At 88 minutes, Sulemani Keeda (Hindi street slang for “pain in the ass”) doesn’t feel laborious, but it also doesn’t make any profound or memorable points. Just like its characters, it ambles along towards some sort of a conclusion. Along the way, it makes you laugh, but that is about all it achieves.

A thousand likes to Masurkar for deviating from the norm and having the audacity to try something different. But, a story is the heart and soul of a film. And Sulemani Keeda falls short on that aspect by some margin. Clever writing and word play do save the scene. But then it could’ve been better.

Refreshingly narrated and well-acted by the cast, the storytelling falters midway. Still, the witty one-liners, cuss-flecked dialogues and deadpan humour are as real as it gets. The film echoes sentiments and experiences of all screenplay writers worldwide, whether in Bollywood or Hollywood. That must be the reason for the young film’s instant connect with moviegoers in the festival circuit wherever it has been screened so far. This is their story, just padded with some caricature and prettiness.

Sulemani Keeda is an entertaining fare in parts and is meant for a very thin section of the audience. It is different and will appeal to youngsters looking for different cinema but its commercial prospects are, of course, weak.

…after the effortless setup, the screenplay starts meandering. Some of the camera angles are amateurish. At times Masurkar gets carried away and brings in comedy-show kind of situations in an organic structure. But Naveen and Aditi ensure that the performances tide over the flaws in writing.