99. Mastizaade; movie review

MASTIZAADE
Cert 15
107 mins
BBFC advice: Contains frequent sex references, innuendo

Think back to the days of Benny Hill, throw in some inappropriate gags about gay and disabled people and hey, presto - it's Milap Zaveri's Mastizaade.
To a Western eye, this is a throw-back to the Confessions films when the female characters were seen as little more than walking boobs.
Of course, Indian movies allow no private parts to be exposed but I have now seen so much of Sunny Leone's cleavage and midriff that I feel as if I know her intimately.
It is interesting that Leone, a former Penthouse Pet Of The Year and porn star, was brought up in Canada and, therefore, seems to be less inhibited than traditional Indian actresses would be.
This manifests itself in bedroom scenes and with her wearing the briefest of briefs while draped across a wet car.
In Mastizaade, she plays both twin sisters who have two very different natures - one who wants lots of sex without love and the other who is much more bashful.
They are pursued by a frivolous pair (Tusshar Kapoor and Vir Das) who are seeking to chalk as many conquests on their bed-posts as possible.
But, much to the duo's surprise, they fall in love with the twins and the movie then comprises of their ham-fisted attempt to win them over.
Mastizaade is common denominator comedy and, just in case the audience misses a gag, most are accompanied by boing or quack noises.
How anyone would miss them is beyond me - the jokes are as blatant as having a character called Titli, mispronouncing the word best as breast or appearing to tell the time by holding a donkey's testicles.
And between the ribaldry, there is an avalanche of Sunny Leone bikini shots.
On the plus side, some of Mastizaade's songs are catchy but even they are accompanied by dancers wearing clothes which only just cover their modesty.
I am certainly not a prude but I thought Mastizaade's humour was mis-placed. The jokes about women are misogynistic in their delivery and those about gay people and the disabled are just in bad taste.
For once, I will state that it wasn't the cultural differences which acted as a barrier to my enjoyment of an Indian film. I understood the gags but didn't find them funny.

Reasons to watch: if you are into Benny Hill humour
Reasons to avoid: Because its jokes are anti-women, gay people and the disabled.

Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 3.5/10

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