Paying Guests Movie Review

Never judge a book by its cover. But we do! We tend to get carried away by eye-catching promos that a film-maker unleashes prior to a film’s release. We act in haste, rush to a nearby cineplex and soon realise that the best parts were actually highlighted in the promos itself.

That’s exactly what you feel when you watch PAYING GUESTS, helmed by first-timer Paritosh Painter.

Comedy is serious business and Paritosh Painter ought to know this by now, since he has successfully directed a number of plays in the past. Sadly, PAYING GUESTS stands on a waferthin plot, although Paritosh tries hard to add meat to the skeletal body. The film doesn’t have the power to hold your attention for the next 2 hours, although it does [intermittently] make you smile or break into a guffaw.

What happens when four young, fun loving boys [Shreyas Talpade, Javed Jaffrey, Ashish Chowdhary and Vatsal Sheth] begin a crazy house hunt which takes them through a series of ultra comical hurdles in a bid to find that one roof that can tolerate and shelter their combined problems?

In the search for a new accommodation, these crazy friends manage to convince their crazier landlord Ballu (played by Johnny Lever) to keep them as paying guests but, Ballu has one condition i.e. he wants only couples.

Of the cast, Shreyas is the best, followed by Javed, then Ashish and then Vatsal - in that order. The leading ladies don’t have much to do, but Celina and Neha are most noticeable. Riya and Sayali Bhagat don’t get any scope. Johny Lever is in form and so is Delnaaz Paul. Chunkey Pandey is alright, while Inder Kumar is wasted. Asrani stands out, while Viju Khote and Paintal are okay.

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