Katti Batti Movie Review 

Ameet

Katti Batti would forever be remembered as the film that made Amir Khan cry copiously. It would also be remembered as the film that halted the Kangana juggernaut in Bollywood . What it will not be remembered though is as a good film that entertained. At its best, Katti Batti starring Kangana and Imran Khan is mildly un-irritating, and that is saying a lot for this film that promised so much but ended up being a damp squib.

Madhav, played by Imran narrates us the story of how his only love in life, Payal played by Kangana, has left him high and dry depressed and manically in love with her long after she dumped him. We see him and his world constantly in an upheaval as he goes from talking to a tortoise in a plastic box to drinking phenyl by mistake in the shower. His friends, family even strangers keep reminding him how this girl seems harmful for him while he keeps justifying his love for her through flashbacks that educate us the viewer of what really happened. In comes Payal, a tempest of sorts, rich manipulative and utterly unmindful of emotions she plays with. A random fight leads to her walking out on maddy from a live in relationship and Maddy is finding ways to meet her one last time and win her back just before she marries her ex.

When they do meet though, there is a twist in the tale, and the seemingly heartless bitch of a girlfriend that Payal is magically has reasons to her bitchiness. As the film takes an abruptly over dramatic and emotional story leap, you are shown an extened climax where Payal is rid of her sins and we are to empathise with her decisions all along the film. Sadly for the film and for Kangana, by the time this twist comes into the story, you are so disengaged with the film that none of this matters anymore.

To make matters worse is the shoddy manner in which these characters are written. We see a lot more of Maddy and lot less of Payal throughout the film- Imran as Maddy is sincere but the effort shows. He oscillates between us pitying him to feeling like jolting him out of his nonsenical fancy love land with a tight slap. Which is the intent of the role, just that half an hour into the movie all of this reaction gets replaced by a disgust for the constantly whinning Imran on screen. Kangana, saddled with an ill written part, is only as good as the screen time she is allowed. She dresses edgily, flashes condoms like they were vegetables, goes around in short clothes and weird wigs- in short does her usual "bold and different" act indifferently, shining only in the end briefly in the twist her character has- again too little too late for you to care. Rest of the film is a messy series of weird situations (the devdas inspired play, or the sufi concert in delhi) to silly gags and irritating side characters who just grate on your nerves endlessly.

For a rom-com, Nikhil Advani spectacularly fails to make us root for the lovers on screen, you do not care if Maddy finds Payal ever again, you do not feel his sorrrow and pain as you see him being driven around like a servant in the relationship, you do not care to understand or look beyond Payals hoity toity shenannigans cause both these characters are written and shown as two dimensionally sans any layers to peel into.

Indifferent editing and music add to this insipid plot that just drages on aimmlessly, boring you and then randomly shifting gears into hyper KJO Kal Ho Na Ho mode.

There are many a hollywood rom coms in here as influences, 500 days of summer being the closest and obious refference one can connjure up. Sadly, none of the flair of these influences is seen here. This is best displayed in the Lip to Lip sng sequence- much creativity, awesome visuals, yet such a boring mindless song that you just arent moved. Much of Katti Batti is like this song, boring. Watch if you must. 

Rating: 2/5