Hello Darling - A tasteless chewing gum

What is it all about?

Honestly, this comedy on male chauvinism had enough potential to ensure a decent run but the 2010 inspiration of the 1994 Kamal Hassan starrer ‘Magalir Mattum’ which in fact was inspired by Jane Fondas’ 1980 laughter ‘9 to 5’ is a tasteless chewing gum which lacks originality, humor, and any semblance of charm.

The story……of course

The writers Pankaj Trivedi and Sachin Shah are clueless on laughter and rely on double meaning ness to evoke laughter and fail even there. They tell us a story of three working girls - Candy (Celina Jaitly), Mansi (Gul Panag) and Satvati (Eesha Koppikhar) who bond together in a posh office of Mumbai, though each of them belongs to a different stratum of society. The biggest issue they face is in their work place. It is headed by their smart boss Hardik (Jaaved Jaffrey) a chronic playboy. He is smart. They have to be smarter. Who wins this battle of the sexes?

What to look out for?

The only funny moment is the pati sudhar Kendra where Seema Biswas brings errant and wayward husbands back on track is amusing. Javed does a fair job. Celina Jaitely is strictly okay and Gul tries hard but in vain. Seema Biswas is competent. Sunny Deol does as expected. Technical values are okay. Production values are rich.

What Not?

Neither naughty nor hottie in its premise, ‘Hello Darling’ becomes object of scorn that tries every thing possible but ends up as second-rate sex farce that again cements the thought that comedy is a serious business.

Mostly clunky and vaguely unsavory ‘Hello Darling’ won’t provide any comfort for Mukta Arts in this week’s release onslaught. Amusement level slides rapidly as the story of the male chauvinist progresses. What a waste of opportunity.. even worse, the girls don’t delight much.

Eesha looks pretty but is miscast as a Haryanvi. Divya Dutta overdoes. Mukesh Tiwari, Vrajesh Hirjee & Chunkey Pandey are wasted.

Conclusion: ‘Hello Darling’, it’s a tasteless chewing gum that goes on and on as the writing is feeble and it worsens scene by scene.