It’s been quite some time since a major theatrical release in the Hindi cinema belt. The last was Bhediya, followed by a mid-budget film, An Action Hero.
But the gap is now filled with Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus dashing into the cinema halls. The famous director promises to take you back in time and tickle your funny bones.
All of his previous movies were hits, and Sooryavanshi, his last film, even rebooted the dying business of cinema after the pandemic.
Against this background, people have high hopes from him and Cirkus as they await a scintillating entertainer.
Cirkus stars Ranveer Singh (Roy), Varun Sharma (Joy), Jacqueline Fernandes (Bindu), Pooja Hegde (Mala), and Sanjay Mishra (Rai Sahab) in lead roles.
Moreover, the rest of the cast is identical to Shetty’s other films, including names like Johny Lever, Siddharth Jadhav, etc.
What is the story of Cirkus?
A curious doctor initiates a peculiar case study by switching two sets of twins on their adoption day. Years later, this shuffling creates a domino of confusion when all four of them land in the same town.
What are the positive points for Cirkus?
Nothing! I can’t think of even one good thing about Cirkus. And trust me, I am very lenient while reviewing films. Usually, I write “Nothing” in the ‘drawback’ part of my review.
If I don’t have a reason to appreciate the movie, what would be the reaction of prominent critics? Hard days ahead for Cirkus.
Not even performances come to its rescue. Superstar Ranveer Singh, veteran Sanjay Mishra, and the expert comedian Varun Sharma, all fail to impress the audience.
I had never imagined a day would come when Ranveer Singh’s film would become hard to review. So, please, if you are his fan, this is the time to stop reading my Cirkus review. The following part might hurt your sentiments.
So, what goes wrong for Cirkus?
Where should I start? The idea itself is poorly pitched. Two sets of twins are exchanged on the day of their adoption.
One of them is not affected by electric shocks because his twin, who lives in another city, faces the brunt of his real brother’s antics. Finding it hard to catch up? I will explain in simple terms.
When Roy (1) touches a naked electric wire while performing stunts in his circus, it is Roy (2) who feels the shock in another town.
It was fine till here in the name of creative freedom. But why on earth would you ignore Joy (1) and Joy (2)? They are made to behave like sidekicks.
Roy (1) is the action leader Rohit Shetty is fond of creating in all of his films.
Furthermore, the storyline is full of logical blunders. There are thieves and gangsters like you must have seen in cartoon films. And again, they have to face the wrath of the ELECTRIC MAN.
At no point in the story did I feel like laughing or swelling in my heart due to emotional stimulations, which is not entirely the problem. The issue is that the makers keep trying to do that non-stop.
They keep forcing events into the film to somehow manage and hold the twins apart so they can be brought together during the climax.
Seriously? Why would you stretch an already delicate concept? Finish the film. Just end a little earlier so I could mention ‘duration’ as one of the positives in my Cirkus review.
Moreover, the movie’s set looks too artificial. I have seen the twentieth century recreated in several films, including the recently released Qala. All of them were mostly subtle in presentation.
Even Kapil Sharma’s stage looks more natural than the late 1960s’ set in Cirkus. It is too bright and stylish for a fifty-year-old surrounding.
A few days ago, I read an interview where Rohit Shetty called Cirkus a timepass film. He said it won’t change someone’s life, but once you walk outside the theater, you will recommend it to people with a smile.
It was good of Rohit to accept the fallacies in his vision. But sorry, sir, I feel like my day has been ruined by Cirkus. Now I must watch something else to eliminate your film’s nauseous effect.
None of the jokes are humorous, the situational comedy doesn’t work, and, most importantly, the facial comedy seems more absurd than entertaining.
The majority of the puns in the movie revolve around making fun of the English language or using cliches to evoke amusement. All they do is sound regressive.
One more thing I want to mention is the baby faces shown in Cirkus. They appear twice. The first time, you can see dolls. On the second occasion, you see faces created using VFX. Why?
Cirkus is an embarrassing meal of banal elements working together.
How are the performances?
I guess the actors were told to ‘misact.’ Why else would players like Ranveer Singh and Sanjay Mishra behave absurdly? They could have been themselves and done much better.
Ranveer’s comic timing is off in Cirkus. None of his jokes evoke laughter, nor do his cringe facial expressions make you roll. There are moments in the film when he tries to become his usual self but realizes the character wants him to go downhill.
I am astonished to see him do this in the name of comedy. Singh has been superb in a fun role before Cirkus. It simply beats my mind. Why Ranveer why?
Varun Sharma, as the second lead, is like a misfit in Cirkus. His trademark way of delivering dialogues seems repetitive. Sharma is funnier than this, and he would agree in introspection.
Sanjay Mishra puts all his bets on overacting but, unfortunately, fails. Initially, on seeing him, I thought he would be my takeaway from Cirkus.
However, I hope that the next time I see him, I will not be reminded of his ostentatious act in Cirkus.
The ladies, Jacqueline Fernandez and Pooja Hegde, are not given prominence in this cringe to the core male-dominated feature film.
Should you watch Cirkus?
Please don’t. If you have ever found my review helpful, you will thank me when you watch it on OTT.
FAQs
Where will Cirkus stream on OTT?
The film will premiere on Netflix.
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