Too long and uneven pacing weren't helped by a problematic script. That said we really enjoyed our first look at this really popular actress and the view of how Northern Indians view Tamils. The dance numbers are great and we never laughed harder than at the little fantasy where the romantic lead gassed up the motorcycle. Some things work in every culture.
40 Reviews
A terrible script
neel_d13 October 2012
First of all, let me say that Rani Mukerji is just phenomenal. She is capable of a wide array of roles, and she proves it yet again. However, even her presence does not make this film watchable. The script is horrible, the dialogues are cringeworthy, jokes are painful to hear and at times the scenes are stretched too long for their own good. The movie is a solid 2 and a half hours long, where it shouldn't have been more than 2 hours, even with all the songs. The loudness and over-acting by most actors also works against the movie. It seems like everyone tries extremely hard to make you laugh, including the scriptwiter who has added scenes in the film that have nothing to do with the story. The item songs done by Rani are small moments of relief in otherwise unbearable film. And in fact, that was the main reason for me to watch this movie in the first place. Prithviraj does not get a good start in Bollywood here, but he does well for his small and mostly non-talking role. My vote for this movie is, 3 out of 10 -
1 star indicating the movie is awful (because there is no 0 in IMDb)
1 star for Rani's presence
1 star for the rare moments where the movie makes sense
My recommendation is that if you must watch this movie, make sure you watch it with no expectations whatsoever. You'll be able to tolerate it better.
1 star indicating the movie is awful (because there is no 0 in IMDb)
1 star for Rani's presence
1 star for the rare moments where the movie makes sense
My recommendation is that if you must watch this movie, make sure you watch it with no expectations whatsoever. You'll be able to tolerate it better.
Nice Attempt Wasted
BiswajitSince200517 February 2014
This is supposed to be Rani Mukheji's comeback movie after a few flops. Story concentrated only to show only Rani. Nice attempt has been made to make a great movie. Presented very differently but may be the viewers are not ready to accept this kind of movie. I won't say that I didn't like the movie but not everyone will like this kind of movie and this can go down in history as a very nice experiment gone wrong.
Just one song is worth humming and it had topped all charts during that time too. It was a craze among the kids. Rani has done pretty well. Rani's brother played by Amey Wagh; The role of Madhav played by Subodh Bhave is exceedingly real and played his character very well. Maina played by Anita Date looks as nasty as she was supposed to be.
In all a one time watch.
Just one song is worth humming and it had topped all charts during that time too. It was a craze among the kids. Rani has done pretty well. Rani's brother played by Amey Wagh; The role of Madhav played by Subodh Bhave is exceedingly real and played his character very well. Maina played by Anita Date looks as nasty as she was supposed to be.
In all a one time watch.
A simple yet irritating, over the top and weird kind of attempt.
bobbysing28 October 2012
Promoted as a fun filled love story mixing the Maharashtrian and South Indian backdrops, AAIYYA was also considered to be the comeback film for Rani Mukherjee returning after a long gap. But the promos were not able to generate the right amount of curiosity as there was a clearly visible loud kind of effort put in by Rani herself in all those sensual dance numbers using some new distorted words. Moreover the promotional campaign was safely stressing too much on "The Dirty Picture" style of strategy to bring in a wider base of audience which didn't really work as expected.
Therefore if studied from that angle AIYYAA can also be taken as one of the after effects of "The Dirty Picture" which was not a good choice of subject by its makers. Actually TDP worked majorly due to its novelty factor, full of boldness which is difficult to click again in a second similar attempt. So, where the catchy songs of AIYYAA, sound great when played in the DJ dance parties, the same is not the result when we see them on the screen coming in as the usual fillers.
The film offers a good enjoyable 20-25 minutes in the start, when all the characters are being introduced and the narration seems to be fresh as well as interesting. But after those initial fine moments, the viewers keep waiting for some entertaining twists or sequences in its basic storyline which refuse to come and it all goes on at a very uneasy pace. As a result, all those weird but amusing mannerisms of its various characters gradually turn into repetitive, ridiculous and irritating leading to an avoidable mess.
