Phas Gaye Re Obama
2010 · Directed by Subhash Kapoor
Original language: Hindi
- comedy
- crime
The story
Om, a debt-ridden NRI, wants to sell his ancestral property to pay his debts, but things turn awry when he is kidnapped by gangsters who believe him to be a rich target.
What it’s like
Sun-baked Delhi lanes, crowded markets and cluttered flats give this comedy a bright, dusty, lived-in look, with a restless energy that suits its scrappy milieu. Its tone is witty and deadpan, built on bumbling schemes, sharp dialogue and the gap between what characters intend and what actually happens. The pacing is brisk and talky, with comic beats landing one after another rather than lingering in quiet. The emotional register stays light and cynical: a debt-ridden man and a gang of hapless kidnappers are the engine, and their arcs are about desperation, greed and small humiliations more than redemption. Threats, a kidnapping and a few scuffles drive the plot, with some rough, cartoonish violence and brief menace, but little gore and nothing sustained or harrowing. It is not a gentle watch, though its crime is mostly played for laughs. It suits a lazy afternoon or a night with friends, and fits viewers who enjoy sly satire about urban hustle, corruption and the comedy of failed criminals, especially those who like Hindi cinema's mix of caper and social observation.
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