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Jhoot Bole Kauwa Kaate,
Hrishikesh Mukherjee's first movie in ten years, is a tribute to three of his biggest hits -- Chupke Chupke, Golmaal and Khubsoorat. It is certainly a comedy, but not the slapstick fare we expect from Bollywood these days.

Chupke Chupke, Golmaal and Khubsoorat appear near the bottom of Hrishida's resume, so I am not surprised that Jhoot Bole... is an extension of these films. These comedies did well when they were released, have done well when they were screened on the satellite television channels (they alerted an entire generation to Hrishida's magic), so it is possible the director was wary about any digressions from his style. Jhoot Bole... remains faithful to the Hrishida genre.

Amrish Puri as Juhi Chawla's pater is an amalgam of three of Hrishida's earlier characters. Om Prakash from Chupke Chupke; Puri is a man who needs convincing that the man his daughter has chosen is right for her. Dina Pathak from Khubsoorat; Amrishji is a martinet like her. And, of course, the unforgettable Utpal Dutt from Golmaal; Puri is as suspicious of Anil Kapoor as Utpalda was of Amol Palekar in that memorable comedy.

I thought Puri overshadowed everyone else in the cast with his performance. One gets the feeling that his role may have been written with Utpal Dutt in mind. Hrishida stopped making films a couple of years before the great Bengali actor passed into the ages.

Anil Kapoor is very subdued and very much like Amol Palekar in Golmaal, on whom his character is clearly based. Turning in a fine performance, he gets to play three characters -- Shanker, Ramanuj and Margaret aka Mrignayani.

Shanker is the boy who is in love with Juhi Chawla.

Ramanuj appears when he has to convince the father that he is right for the daughter.

Anil also masquerades as an English woman named Margaret when he has to stop the engagement between the girl he loves and the boy the father chooses for his daughter. The film has you on edge here because it is made known to you that the father is no fool, he recognises Anil as the woman.

Only Juhi as the daughter is not based on any character from Hrishida's collection. She carries off her role with her inevitable chirpiness, and looks very good too. Hrishida was right when he told me that Juhi's serene face suited the kind of sacrifice she would make in the film. Only Jaya Bhaduri has managed that serenity in Hrishida's films.

For once, Anupam Kher is overshadowed. Though his role is a bit like the one Asrani etched in Chupke Chupke, he does not leave a lasting impression. Maybe his characterisation is not as strong as in Hrishida's earlier films. Maybe Amrish Puri is to be blamed for this, since he is the only one you remember when you walk out of the movie hall.

Television host Sajid Khan make his movie debut and his name Chanakya aka Chunky instantly reminds you of Golmaal's Laxman aka Lucky. He is supposed to marry Juhi, and instead helps her get married to Anil.

The ambience in the film is period Hrishikesh Mukherjee. You are reminded of Chupke Chupke with its bungalow and ancient wooden furniture. Wooden furniture and a house with lace curtains are very much a part of this film too. Hrishida's attention to detail is obvious. Since the family is middle class, there is no Bollywood jazz about their lifestyle; they live plain and simple.

The pace is fluent, befitting Hrishida's awesome reputation as one of the movie industry's finest editors. Even at the end, when the mood gets serious, the film does not jar. I found the climax very engrossing and laughed through the rest of the flick. There is always a comedy of errors in Hrishida's comedies, and the denouement arrives after much confusion. Jhoot Bole... maintains this tradition.

Anand Milind have come up with a good score to revive their sagging reputation. Even though the romantic songs like Chand kahu, Phool kahu and Dil ye dil, darne laga hai and the very funny Badi mushkil hai make for suitable auditory nutrition, I felt they don't somehow fit into the film. It is as if Hrishida wasn't sure where to put the songs in.

Since audiences are used to the slapstick brewed by Govinda and directors like David Dhawan, I am not sure if Hrishida's magic can work its old magic at the turnstiles. I wonder if audiences will accept a classy comedy like Jhoot Bole...

And when you emerge into the sunshine, you wonder who the director would have cast had he made Jhoot Bole... in his heyday. Jaya Bhaduri, Dharmendra and Utpal Dutt, perhaps. I hope the nostalgia works for everyone as it did with me.

Jhoot Bole Kauwa Kaate
Produced by Polygram
Directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Cinematography: Jal Mistry
Choreography: Farah Khan, Saroj Khan, Chinni Prakash
Music: Anand Milind
Starring: Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Amrish Puri, Anupam Kher, Rima, Sajid Khan.