Story: Two amateur conmen decide to turn their luck around, after stumbling upon a plan that appears to be eerily lucrative. But, things are far from what meets the eye.
Review: Bahut Hua Samman revolves around the lives of two young men– Bony (Raghav Juyal) and Fundoo (Abhishek Chauhan) – who’re hapless victims of the country’s dwindling employment.
From being hailed as complete disgraces in front of their juniors as they repeat their final year and being the only ones to not get placed before eventually taking to a life of amateur conning; things seem pretty grim for the dejected engineering blokes until their chance encounter with Baba Bakchod (Sanjay Mishra). And, well, life’s never the same again.
Baba lends them a million dollar idea to turn their lives around – to rob MCBC – their University bank, and rake in crores of rupees while at it. Just for the record, this baba is equipped with a masterplan.
So, what do these wide-eye desperately money-hungry men do? Listen to him and “execute” the plan. Everything is fun and games as they invest time to develop a plan of action.
After days of scheming; the D-day arrives. A water protest is staged, but it goes kaput with an untimely curtailing, which eventually gives rise to a comedy of errors.
Only that, the joke’s on Bony and Fundoo as they discover that deed has already been done. Turns out, two local goons Raju and Bhola had entered the scene much before Bony and Fundoo, to engage in a (similar) bank heist — leaving them in lurch and at a loss of 2-3 crores. What’s more, the two land in the clutches of a top cop and college alumnus Bobby Tiwari (Nidhi Singh) who drills them over as she probes into the trail. But, that’s just the beginning.
Since the funds are linked to a politician, an assassin (Ram Kapoor) is on the loose to nab any potential suspect. Add to it, they find themselves caught in a web of sand-mafia. This sets the tone for the rest of the movie. But, that’s not all. Bahut Hua Samman gives out a powerful message pertinent to current times i.e. how revolution is crucial for as long as democracy exists. “Bhakth nahi bhagidaar chahiye” is something that would remain etched in your memory long after watching the movie.
This satirical comedy is peppered with political jokes and dialogues that are laced with a strong UP dialect. The peppy numbers race up the raunch factor of the flick, and the supportive staff do. The director might have dragged things at the start, but the movie begins to catch pace in the second half. The young actors have done a decent job in terms of keeping the suspense intact from get-go.
The movie could have balanced the pace of the move a lot better. The first half is unusually slow, while the pace in the second half feels like things progressing in a tearing hurry.
Watch the movie to be pleasantly surprised at the intelligent portrayal of the state of affairs in the country – only if you care to read between the lines.
Name of the Movie: Bahut Hua Samman
Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Director: Ashish Shukla
Cast: Sanjay Mishra, Abhishek Chauhan, Nidhi Singh, Raghav Juyal and Ram Kapoor
Rating: 3/5
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