Chrysanthepop Writer director Subhash Kapoor comes up with a highly original and entertaining black comedy in the form of 'Phas Gaya Re Obama'. Taking today's issues like recession and its effect on society, whether it's the once wealthy American Indian or the villagers, the film uses this in its premise and how the despair of these people lead to desperate consequences. And, this is done with a sense of humour that is sarcastic, witty and amusing.The art direction and cinematography are superb. The sets look authentic. The pacing is a tad slow, especially in the first half but it quickly picks up in the second half. The music is minimally used.The best performance comes from Manu Rishi who displays excellent comic timing.. Sanjay Mishra and Amol Gupte are also very good. Rajat Kapoor does fine in the sequences that require him to be restrained. However, he does look uncomfortable in the scenes that required him to be more dramatic. Neha Dhupia is miscast. The role would have been excellent for someone like Konkona Sen Sharma, Divya Dutta or Raveena Tandon. To be fair to Dhupia, she does try. It's just not the kind of role she's suited for.The highlight of 'Phas Gaya Re Obama' is Subhash Kapoor. It is his screenplay and direction that keeps the viewer engrossed from start to finish. During a time when Hindi cinema is churning out one stale product after another, 'Phas Gaya Re Obama' comes as a breath of fresh air.

kunalkhandwala Satires in their relatively rare existence have proved to be difficult to work upon in our film industry. For every 'Jaane bhi do yaaron', we also have a 'Peepli'. Director Subhash Kapoor sets his talented cast in the aftermath of the global recession with an outrageous mockery of the President's Yes We Can slogan. From its harshness about recession in America to the hilarious slump time for the local underworld, Phas Gaye Re Obama works in all aspects. The once millionaire, now in-debt Om Shastri (Rajat Kapoor) is on the verge of bankruptcy with his home on the brink of foreclosure in a month's time. Unless he finds means to pay off the bank, the recession threatens to bring his family on the street. In a desperate attempt to salvage a family fortune, Om travels to his homeland only to find that the recession has hit the hinterland as well and it will be impossible to sell the ancestral Haveli. However, the news of a millionaire NRI reaches the ears of Bhai Saab (Sanjay Mishra), a dejected yet ambitious small time gangster who kidnaps Shastri in broad daylight. Now, not only does Shastri have to salvage his home, but he also has to escape from the clutches of the tiered underworld of rural India involving Bhai Saab, Ali Bhai, Munni and an aspiring minister who secretly runs a very well organized kidnapping business. While the film gradually gathers pace in the first half after introducing its characters, the audience is entertained through hilarious scenes and dialogues that suggest nothing loud and ridiculous but are wacky and genuinely funny. The second half of the film is where the director shows his adroitness in dealing with suspense, drama and comedy in a satire while making it all sensible. As the screenplay draws your attention through a narrower tunnel, the focal point becomes Shastri's ingenious suggestion of his 'idea' to the goons, leading you to rejoice, applaud or grab another handful of popcorn till the next part unravels. Phas gaye re Obama is witty and without being nonsensical, it tries well to elaborate the plight of an opportunist in adverse circumstances that often tend to be seriously funny. The film's strengths lie in the director's ability to engage the actors into their characters leading to their laudable performances, the crisp screenplay that leaves no room for fillers, the witty dialogues however silly and a smooth blend of comedy stirred into serious circumstances. Often times, the film looks very serious but the characters have been introduced so well, that one cannot control the smirk even in a serious scene. While its comedy may not be a constant throughout, the lack of excessive has led to this film being worthy of a watch. Rajat Kapoor is a versatile actor and here, he leads his co-actors while showcasing a fine understanding of Om Shastri's circumstances. Sanjay Mishra was always capable of being more than a sidekick to someone and here, he proves that he is dependable in all comic avatars. Manu Rishi plays the pro-American Anni who works for the gangsters but deep within, is a friend-in-deed of Om Shastri. Neha Dhupia, in a shorter role, does better than her attempts at anything else in her glamorous career and Amole Gupte as the sly politician is convincingly brilliant. The sequence with 'Tyagi English Coaching classs' is sure the bring the house down while many dialogues and scenes involving Sanjay Mishra, Amole Gupte and Manu Rishi hold the comic bits together. Phas Gaye Re Obama is new age non-formulaic cinema that is funny unlike the attempted comedy of errors that we are subjected to so often. This is an effective satire with the recession's repercussions experienced by likable characters who are enriched by the director's adept writing and screenplay. If you enjoyed 'Tere Bin Laden', then you have no reason not to embrace this tribute to Obama.8.110 on a scale of 1-10.

