ENTERTAINMENT is attention-grabbing and it has a distinguishing storyline which is the fact that it is helmed by Sajid-Farhad, who have penned several laughathons in the past. Naturally, one expects their directorial debut to be a comical entertainer. Akshay Kumar- The actor, synonymous with comedies, has a great comic timing and with a title like ENTERTAINMENT, the film ought to live up to those lofty expectations, right? First, the premise! Akhil played by Akshay Kumar struggles to make ends meet by doing petty jobs. He does all this to support his ailing father (Darshan Jariwala), who has been hospitalized. Akhil gets a jolt when he overhears his father telling the nurse that Akhil is not his son. That’s not all, for he also gets to know that the well-off diamond merchant, Pannalal Johri (Dalip Tahil), is his father, who had cheated his mother. Akhil breaks this news to his pal (Krushna Abhishek), the duo also gets to know, through a news channel, about Pannalal Johri’s sudden demise in Bangkok. Akhil rushes to Bangkok to stake claim on his fathe’s fortune. However, Akhil gets a shock when the lawyer (Johny Lever) informs him that his father has bequeathed his fortune to his dog Entertainment!
Sajid-Farhad have been an integral part of Rohit Shetty’s movies and naturally, Rohit’s influence shows in their very first outing as well. Sajid-Farhad also integrate the man-animal relationship smartly in the narrative and create episodes that are ludicrous, but comical. One doesn’t mind absurdities or irrational situations as long as you have a good laugh. The writing is full with hilarious episodes and a couple of them are indeed side-splitting. The sequences between Akshay and Krushna Abhishek at the commencement of the film or the antics between Akshay and the pet do bring a smile on your face and at times, makes you break into chuckles. The humour quotient goes downhill as the comic villains [Prakash Raj and Sonu Sood] surface slightly before the intermission. The gags and funny episodes, all of a sudden, take a back seat towards the second hour and though Sajid-Farhad do make an attempt to pack hilarious occurrences, you aren’t amused really. Furthermore, a number of sequences in the post-interval portions are stretched for no reason, with a couple of jokes appearing forced in the scheme of things. The soundtrack boasts of two popular tracks ‘Johnny Johnny’ and ‘Veerey Di Wedding Hain’ which are already a rage with listeners. ‘Teri Mahima Aprampaar’ is another tuneful composition that has been filmed skillfully.
Akshay returns to the comfort zone ie comedies and expectedly, he is magnetic, attractive and animated. His faultless comic timing coupled with the enthusiasm with which he goes through his part is worthy of immense praise. Tamannaah is endearing and though she’s paired with Akshay for the first time, they complement each other wonderfully well. The supporting cast also adds to the madness. Mithun Chakraborty is in fine form yet again. It’s a sheer joy to watch Prakash Raj and Sonu Sood step out of villainous roles and have fun with comic characters. Johny Lever is top notch, evoking ample laughter on varied occasions. Krushna Abhishek is simply outstanding. Dalip Tahil, Darshan Jariwala and Vrajesh Hirjee are okay. Riteish Deshmukh, Shreyas Talpade and Remo D’Souza appear in cameos. The pet, a Golden Retriever named Junior, is simply adorable. ENTERTAINMENT is a joy ride that lives up to its title. Go, laugh out loud and get entertained! It’s a 7/10 from us at The Bollywood Tempest.
