- Date of Release: 21 January 2022
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery
- Language: Hindi
- Watch On: Zee5 Premium
36 Farmhouse
Introduction
It is a start of another huge weekend with as many as 8 new releases to boast of. This means another laborous weekend of hussling in order to present the latest reviews in a jiffy. So if yiu do like our reviews then please do bookmark our site and spread the word. So first up I finished watching the new Hindi film 36 Farmhouse on Zee5. The thing that I was intrigued about the most was its title. It gave me that right amount of curiosity of it being a nicely woven mystery drama with a hint of comedy. Secondly this is written by Subhash Ghai who is returning after a hiatus of many years. These were the primary reasons for me picking up this film first to review. Is it worth your time, stay tuned.
Story & Screenplay
36 Farmhouse follows the story of a father-son duo who enter a wealthy household for monetary gains until they realise something more sinister taking place in the house. Now if you are impressed with the story description then a large credit for it will go to me and my choice of words(not boasting) because the story is a 100 odd minute snoozefest. It is neither a comedy nor a thriller and just has no excitement whatsoever. The screenplay is flat from the word go. Set in times of the pandemic, the screenplay fails to create moments which are genuinely funny which is a shame considering the stellar cast. Infact, the mystery element does not appear for most parts of the film which is where the focus should have been. Not sure why the focus was on comedy and that too lame in the name of quirky which just makes you lose interest midway. At no point in the drama did the film get thrilling and that was indeed sad. After a point you just go through the motions in trying to find some solace in a screenplay which is nothing short of a disaster. Like in Kaun Banegi Shikharwati, this is another stellar cast let down big time by a screenplay which I can best describe as being lame.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are corny and just unfunny. Would you not know this while writing them is the question I may want to ask the writer Subhash Ghai. It is hard to find moments where even a chuckle is hard to come by and that says something about the writing. The music is bad and the BGM is largely forgettable. Director Ram Ramesh Sharma just makes a hash of the proceedings. The fact that the film bores you to death is where it falters and the director needs to take a part of the blame for it.
Performances
The performances are good in a ship which was destined to sink. And I feel sorry for them. Ashwani Kalsekar as Benny is good. Barkha Singh as Antara looks pretty and does a fair job. Flora Saini as Mithika also looks stunning and does a good job. Rahul Singh has his moments too. Amol Parasher as Harry is likable and wish he selects better scripts. Veterans like Vijay Raaz and Sanjai Mishra really try their best to infuse life into this lifeless story and my heart goes out to them. But as Dilip Saab had once said : No Artist Can Rise Above The Script.
Conclusion
36 Farmhouse is neither a comedy nor a thrilling mystery. Infact, it tries to be cleverer and pretentious than it actually is. Available on Zee5.