debrajgangulie Bollywood was starving badly for want of a good entertaining movie in 2010 after the impact that was left by 3 IDIOTS last year, but the movies that came all throughout the year were dull and hugely irritating, both in their content as well as their entertainment quotient. Although a few brainless entertainers like DABANGG and HOUSEFULL managed to entertain the masses, but there was hardly a film that could even be put in the 'okay' category by the intellectual audience. Hindi movie lovers were craving for food after a long fast since 3 IDIOTS when PHAS GAYE RE OBAMA happened, giving us ample reason to be as happy at the end of 2010 as we were at the end of 2009. PHAS GAYE RE OBAMA is rich in pure humor, the kind of humor that can make you 'laugh your intestines out'! And not in just one or two scenes, but each and every scene is so perfectly scripted that it is hard to believe that it's been made by a newbie. I can see the flavor of Rajkumar Hirani in Subhash Kapoor's scripting and film-making style. The story is engaging and keeps you wondering what will happen next and shocks you every time. The performances are in superlatives for every actor. But a special credit must be given to Sanjay Sharma(Bhaisaab) and Manu Rishi(Anni) for their extraordinary portrayal of their characters. This movie is by far the best multiplex comedy and can easily pull down the great films like KHOSLA KA GHOSLA or BHEJA FRY. I wish to see more of such films and such awesome performances and I request all that please watch this film and do yourself a favor.

bitsnumber1 This deliciously smart comedy from writer-director Subhash Kapoor stars Rajat Kapoor as Om Shastri, a desperate NRI from America, who must sell off his ancestral village property so he can save his home in New Jersey from being repossessed by the bank. Within days of arriving in the village, however, he is kidnapped by local crime-pin Bhaisaab (played by the excellent Sanjay Mishra), who dreams of a fat ransom in exchange for the NRI's release. When Shastri reveals that he's lost everything in the recent financial meltdown, Bhaisaab's dreams are crushed. That is until Shastri himself, along with Bhaisaab's trusted right-hand man Anni (played by Oye Lucky Lucky Oye's Manu Rishi), comes up with a shrewd new plan that will make both the kidnapper and the victim richer by several lakhs.Constructed from a terrific script that's strong on plot and packed with crackling dialogue, 'Phas Gaye Re Obama' is consistently engaging. Shastri plots his own 'sale' from one wisened gangster to the next unsuspecting crook, in what becomes a chain of hilarious cons. Along the way we're introduced to a string of quirky, original characters that add colour to this palette.Neha Dhupia stars as Munni, a dreaded don who despises men, and who's dubbed herself the female Gabbar Singh. She surrounds herself by an army of tough-looking henchwomen with names like Kareena, Deepika, Madhuri, Rani and Preity, and spends her free time chipping away at male statues. Amole Gupte plays a permanently constipated minister who runs a professionally managed kidnapping-and-extortion company, where you're provided with a receipt on payment of the ransom, and a one-year guarantee against a repeat abduction.But the star of the film is Manu Rishi, who brings just the perfect degree of naïvete to his role of a gangster's moderately-educated sidekick yearning for a better life. His character, Anni has his heart set on moving to America, and insists he's got what it takes – he's watched reruns of Obama's famous 'Yes we can!' speech repeatedly, he's taking English lessons at a local coaching class, and he hasn't missed a single one of Sylvester Stallone's greatest action hits.'Phas Gaye Re Obama' is unpredictable and surprisingly relevant, even if the film's title (which seems to squarely blame the US President for the recent global recession) is a bit of a stretch. Cleverly written and sharply cast, it's a film that delivers hearty laughs. Don't miss it. It's one of those rare Hindi films that's funny and smart at the same time!