Being an experienced professional, Rani Mukherjee works hard for her unusual role and she does well too to portray the character in the best possible manner with a little over-acting where ever required. But she also looks a complete misfit in few songs and her sniffing act starts getting on your nerves after a while. Frankly, I also found the same quite odd & silly, since Rani is purely in love with just the smell of Prithviraj in the whole film, without knowing anything about him or his nature personally. And if that was an innovative idea thrown in, then it was certainly a first on the screen, thoughtfully penned by the writers literally going out of the box. May be, the phrase "Love is Blind" should be now replaced with a new one saying "Love is Smelly" – courtesy AIYYAA.
The male lead, Prithviraj, the actor from South is impressive in his silent act (wherein he only gets to speak towards the end) and so is Subodh Bhave as the official fiancé. But there are more than one hamming stars in the rest of the cast lead by the actors playing Rani's parents, brother and grandmother. And on top of all is the girl playing Rani's office colleague, posing as the Indian Lady GaGa. The writing is quite patchy since there is no clear indication of what Rani actually wants to become in her real life as per her ambition shown in the first scene. Her passion for films and the dream of becoming a heroine suddenly takes a back seat once the love story starts off and then she is only interested in getting married and nothing else.
But despite of all the above mentioned flaws, the film continues to hold some ground until a sick song "Izzat Paapad" suddenly breaks in all of a sudden and ruins it completely. It simply pulls the film down in the bracket of below average ventures and the viewer starts looking left & right like a lost person. Further it goes on a stretching mode offering a pretty weak, lackluster climax without any exciting or entertaining moments which force you to just leave the theater at once without any further thinking.
As a matter of fact, AIYYAA talks about some strange characters coming from the imagination of director Sachin Kundalkar who remains drowned in his own world or script, forgetting the truth that the film was basically being made for the viewers alone. His unconventional and uninteresting narration not only lets down the hearty effort ofRani Mukherjee but it also affects the brand name of Anurag Kashyap presenting the film as a producer.
In all, few enjoyable tracks of Amit Trivedi and a passionate performance of Rani Mukherjee are the only two merits in AIYYAA. And if these two excite you well, then do watch it in the theater or else wait for its DVD release in the next few weeks.
Therefore if studied from that angle AIYYAA can also be taken as one of the after effects of "The Dirty Picture" which was not a good choice of subject by its makers. Actually TDP worked majorly due to its novelty factor, full of boldness which is difficult to click again in a second similar attempt. So, where the catchy songs of AIYYAA, sound great when played in the DJ dance parties, the same is not the result when we see them on the screen coming in as the usual fillers.
The film offers a good enjoyable 20-25 minutes in the start, when all the characters are being introduced and the narration seems to be fresh as well as interesting. But after those initial fine moments, the viewers keep waiting for some entertaining twists or sequences in its basic storyline which refuse to come and it all goes on at a very uneasy pace. As a result, all those weird but amusing mannerisms of its various characters gradually turn into repetitive, ridiculous and irritating leading to an avoidable mess.
Being an experienced professional, Rani Mukherjee works hard for her unusual role and she does well too to portray the character in the best possible manner with a little over-acting where ever required. But she also looks a complete misfit in few songs and her sniffing act starts getting on your nerves after a while. Frankly, I also found the same quite odd & silly, since Rani is purely in love with just the smell of Prithviraj in the whole film, without knowing anything about him or his nature personally. And if that was an innovative idea thrown in, then it was certainly a first on the screen, thoughtfully penned by the writers literally going out of the box. May be, the phrase "Love is Blind" should be now replaced with a new one saying "Love is Smelly" – courtesy AIYYAA.
The male lead, Prithviraj, the actor from South is impressive in his silent act (wherein he only gets to speak towards the end) and so is Subodh Bhave as the official fiancé. But there are more than one hamming stars in the rest of the cast lead by the actors playing Rani's parents, brother and grandmother. And on top of all is the girl playing Rani's office colleague, posing as the Indian Lady GaGa. The writing is quite patchy since there is no clear indication of what Rani actually wants to become in her real life as per her ambition shown in the first scene. Her passion for films and the dream of becoming a heroine suddenly takes a back seat once the love story starts off and then she is only interested in getting married and nothing else.
