Laxmii
Ratings: 1/5
Duration: 02 Hrs 21 Mins
Directors: Lawrence Raghavendra, Balakrishnan Thevar
Producers: Tusshar Kapoor, Shabinaa Khan, Vicky Mishra, Praful Salunke, Manan Sampat, Yogiraj Shetty, Ravinder Thakur
Writer: Farhad Samjhi
Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror
Release Date: 09th November 2020
Streaming On: Disney + Hotstar
Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Kiara Advani, Sharad Kelkar, Aryan Preet, Manu Rishi Chadha, Babu Antony, Tusshar Kapoor, Mir Sarwar, Muskaan Khubchandani, Elena Roxana Maria Fernandes, Vaibhav Choudhary, Tarun Arora, Rajesh Dubeay, Narendra Singh Dhami, Vijay Kaushik
Plot: Rashmi (Kiara Advani) and Asif (Akshay Kumar) pay a visit to her family to make amends, three years after the inter-faith couple had eloped. It is when the family is soon brought to the realization that a transgender named Laxmii has taken over Asif’s body to exact retribution for injustices meted out to her in her previous life, all hell breaks loose.
Review: The film directed by Lawrence Raghavendra and Balakrishnan Thevar is a remake of South Indian hit horror-comedy ‘Kanchana’. Horror and comedy can be a deadly combo, which usually tends to work well, but as a genre it is pretty tricky to get the concept right - as you need to evoke laughter and make the same audience gasp with horror the very next moment. However, this Bollywood version is shoddy!
With comedy that seems stale, horror with predictable jump scares along with random songs with no particular purpose make the movie an arduous watch. Moreover, the back story of the transgender ghost seems out-dated and archaic.
It won't be wrong to say that being streamed on an OTT platform has an advantage that a theatrical release doesn’t – the fast-forward button!
Akshay Kumar plays two roles in the film, Asif and Laxmii’s ghost, and both are polarising when it comes to showcasing the actor in him. As Asif, he is pretty ordinary and does something he can do while sleepwalking. But his portrayal as Laxmii is what wins him some brownie points as an actor, but the usually reliable Akshay Kumar seems out of depth in this poorly-written, clunky film. Even Kiara Advani has little to do. Therefore, the chemistry between Kiara Advani and Akshay Kumar is barely there.
Remarkable actors such as Rajesh Sharma, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Manu Rishi Chadha, and Ashwini Kalsekar are joint-victims suffering from a weak script and forgettable dialogues as well.
Nevertheless, special mention needs to be made of Sharad Kelkar who plays the original Laxmii with a lot of gumption. The actor once again proved that he is an underrated gem. I wish there was some more screen space for Sharad and his strong act as Laxmii.
When it comes to songs, 'Bam Bholle' is highly energizing and the five-minute-long sequence is well shot and deserves a theatre watch.
Overall, Laxmii is loud, garish, and over the top. If you enjoy mindless entertainers go for it. Otherwise, this is a dish best not consumed!
