Humshakals ~ Review

Humshakals sees Sailf Ali Khan and Riteish Deshmukh bring a triple dose of comic fun to our screens. Sonika Sethi provides the low-down on the story, performances, direction and music. Find out if it is one to watch or give a miss.

Humshakals is the story of the confusion occurring when three individuals have a lookalike of a lookalike – all with the same names!

Best friends Ashok (played by Saif Ali Khan) and Kumar (Riteish Deshmukh) both have their own lookalikes Ashok and Kumar, who are also best friends and are unaware of their lookalikes Ashok and Kumar, who again are best friends.

Humshakals Review

Mamaji (Ram Kapoor) is a lookalike of another Mamaji who is also a lookalike of another Mamaji. The film therefore features the 3 main actors in a triple role, sporting different avatars.

The biggest positive the film holds is the performances by the lead actors of the film. Riteish Deshmukh shines in his forte of comedy.

[easyreview title=”HUMSHAKALS” cat1title=”Story” cat1detail=”A lack of cogent flow in the storyline and the screenplay is muddled and confused.” cat1rating=”1″ cat2title=”Performances” cat2detail=”There are some great comic performances from the lead actors, particularly Riteish Deshmukh.” cat2rating=”2.5″ cat3title=”Direction” cat3detail=”Sajid Khan tries hard to make you laugh but does not succeed and lengthens the film too much.” cat3rating=”1″ cat4title=”Production” cat4detail=”London is portrayed beautifully but there is nothing we haven’t seen in previous Sajid Khan films.” cat4rating=”2.5″ cat5title=”Music” cat5detail=”Disappointing when compared to previous Sajid Khan films which always feature hit songs.” cat5rating=”1″ summary=’Humshakals fails to impress-the film falls flat quickly, making it seem arduous to watch. Review Scores by Sonika Sethi.’ word=’TRIPLE COMIC CONFUSION’]

Ram Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, who are both lesser known for their comic timing, still manage to play the triple roles convincingly. The cast does seem to work well, especially the fresh dynamics between the lead actors as well as the new pairings with the actresses.

The leading ladies look stunning but their role is restricted to being eye candy, as they have limited screen time and so we do not get to see much of their acting abilities in this film.

Now onto the negatives – which pretty much covers everything else in the film. From the screenplay to the length of the film to the music, the film falls flat in all of these criteria.

One starts watching the film, hoping that they will be indulging in a non-stop laughing marathon for the duration of the film. The expectations are high as Sajid Khan has delivered some excellent, successful comedies like Heyy Babyy (2007), Housefull (2010), and Housefull 2 (2012).

Related Reads

Whilst Himmatwala (2013) failed to impress, one would have felt that Sajid Khan would have bounced back from this disaster into his old form. At least, it would appear so, in the promising trailer of Humshakals. However, this film disappoints as a comedy and instead makes you wonder how long is left of the film’s duration.

Another aspect of the film which has become arduous is how Sajid Khan has reused many of his jokes from the Housefull franchise, and even the setting is exactly the same! You begin to wonder, is this a poor attempt of ‘Housefull 3’, repackaged with a different name and star cast? You would hope not, as it would stain the reputation of such a commercially successful franchise.

On the whole, Humshakals fails to impress. Sajid Khan does not give the audience another full on entertainer but instead a disappointment.

Sonika Sethi

Sonika is a full-time medical student, Bollywood enthusiast and lover of life. Her passions are dancing, travelling, radio presenting, writing, fashion and socialising! “Life isn’t measured by the number of breaths taken but by moments that take our breath away.”