Vishal Bhardwaj gives us a film that’s enjoyable and relevant in equal measure. I’m going with four out of five for Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola. The year’s first gem has arrived – don’t miss it!

The film passed me by in the first hour. It enticed me back again in the second half. But not enough to make me forget the inert prologue, which is minus drama, which is Bhardawaj’s true forte.

This is a film that goes far out on a limb, and gives us both bedlam and nuances, enough to warrant repeated viewings. And more than enough to love. Oh boy oh boy indeed.

Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola feels like a puzzle in which all the pieces don’t fit. Its idiosyncrasies are both its strength and its undoing.

Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola is marked by an adventurous streak that is commendable: Bhardwaj pushes the goofy storytelling style all the way through to the bitter end. It is another matter that the strategy boomerangs frequently.

This movie could have been so much more. Like champagne gone flat, the film’s left lying about for too late, its plot meandering everywhere.

“Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola” is a disappointing film, one that could have been so much more.

Watch the film for Pankaj Kapoor and Shabana Azmi and some fun that the duo bring about. But don’t expect too much out of it. Final warning: Bharadwaj fans, stay away from this one.

If you’re a Vishal Bhardwaj fan, be prepared for a fare that’s different from his dark, moody style. The fun and songs should keep you going though.

But the film crumbles in the climax, giving you an end that is too filmy for satisfaction. The end is one that bars Vishal’s latest from becoming an exceptional effort. For everything else it is worth, this is the first real whopper coming out of Bollywood this year. Go for it.

MATRU KI BIJLEE KA MANDOLA holds your attention in parts, but that’s not enough. The first half is lackluster, while the post-interval part catches some steam. However, the excessive length plays a spoilsport. Below expectations!

As a social commentary, the film succeeds only intermittently, and is not as complex and effective as last year’s Shanghai. There are other ambiguous points in the film. But here’s the thing: you ought to watch the film.

I don’t mind a serious film, I don’t mind socio-politics, I don’t mind satire, I certainly don’t mind quirky, dark humor. What I don’t get though is why a film can’t pick one or two of these themes and stick to it through and through – be there, build-up on it and end like the makers believed in what they were making, without any external pressures.