Director: Deepak Tijori
Starring: Dino Morea, Jimmy Shergill, Celina Jaitley, Anuj Sawhney, Gulshan Grover, Shakti Kapoor, Sanjay Mishra, Aditya Lakhia, Javed khan, Avtar Gill, Rakesh Bedi, Kunika, Kim Sharma
Music Dir: Himesh Reshammiya DJ Akbar Sami

Good! Bad!! Ugly!!! The words seem to be the catch-line of today's genre of comical flicks. The successful formula of laugh riots has been the sure shot ladder to unpredictable stardom for many starlets and directors. Despite mixed results the present genre of directors is hell bent in plagiarizing different style of slapstick comedies.

Flop actor-turned-flop director's latest offering 'Tom Dick and Harry' promises full entertainment provided you should forget to wear your thinking caps. After burning his hand at sleaze ('Oops'), suspense ('Fareb') and horror ('Khamosh') he tries his luck with comedy.

It may be a coincidence that two filmmakers think alike but once again two films with similar plots and themes hit marquee within a brief gap of time. Indra Kumar's 'Pyare Mohan' had similar storyline with almost similar climax and set-up but unfortunately it was rejected outright. In terms of cinematic aesthetics, it scored low on all segments except melodious music.

Himesh Reshammiya's foot-tapping and trendy music is the only saving grace in this loosely conceived comical entertainer. After viewing 'Tom Dick and Harry' one feels the need for master filmmakers like Priadarshan and David Dhawan for their invaluable contributions of comical entertainers during the last two decades.

Comedies come in two formats - comedian led gag and situational comedy that are told within the narration of the film. There may be possibilities that both these formats overlap or succeed in one format independently. But 'Tom Dick and Harry' fails at both styles of formats. Shoddy script, sloppy screenplay, reckless direction and substandard performances make it a below average affair.

It fails to grip audiences and at many times the situational gags irritate. Despite illogicalities in the script the film suffers from poor characterization. It tries to glorify protagonist impairment but there are hardly many moments of laughter.

Tom Dick and Harry' is the story of three physically challenged handsome hunks. They have the looks, charm but fail to entice fairer sex because of their disability. Tom (Dino Morea) is deaf, Dick (Anuj Sawhney) is blind and Harry (Jimmy Shergill) is mute and together they share a room as paying guest. Happy Singh (Rakesh Bedi) is their landlord who lives with his wife (Kunika Lal) and son. Tom and Dick are wholesalers of condoms but fail to pay their rent on time.

Celina (Celina Jaitley) is their girl next door who has sensual physique to entice all of them. Besides her there is Bijlee (Kim Sharma), fisherwoman who nurses love for Tom.

The film rolls on second track where Suprano (Gulshan Grover) is a self-proclaimed world's most dreaded villain. He runs chains of illegal business and his latest offering is kidnapping of young girls and exporting them to different countries. He sets his eyes on Celina and tries to kidnap her but all his efforts are nullified by Tom Dick and Harry. Inspector Waghmare (Shakti Kapoor) has plans to nab the racket and in this hot pursuit he encounters all three of them.

The cat and mouse game between Suprano and the lucky trio catches momentum and the evil acts of Suprano are unveiled. Unfortunately, the climax comes as the weakest link and in spite of tickling funny bone it infuriates viewers.

The success of 'Black' and 'Iqbal' wrote history because it portrayed the concept of "disability with pride and glory". Films like 'Pyare Mohan' and 'Tom Dick and Harry' borrow their skin and soul from Hollywood's 'See No Evil. Hear No Evil'. 'Pyare Mohan' has decent treatment but 'Tom Dick and Harry' comes like a half-baked crude joke with full of nonsense and vulgarity.

Deepak Tijori has tried to plagiarize Hollywood style of "Screwball" comedy that was conceived successfully in Ekta Kapoor 'Kya Kool Hain Hum', Indra Kumar's 'Masti' and Boney Kapoor's 'No Entry'. Blame it on amateurish scriptwriting by Yunis Sejwal and Kamal Pandey that the film finds no grounding and falls flat on its face. The comical gags involving deaf, dumb and mute heroes works occasionally but erratic storyline and unimaginative characterizations mess up all the matter.

Gulshan Grover's larger than life villain portrayal sounds like poor joke told in even more prankish way. The loud character of "Suprano" seems to be the mindset of a kindergarten kid and it turns more boorish when he emotes out his heroism in front of Bollywood's villain copycats (Gabbar Singh, Shakaal and Mogambo). Celina Jaitley and Kim Sharma are there to flaunt their physical assets mindlessly and are reduced to mere item girls.

Kim Sharma exposing her cleavage unnecessarily is mindless and Celina Jaitley's pole dancing makes it a pack of video songs. Dino Morea comes out as the most impressive of the lot with his deaf attire. The model-turned-actor has been a revelation in recent times and it shows in his improvised acting and Hindi diction.

Anuj Sawhney shares some light moments but at many places he hams unconditionally. Jimmy Shergill comes out as the weakest of the lot with his mute act. Gulshan Grover disappoints completely in poorly written role and will be counted as one of his forgettable works in his career.

Comedies are serious business and need competent players on and off screen. The film succeeds to make audiences but in small bits and parts. In fact, veteran comedian Rakesh Bedi scores the maximum on the comical quotient despite the fact the film promises to glorify the talents of Dino Morea, Jimmy Shergill and Anuj Sawhney.

Unlike 'Pyare Mohan' the film prospects lie on crudity and double meaning gags and jokes designed to titillate front-benchers. The two and half package of poorly conceived comical drama becomes so irritating that it would limit female and family audiences.

The sequence where Anuj Sawhney blows up condoms to celebrate Rakesh Bedi's son's birthday is awful. Even the double meaning gags and jokes are unbearable and fail to tickle funny bone.

It reminds of this year's first release 'Jawaani Diwani' that made history for one of the worst cinematic works in recent times. Deepak Tijori's rudderless direction has failed once again to conceptualize the theme. This places him in the category of flop actor-turned-flop directors like Karan Razdan and Anant Mahadevan. Once again the melodious Sufi Pop music of Himesh Reshammiya has proved jinx for the film.

After the failure of 'Aksar', 'Aashiq Banaya Apne' and average success of '36 Chinatown' it comes as another wasted musical attempt. Manoj Soni's cinematography is enticing in capturing exotic beach locations.

Remo's choreography is routine and is restricted to sluggish club dancing and singing. All the fast paced choreographed soundtracks look more like video songs than Bollywood numbers. "Tanha Jiya Na Jaye" (Dandiya Song) holds some attention and "O Mitra" shows male bonding in perfect sense and style.

Deepak Tijori has failed once again as director and this time it's his comedy. The failure of 'Jawani Diwani and 'Pyare Mohan' has shown that comedy is not an easy business.

Once again it has been proved with 'Tom Dick and Harry' that poorly baked comedy can turn out to be tragedy for its filmmakers. In short, it's an irritating and unbearable crude joke that will find few takers.