Hat Trick- a sweet little comedy

Hat trick

Cast: Paresh Rawal, Rimi Sen, Kunal Kapoor, Danny Dengzongpa, Nana Patekar.
Direction: Milan Luthria

Firstly, what’s cricket doing in this movie, other than being a silly point(read reference point) in two of the story tracks. If Kunal Kapoor is the effervescent cricket obsessed husband who becomes a cricket basher when he discovers that his wife has a crush on Dhoni, then wife, Rimi is both oomphy and dishy as the newly wed who fantasizes about Dhoni in bed.

The first cricket movie to cash on the world cup fever and this one is a no ball or simply an overthrow that misses the wicket by quite a distance. Firstly, what’s cricket doing in this movie, other than being a silly point(read reference point) in two of the story tracks. In the first it becomes almost the cause of marriage break up and in the second it becomes a rallying point in a cut and dried hospital run by a khadoos doctor. In the third story, its so very iffy- a weapon of reverse racism- and that you might just let it be.
And secondly what should have been a sweet little comedy ends up being a series of episodes that completely sidetrack the laughter track. Sad, because Milan Luthria is a director who prefers to tell a different story.
But, all’s not awry with this Hattrick which does manage to score a few brownie points in the performance department. All the lead actors are breezy and lovable. If Kunal Kapoor is the effervescent cricket obsessed husband who becomes a cricket basher when he discovers that his wife has a crush on Dhoni, then wife, Rimi is both oomphy and dishy as the newly wed who fantasizes about Dhoni in bed. Danny makes a delightful comeback as the ex cricketer staring death in his face with the strength of his cricket fervour and nana is nana : acerbic, unsmiling and yet intensely humane.
As for Paresh Rawal as the desi trapped in racist London, the Gujju act has become kid’s play for him by now.
A bit more of fun and games and the film might just have been that googly at the cash starved box office.