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By Taran Adarsh, August 4, 2006 - 13:05 IST
 RGV has attempted a number of serious films in rapid
succession and a light entertainer from his stable is
a rarity. That sure whets your appetite for a film
like DARWAZA BANDH RAKHO, which promises to be a
laughathon. Besides, the captain of the ship in this
case is an actor, Chekravarthy, who didn't create much
an impact with DURGA, but proved his credentials when
he directed one of the short stories in DARNA ZAROORI
HAI.
That raises the expectations from this low-budget
enterprise…
Like a majority of RGV films, DARWAZA BANDH RAKHO has
a novel premise. But most innovative and unusual
themes run out of steam midway because the
storytelling lacks that certain spark. Thankfully,
DARWAZA BANDH RAKHO gets most things right in those 11
reels.
The plot of DARWAZA BANDH RAKHO is refreshingly
different, but it bears an uncanny resemblance to the
RGV-produced LOVE KE LIYE KUCH BHI KAREGA and the
recent MALAMAAL WEEKLY. Despite similarities, DARWAZA
BANDH RAKHO still comes across as an original concept
because director Chekravarthy has planted the film in
one mansion from start to end and woven the story
around multiple characters.
Also, the two important mantras that any and every
comic caper ought to remember are [i] The jokes ought
to be funny and [ii] The actors should have a terrific
sense of timing. DARWAZA BANDH RAKHO appeals because
some of the jokes/antics are truly hilarious and also,
the actors play to the gallery.
 The expectations don't run sky-high when you walk into
the screening of DARWAZA BANDH RAKHO, but, be rest
assured, you'd come out of the screening with a smile
on your face and pleasant memories of the film.
Four men -- Ajay [Aftab Shivdasani], Raghu [Chunky
Pandey], Goga [Snehal Dabhi] and Abbas [Zakir Hussain]
-- plan of making a quick buck by kidnapping a rich
girl, Isha [Isha Sharvani].
Not being prepared for unforeseen situations, they are
forced to take shelter in a mansion and take the
people residing in the house [Ishrat Ali, Smita Jaykar,
Padma Rani, Vijay Singh, Tashu] as hostages. Bad luck
strikes when they get to know that the father of the
kidnapped girl [Gulshan Grover] has flown out of the
country the very same day.
The kidnappers, in the waiting process, are forced to
take more people as hostages to keep their identity
and plan under wraps. The hostages create a series of
situation too complex for the kidnappers to handle.
DARWAZA BANDH RAKHO is a comic fest from start to end.
In fact, the very start of the film -- the
introduction of Ishrat Ali's family and the change of
fortunes -- defines the mood of the film. And the
arrival of the unwanted guests in the house [the four
gangsters and the kidnapped girl] at the start itself
only spruces up matters.
 The unconventional story only gets exciting as a
steady stream of visitors start flowing in - first,
the pizza delivery boy [Nitin Raikwar], followed by a
sales girl [Manisha Koirala], the domestic help's
husband [Ravi Kale], the money lender [Jeeva], a
doctor [Kota Srinivasa Rao], the money lender's son [Javed],
an estate agent [Goga Kapoor], Isha's father's
secretary [Pramod Moutho], Isha's father [Gulshan
Grover], the gangster [Raju Mavani] and the cop [Anupam
Shyam].
Despite an offbeat theme, one location and multiple
characters, DARWAZA BANDH RAKHO doesn't get chaotic or
messy at all. In fact, the narrative is easy to
comprehend and what really helps is that each
character gets his/her due importance -- a scene or
two that makes him/her the focus of attention.
Chekravarthy has not only chosen a hatke theme, but
has also shot the film well. The incidents unfurl at a
feverish pace and there's not one dull moment. But the
climax chase could've been shorter and more impactful.
Ishrat Ali running away with the bagful of money and
breaking into martial arts could've been avoided. Yet,
despite the hiccups, the film provides laughter in
abundance.
The background score [Amar Mohile] is just right.
Special mention must be made of the camerawork; it's
excellent. Dialogues [Snehal Dabhi] are mass-oriented
and work to the benefit of the film. The sound quality
is also appropriate.
The film has a huge cast, but the one who steals the
show is Ishrat Ali, who is terrific all through and
will be loved by the masses. The actor, who made a
strong impact with KAALCHAKRA years ago, gets yet
another role that would stand out in his repertoire.
Isha Sharvani is a complete natural and shows
tremendous improvement over her debut film [KISNA].
The initial awkwardness is all gone. In fact, Isha's
presence adds to the freshness in the film. Aftab does
quite well, although the role doesn't offer him scope
to display histrionics. Chunky has a flair for comedy
and that comes across well in his scenes with Manisha.
 Manisha Koirala is fair. Zakir Hussain excels. In
fact, the actor conveys so much through expressions.
Snehal Dabhi is okay. Ravi Kale leaves a strong
impact. Divya Dutta is, as always, dependable. Smita
Jaykar and Padma Rani look perfect for the parts. The
sequences between Jeeva and Kota Srinivasa Rao are
truly hilarious; both shine in small roles. Goga
Kapoor, Raju Mavani, Pramod Moutho and Gulshan Grover
lend decent support.
On the whole, DARWAZA BANDH RAKHO is a fun ride that
should appeal to lovers of comedy. At the box-office,
the main opposition this week [ANTHONY KAUN HAI?] and
the big one next week [K.A.N.K.] will affect its
prospects. The film will have to rely on a strong word
of mouth eventually.
Rating:- * *
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