Review of Y.M.I. Yeh Mera India

Few films have made me laugh as much as N Chandra's Yeh Mera India, and funny thing is, it's not even a comedy. A message movie that addresses everything that's wrong with our country -- from communal hatred and corruption in the system to the class divide and sexual harassment -- Yeh Mera India bites off way more than it can chew. Using a bunch of characters whose lives intertwine at some point, the film sheds light on the social evils that threaten to rock our great nation. Problem is, the acting's embarrassingly weak and the scenarios all exaggerated. Take that scene in which an oily call-centre owner (played by Rajit Kapur) celebrates an employee's birthday by ordering cake and gifts, then proceeds to molest her in full view of his cheering staff. Or the one in which a young fellow frustrated about his car just being stolen, vents his anger by vandalising a wall with thought-provoking graffiti. Even if there are some credible ideas floating around, director N Chandra struggles to put them forward in an accessible manner, resorting instead to convey them in a bombastic, over-the-top, and ultimately unconvincing style. What's more the solutions offered by the film to deal with the social evils it talks about are too simplistic and idealistic even. Talented actors like Seema Biswas, Anupam Kher and Rajpal Yadav are wasted in poorly developed parts, and by the end of the film you feel like you've bludgeoned on the head by a bunch of crazies. N Chandra's Yeh Mera India wants to make some important points, but sadly it doesn't have the skills. Watch it only if you have nothing else to do.