Billu

Saloon man's actor friend who he hasn't met for almost a decade, comes to Budbuda village for a shoot. Saloon man gets all the attention from a wannabe poet to the school principal wanting to meet Actor. Saloon man tries to meet actor but in vain. Finally , actor does some senti talk and true friendship ke liye zindabad hai.

Story

Kabhi Katha parayumbol Kabhi Kuselan

Saloon man, Saahir  and others

Saaruk kaan plays a self-obsessed over acting, over irritating Saahir Khan , the superstar of Bollywood , dancing with the pretty ladies. Irfan Khan is the ba___  (Saloon men association will punish you if you use the Ba___ word). Lara Dutta is Irfan's wife . Rajpal Yadav is some weird poet kinds, Priyardarsan-gang-Mallu actor is the jealous barber, Asrani plays some kaka types and overacting Ompuri plays an 'also there'. 

How Billu made Ullu of us

The film so badly needed some publicity, they created some hype with the never-existed-existing Barber's association's protest against the title of the film. This didn't get the required publicity. Now what? Bring some religious senti to it. A religious organization objected to the song in the film blah blah and blah. Junta is so immune to all this now - None of this makes any sense to them. Wake up Saaruk! The film needs to be GOOD if it needs a good run. Not protests and morchas.

Billu best

Portions of the film are quite warm.. Irfan trying to call Saahir, Irfan's reaction when Saaruk speaks in the end, the kids, Irfan in the last scene...Unfortunately these scenes put together are for exactly 20-25 minutes.

Billu bekaar

Just when I was about to think Saaruk khan is doing some decent work - Chak De India, one scene act in Luck by chance, he comes up with the most annoying performance of the decade. He is a superstar, super actor and all that in this film. But does he really need to over do it? 

He could have played himself. The very fact that Saaruk is the superstar in real life would have brought life to the actor Saahir. Why over dramatize it with twenty commandos, security guards, ten black scorpios following him wherever he goes? He was painfully irritating.

The story is on Billu as the title suggests. Saaruk has no scene to be a part of the film except for some ten minutes in the climax. The near climax speech in the school is a huge let down after all that I have heard of the Malayalam original and our very own Superstar's performance in Kuselan.

Since Saaruk is the producer and all-in-all of the film pal decided to add four songs on him which test your bleddy patience.

Gaana, Bajaaana and all that

With Pritam as the music director , even before the CD released in the market, you know that they will have one soniyo, one makhnave etc. Add one more to the list - Marjaani. I have become completely immune to all this that the Marjaani song has gotten itself tamizhised and I end up torturing my poor colleagues with "Marjaani Marjaani - kaiyila potta marudaani.... Marjaani Marjaani ... maadu potta shaani" kinda stuff. "Stop it M S Subbulakshmi...."  screams poor S from the other end. This is almost an everyday occurence.

Anything for Saaruk

Deepika Padukone, Kona vaai Priyanka Chopra and Kareena 'chameleon' Kapoor do one number dance item each with Saaruk. So despo to grab the lead in his next film ! Deepika is the prettiest of them all, undoubtedly. But the costumes - particularly the swim suit with some thread-wire kinda thing falling all over is weird. I think costume designer Anaita Shroff Adajania forgot to add something in the last minute and decided to cut the existing stuff and so we have threads falling all over.

Oh yes, there's Lara Dutta also in the film but this time as one gaaon ki gori -" aji sunte ho... halwa khao" mother of two. Since when did UP housewives in the village start wearing Chettinad checked  blouses and typically-tamizhnadu sarees? Akka wears low cut blouses. tevaya? But must admit, she does look konjam real. Voice dub-bu chesava?

Camera - Art

I wish all villages in India looked this way. So picture (postcard) perfect resembling an 'India calling' 'India in pictures' book from Landmark. The top angle shots have red flowers strewn all over,the sky looks perfect, the river has some South Indian kovil pillars from nowhere.. and all these look so naturally artificial. 

V. Manikandan the cinematographer and Sabu Cyril the production designer have done their best but the problem is that their work stands out separately and doesn't blend with story, setting.

And why does Saahir khan shoot his sci-fi portions of his film in a lavish set in the village? Clueless.

Billu bewildered

Overall, a disappointing, confusing film. Watch it only if you have nothing else to do. Anyway this weekend, you are not likely get a place to sit in any restaurant with the lauvvers all over nor can you party tonight in peace with the chaddi brigade around. I doubt if lovey-doveys would want to spend their Valentine's day watching Billu. You are assured of two tickets. 

Billu the Stomach burn

Ok, here's some vayiterichal from my end. Rs.450 /= for two tickets at PVR. Kollai adichuttaagaa!

Billu No baar-baar - 2.5 out of 5