Movie Review:
Directed and written by : Raghava Lawrence
Cast : Akshay Kumar, Kiara Advani, Sharad Kelkar
Genre : Comedy-Horror
The movie originally titled "Laxmii Bomb" created a whole lot of buzz well before its release and for not all the right reasons. Akshay Kumar's portrayal of a man possessed by a transgender ghost sent the internet in a frenzy with some trolls going to the extent of rigging the poster involving Twinkle Khanna, Kumar's wife. The transgender community had divided opinions on the movie with some appreciating Akshay for supporting another community's identity, yet again while others felt the role to be highly stereotyped.
Was the movie worth all the buzz? Not so much.
The South Indian original, Kanchana (2011), which the movie is based on, starred director, Raghava Lawrence as the main lead and was carried on as a franchise. Raghava made several changes to the remake plot but failed to create a stir even as mild as the original. The cliched jumpscares don't seem to work and the depiction of troublesome superstitions invokes annoyance. It gets all cluttered with the involvement of other unnecessary, " carrying social message" sub-plots.
Streaming on Disney+Hotstar, the movie revolves around the life of a Muslim man, Asif who is married to a much younger Hindu girl, Rashmi as they visit Rashmi's family to amend ties after eloping for marriage years ago. Ensuing some supposed-to-be-hilarious-but-will-make-you-cringe moments, it is revealed that a violent transgender spirit with a sympathetic back story has possessed Asif's body in hope of rightful revenge.
Mind numbing humour and an extremely stale plot fails to justify Kumar's usual intense acting performance. Even Sharad Kelkar, as the transwoman spirit, isn't able to lift the movie despite a rather impressive and stellar portrayal. Kiara Advani, as Asif's wife, doesn't bring out any expressions and is mostly just there to vibe around to the beats of "Burj Khalifa" making her a forgetful presence on screen.
Laxmii is just like that Diwali cracker which promises massive explosions but barely lasts seconds when bursted. Akshay Kumar has made a name of himself for his serious roles and also manages to shine in ridiculous comedies, but he sure needs to watch his step after choosing to act in movies like Laxmii.
