A Hit and Miss for Wrong No.

Eid holidays are for family, fun and of course, films! And this year we’re lucky to have not one but two high profile Pakistani movies on offer. Add to that the essential Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters and there’s quite a lot of entertainment. With so many choices on Eid, one may feel spoilt for choice, but if Wrong No. is what you have chosen, Instep has some points you would probably want to know before buying the tickets.

The Good

Revolving around the life of a butcher (Javed Sheikh), his son Salu (Danish Taimoor) and the dysfunctional family in the unforgiving metropolis of Karachi, the story takes us on a roller coaster ride of things gone wrong, things gone absolutely wild and things that would keep you at the edge of the seat, even if only for a second.

Interestingly, even though the film technically takes us into the life of Salu and his offbeat adventures, one would much rather want to watch Javed Sheikh for his absolutely enthralling acting as Haji Bhai, the local Qasai and of course, every one’s favourite Pakistani bad man, Shafqat Cheema as the harrowing Shera. After all, acting seniority truly shows in the film! One would still even wish to see more acting prowess from Sohai Ali Abro and Janita Asma, who both fizzle out in the film and seem more of plot objects than actual protagonists!

The Bad

In a film that had so much potential, a lot goes wrong. From commencing on an interesting plotline that seemed original and interesting to turning into a rehash of multiple Bollywood films and even last year’s Na Maloom Afraad, the film lacks anything that it could claim to be its own. After all, how new and refreshing could the same concept of doppelgängers be, if it has been used multiple times in the past?

Apart from that, one wishes that both debutantes could have been given stronger roles. However Wrong No. is a completely male-oriented story where women rarely have a role other than being that ‘unwanted’ voice that men have to quiet down in order for the story to continue. Ten minutes into the film and it’s quite obvious that one is in for a film that is two hours and thiry minutes of sexist jokes, innuendoes and probably a feminist’s worst nightmare.

The Ugly

There is one thing as good comic timing and then there is the complete opposite of it. Wrong No. unfortunately stands on the other side of the bridge as joke after joke the film turns continuously cringe-worthy. How many toilet jokes and jokes about the human genitals can you handle, you decide! Or if you’re brave enough, why not count them? One would be thoroughly surprised to find one too many. Apart from that, Wrong No. makes one realize that perhaps even having an actually enthralling star cast cannot really make a film stand out when the plot has so many loopholes. One is left with an overall sloppy feel to a film that could have actually been entertaining.

The Verdict

If you’re looking for a good wholesome film for the family, this is probably not a good choice. Laden with innuendo, crass language, and humour, it is not everyone’s cup of tea. That said it is obviously designed as a ‘film for the masses’; there is over-the-top dialogue, heavy doses of over-acting, a racy item song and crass comedy that will probably work well in entertaining the general audience. But is the audience going to give a stamp of approval to a film that doesn’t tick many boxes? One has to wait and see how Wrong No. holds out the storm that the Eid holidays turn out to be thanks to a plethora of films which are nothing short of being cut-throat competition.