chirag running for cover. To ward off the pressure from his overbearing parents, he lies to them that he has a girlfriend, and she is none other than a model named Anishka. Enter Kangana Ranaut.

To turn his lie to truth, Chirag makes a luring offer to a snooty Anishka to pretend as his girlfriend for 20 days. And on the side, he pursues his passion for tennis (where the blazes does this come from!!), somewhat sagged by the constant tiff between his feuding parents. The drama eventually boils down to the day when Chirag plays his crucial match and voila! his parents unite to lend him moral support just when the match is all but slipped from his grasp.



Writer-director Tanveer Khan tries to splice together a love story with family drama and squeezes it all in the template of a sports movie in the climax. But it all turns out to be a bit of a hodgepodge because none of the said tracks have depth, subtlety or smarts. Chirag’s acting potential has already been spoken of, but what’s disappointing is that Kangana Ranaut is reduced to a screechy and vain glamdoll. The other two ladies, Neeru Bajwa and Sagarika Ghatge have pretty little to do. Only Kabir Bedi and Poonam Dhillon come up with performances meriting a nod.

The music and cinematography is strictly passable. Tanveer Khan’s direction is amateurish and the product placements too in-your-face. The tennis match scenes are so shoddily choreographed as to inspire even a Nadal for premature retirement.

Rating: 1.5 stars out of 5

[Lunims]

Story: Miley Naa Miley Hum revolves around Chirag (Chirag Paswan) who comes from a broken family and happens to live with his father (Kabir Bedi) and mother (Poonam Dhillon) on a monthly basis. And, like every parent, his separated parents search for girls of their own choice, to marry off their son. Unconvinced by their selection, he hires an aspiring model Anishka (Kangna Ranaut) and offers her a deal she can’t ignore.

Story Treatment: It’s definitely not just a love story and the undercurrent of emotional drama steers through the script. A few interesting and engaging moments make the journey enjoyable, though the story leaves you with a predictable climax.

Star Cast: Chirag Paswan looks good on screen but the debutant needs to work on his acting skills. Kangana Ranaut, though most of the times look less convincing as a model, plays her part well. Kabir Bedi and Poonam Dhillon deliver a natural performance. Neeru looks confident and leaves an impact, while Sagarika also does justice to whatever offered.

Direction: Tanveer Khan’s attempt to derive a romantic performance from his actors seems too evident. Though the director tries to hold your attention, the boring screenplay is a letdown. The element of romance also doesn’t seem to come out as strongly as it should have.

Dialogue/cinematography/music: Dialogues are simple; and songs are soothing and stay with you for a while. The cinematography makes the visual experience appealing. Shweta Tiwari’s item number is entertaining.

Ups and Downs: Predictable storyline is something which might keep you away from the movie. However, if you wish to watch a light flick this weekend, Miley Naa Miley Hum can be your pick.