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Desi Boyz

25 November 2011Hindi2h 2m
out of 10
Mixedlukewarm or divided
Monk Score · 10 critic reviews

Laughs land early, but a weak second half leaves this comedy half-baked.

Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.

  • Praised: occasional laughs, decent performances
  • Criticised: weak, tedious second half

Audience

User score 4.0 out of 10 from 1 rating, not enough ratings for a verdict yet
Read 1 audience review ↓

Not streaming in India

Critic consensus

What 10 critics are saying

Critical reception for Desi Boyz is mixed to negative, with most reviewers recommending it only to audiences with lowered expectations. A handful of critics found it an enjoyable, humorous entertainer, with a few pointing to decent performances and an engaging first half as highlights. However, a significant number found the screenplay weak and the second half particularly tedious, with some dismissing the film outright as lazy and unoriginal. The general consensus is that the film delivers occasional laughs but falls short of being a satisfying whole.

How the 10 scores spread

Positive / mixed / negative reviews

Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10

AI-generated summary of 10 critic reviews · may contain errors

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From the papers

Critic reviews (10)

Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated

  1. Top critic

    Rediff

    Film review ·

    Walk away from this disaster and try harder next time. (Is it okay if we don't hold our breath just yet?)
  2. Top critic

    Indian Express

    Film review ·

    Dhawan Jr hasn't learnt a lesson from Papa Dhawan on how to make you laugh in spite of you. He unleashes a Desi Boyz holding everything in spite.
  3. KoiMoi

    Film review ·

    On the whole, Desi Boyz is an enjoyable entertainer which will keep its producers, distributors and exhibitors happy. Its business in the bigger cities will be better.
  4. NDTV

    Film review ·

    Put your hands together for Desi Boyz. Smart, sassy, sexy and sparkling with dark audacious humour, the film brings us a striking director in Rohit Dhawan.
  5. Bollyspice

    Film review ·

    To conclude, it's wrong to say that Desi Boyz will have you filling up with tears or laughing until your stomach hurts. In fact, it is a movie that sits very neatly between those two extremes in that it will make you laugh out loud in some places and it will also make you feel a little emotional in a few too. Nevertheless, the film's underlying theme of friendship does well to bring warmth to the heart. Desi Boyz will leave you feeling a little bit more thankful for the friends who remain loyal even behind your back.
  6. Bollywood Hungama

    Film review ·

    On the whole, DESI BOYZ has an entertaining first half and decent performances as its plusses, but a tedious and least compelling second hour stands out like a sore thumb. Leaves a lot to be desired!
  7. DNA India

    Film review ·

    Ah well, maybe I'm giving it more thought than it deserves, because frankly the film did make me laugh out loud in a couple of places. If your expectations are low, you may not be disappointed with Desi Boyz. To be fair, it's Akshay Kumar's best film in quite a few years.

From our readers

Audience reviews (1)

1 rating · user score 4.0

  1. 4/10

    It's common knowledge that there has been a dearth of good clean comedies in Bollywood in the last few years. If at all anything of that genre does appear, it invariably hovers around slap stick stuff with ample reference to gay jokes. Trying to bring back some of the wholesome clean comedies is Rohit Dhawan, son of the undisputed king of comedies,David Dhawan. So can Rohit's directorial debut "Desi Boyz" live upto the expectations imparted by the catchy promos, stunning male protagonists & lineage??? Recession is one of the most dreaded yet most oft used word since the past few years. As one would expect, Europe & the US are the worst affected leading to wide spread unemployment. Jerry Patel (Akshay Kumar) & Nick Mathur (John Abraham) are the best of pals settled in UK. Nick is an investment banker, who had everything that he had wished for..a beautiful fiance, smashing career & a heavy paycheck. On the other hand, Jerry had petty jobs but survived living off Nick. Finally the day arrived, when recession came knocking on their door rendering them jobless. It's in such a scenario that they bump into Desi Boyz Boss (Sanjay Dutt) who offers them the job of male escorts. Though reluctant initially, they take it up as Nick harboured fears of losing Radhika (Deepika) while Jerry had to prevent his nephew,Veer from being sent to a foster home. But their fears turn into reality when their profession becomes known. So how can they get it all back??? Rohit does manage to create a sense of reality by infusing a real life crisis into the plot. As a matter of fact, the first half does entertain the audience as the protagonists share a smashing chemistry interlaced with some really jovial moments. However, the second half falls flat as the film hardly moves forward for John's character as he is seen just wooing Deepika the whole time. Akki does manage to do something more but his track doesnt imply much significance & the film slowly drags to a typical climax. In short, Rohit wasnt able to do anything that will stamp his uniqueness. Pritam's music was outstanding as the title track rendered by K.K & B.o.B is a chart buster not to forget the catchy choreography along with Mika's "Subha Hone Na De". The BGM also deserves mention especially for the revamped version of "Khalnayak". Akki is a veteran of comedies as his timing is spot on as always while John has definitely grown a lot as an actor & seems much at ease handling comedy as opposed to his performance in "Garam Masala". Their smashing chemistry makes it a delight for the audience as they exude charisma & camaraderie. Deepika didnt have much scope while Chitrangda was reduced to a sexy Economics professor.However, Sanju baba sizzles in his brief cameo, Omi Vaidya tickes the funny bone while Anupam Kher was wasted. Verdict: The catchy promos & chart-bustering songs will ensure a good opening at the box office. The film is marketed as a popcorn munching entertainer which doesnt take a toll on your brain cells. In short, if you watch it without expectations you will have stuff to laugh about in the first half!!! Rating: 2/5 Regards...Ben

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