Aiyyaa is a desi film at heart. The first half seems stretched. Many might find its loud, outré storytelling style somewhat difficult to comprehend. Rani is a complete natural and glides through her part with brilliance, feel critics.
Sachin Kundalkar’s story is as crazy as it gets and he’s translated it beautifully on screen. The characters have been developed so finely that every time any two of them meet, there’s something interesting bound to happen. And for once, it just isn’t the routine running-around-trees. He gives us a heroine who loves her Bollywood and wants to live it as well. On the other hand, we have an artist whose life is in stark contrast to his admirer,” writes Roshni Devi, Koimoi.com.
“But even with all the expertise, you do get bored of Meenakshi chasing Surya after a while. While it’s really novel to see a heroine enamoured by the scent of her hero, the stalking gets repetitive after a while. Some of the detours in the screenplay seem unnecessary and needlessly lengthen the film,” says Devi.
“On the flipside, it takes time to get the hang of things. Also, the first half seems stretched, with a few unnecessary sequences adding to the run time. But the second hour more than compensates for the deficiencies,” adds Adarsh. “Many might find its loud, outré storytelling style somewhat difficult to comprehend and digest, especially in the context of the film’s slice-of-life love story predicated on a willing suspension of disbelief. Aiyyaa, Sachin Kundalkar’s first Hindi film on the back of three critically applauded Marathi-language features, revels in flying against expectations with complete abandon,” says Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV.
Performances: “Rani Mukerji might have Agabai-ed, Aiyaa-ed and Issh-ed more than a dozen times on screen but the gal is wonderful! Rani lives it as Meenakshi with all the narcissism, over the top drama, unquestioning love and she does it beautifully throughout. Prithviraj gets very little to do as Surya but he manages well,” says Devi. “Aiyyaa is what it is for varied reasons and one of them is Rani’s livewire act. A complete natural, Rani glides through her part with brilliance. An accomplished actor, who can handle the comic sequences with as much flourish as the emotional ones, Rani is absolutely ravishing. Prithviraj, who has several South Indian films to his credit, does a super job in his first Hindi outing. He has striking screen presence, has worked hard to get in shape, but most importantly, he is a damn confident actor,” feels Adarsh.
“Rani’s a livewire as the madcap Meenakshi – her attempt to be part of the rising range of heroine-centric films – but after a point she seems to be trying too hard to impress with her histrionics. And you certainly feel so when she tries to pull off the Marathi accent. Though the reigning diva sounds believable when she’s speaking in Surya’s mother tongue (she learns the South Indian language to impress the handsome hunk). As mentioned earlier the supporting cast does a good job at making you laugh and sometimes cry as their acts get monotonous. And all those women think who think Bollywood always exploits the fairer-sex to heighten the hot-o-metre in movies, Aiyyaa is your film. South film actor Prithviraj’s the eye-candy in this plot. He’s mostly there to show-off his well-sculpted physique and lend oomph and sizzle to the wacky comedy. But sadly that’s all he does when he’s not throwing intense glances at Meenakshi,” feels Parekh. “Rani, though showing signs of ageing, does a good job and entertains through most parts of the film, when she is not trying too hard to entertain. Meenakshi is just an extension of Bubbly from Bunty aur Bubly. Although she is not as rebellious, she is bold and despite staying grounded, she dares to dream. Rani, single-handedly carries the entire film with dramatic portrayals and amazing dance sequences,” says Sikka.
Direction: “Sachin Kundalkar has directed the movie very well though it lags in many parts. The visuals of the colours and the art have been done so masterfully that you want to give most of the credit to Amalendu Choudary for the mesmerizing cinematography,” feels Devi. “Although the plot is innovative, but skeletal, what keeps the film going is Sachin Kundalkar’s ability to stumble upon humor in the most ordinary situations. In fact, a number of sequences merit a mention here, but that would ruin the fun. Sachin catches the pulse of the Maharashtrian backdrop and does immense justice to the written material,” says Adarsh. “Sachin Kundalkar starts out well, but while juggling between Marathi matrimonials and midnight-masala, his plot goes ‘wakda’ (read: digresses). After a few giggles, erotic gasps, and gaanas (Amit Trivedi), the story stretches pointlessly and loses its scent,” says Mukherjee. “The director had the potential of producing something way better with the kind of team he had at his disposal, however, he fails to do so,” feels Sikka.
Conclusion: “Aiyyaa is quirkily different and is worth watching for all the characters. But the sniffing and chasing gets a bit annoying,” says Devi.
“On the whole, there are reasons aplenty as to why Aiyyaa becomes a deserving watch. It’s arresting, amusing, entertaining and of course, thoroughly enjoyable, with Rani’s splendid act, refreshingly different plot, winsome songs, pleasant humor and terrific moments as its aces. Don’t miss it!” concludes Adarsh. “Aiyyaa is triumphant because its originality matches the director’s assured film-making. Kundalkar is a director with a confident, uninhibited stamp,” says Sharma. “Even with such a talented ensemble, this one turns into a cultural showpiece, and gets lost in translation. That’s the sad-partumm!” feels Mukherjee. “Aiyyaa takes time to warm up, slips into dull patches at times and occasionally teeters on the edge of a certain dissonance. But the subversive spirit that drives the absurdist core of Aiyyaa is well worth embracing,” says Chatterjee. “Though the film is limited by cheesy dialogues and prosaism, it proves to be an entertainer and a definite treat for every Rani Mukerji fan,” says Sikka.
