Cert PG
148 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild bad language
"Will it be good?", asked a doubtful Mrs W when I suggested meeting up after work and driving to Birmingham for a dose of Bolly.
"It's that film about the bloke who learned to fly before the Wright Brothers", I replied.
"Oh, yes. I remember the trailer. It looks good," she said.
And so it was that, on the back of Hawaizaada's pre-publicity, my other half was enticed to join my evening trek to Birmingham Cineworld.
It was a mistake.
Vibhu Puri's film is so laboured that we were both fighting off the zzzs for much of its first half.
Ok, it is fair to say that it comes to life after the intermission but by then was only showing us the sort of energy that it needed throughout and that its trailer had promised.
And that is shame because the story of Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, is a fascinating one.
However, instead of getting straight into the acclaimed history of him defying the British in trying to set up the first manned flight, the film becomes bogged down in a tortuous romance.
During this, Tulpade (Ayushmann Khurrana), who comes from educated stock, falls for a beautiful 'harlot' (Pallavi Sharda).
The too-ing and fro-ing of whether they are right for each other was a lengthy distraction to the main story.
In its favour, Hawaizaada does boast a particularly energetic performance by the long-limbed and quirky Khurrana who portrays Tulpade as part-genius, part-emotional wreck.
But its songs are tepid and it is yet another Bollywood movie in which the English characters are as stiff as boards ... why don't they ever employ Brits who can act and give them a proper script?
Hawaizaada had the potential to be really engaging. Sadly, by the time it started to fly, it had already lost us.
Director Vibhu Puri: "For me it's about an underdog achieving what he sets out in a very generic way. (It gives the message) today, I may not have the money, today I'm not educated but tomorrow, if he can do such a task, so can I".
Reasons to watch: The infectious enthusiasm of Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead role.
Reasons to avoid: It takes way way too long to get going.
Laughs: A few smiles rather than belly laughs
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 4/10