But despite of all the above mentioned flaws, the film continues to hold some ground until a sick song "Izzat Paapad" suddenly breaks in all of a sudden and ruins it completely. It simply pulls the film down in the bracket of below average ventures and the viewer starts looking left & right like a lost person. Further it goes on a stretching mode offering a pretty weak, lackluster climax without any exciting or entertaining moments which force you to just leave the theater at once without any further thinking.
As a matter of fact, AIYYAA talks about some strange characters coming from the imagination of director Sachin Kundalkar who remains drowned in his own world or script, forgetting the truth that the film was basically being made for the viewers alone. His unconventional and uninteresting narration not only lets down the hearty effort ofRani Mukherjee but it also affects the brand name of Anurag Kashyap presenting the film as a producer.
In all, few enjoyable tracks of Amit Trivedi and a passionate performance of Rani Mukherjee are the only two merits in AIYYAA. And if these two excite you well, then do watch it in the theater or else wait for its DVD release in the next few weeks.
One of the worst worst movies
himanshu_bhardwajin15 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the worst movies have ever seen so far. Just couldn't make out sense of the movie. Complete loony bin family in there :). Neither could understand why Rani just forgot to act maybe time for her to retire. It was more of an idiotic drama. I would rather recommend go for some other movie rather than spending time watching it and make your headache. The storyline was not even near of what we call a story, it was more like events getting misfired. And what's with the smelling stuff with Rani couldn't resist laughing. The only thing I would recommend, if you can avoid it do it by all means. Rest the only worth watching part of the movie was the two signature songs of the movie. And I almost forgot the Ring Ceremony of Rani a complete gourmet of stupidities.
"Unbearibly Horrible" to sum up in two words.
punisher1219 October 2012
One of the worse films I've seen. Over 2 and a half hours of mental torture. Throughout the entirety of the film, the story goes nowhere. No story, no humour and definitely not even a tad bit of entertainment. To sum up this is an awful film which at the very best deserves a rating of zero.
I would have been happy to include a synopsis of the story or include a guideline on the characters of this film, however there's nothing to write. Its a film without a script and I honestly wonder what the point was in making this film.
Avoid this one anyhow. I would stay away from it had I known better.
I would have been happy to include a synopsis of the story or include a guideline on the characters of this film, however there's nothing to write. Its a film without a script and I honestly wonder what the point was in making this film.
Avoid this one anyhow. I would stay away from it had I known better.
hate it
kuttanpilla00713 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
the film was disgusting and really hated it. struggled to complete watching it.the worst movie in 2012.infact the worst i have ever seen.wasted ma money.and wasted ma time. don't ever go to c dis film. i wont even go if someone pay me for watching. full over acting and over dramatic. doesn't make any sense. senseless story.The movie is a waste of time and money...nothing in it ...Prithviraj is a silent machine who walks around here and there ...and Rani who follows him all around ....complete waste ............bt at least two item dance song was worth a watch, i gave 1 out of ten rating for it.... ..........people were just angry engg to destry the theatre everyne watched just hate the movie
Insecurity takes its toll
pmoni5 November 2012
A fine actress though she is, seems to be now gripped with insecurity with a sagging career line. why else she would do a movie like Aaiyya !?. I have not been able to find a word to term this movie, as it fits into no category. 'Bad' is too good, 'Immature' is not appropriate for some one like Anurag Kashyap. I can not say anything about the story, as I could not sit thru more than twenty minute of the movie. Rani's performance seemed novice, may be it was because performance of the rest was so bad Rani had to DE-perform to match ! A howling granny trying to act chick, a mother trying to hold the controlling rein over the family, a moronic father fumbling with telephones, a brother trying to be funny all the time and a transvestite looking thing with no relation to the story make a jokers ensemble.Why and how we have a hordes of eligible bachelors who are all imbeciles is beyond me. Over all this movie not even worth wasting the time trying to write a review, let alone seeing it. So just avoid
Not worth of watch
dineshprakash12 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Watched " AIYYAA". Nothing is good except choreography by Vaibhavi Merchant and background score by Amit Trivedi. Bumpy ride between realistic cinema and commercial one. There is no interesting story, screenplay and dialogues except a few one. Main plot of romance of a Maharashtrian girl and a Tamil speaking boy is not so attractive because both can understand a common language Hindi. Then there is no need of learning Tamil by Meenakshi (Rani Mukherjee). There is not shown any hurdle between two culture or region, so main plot of two different language speaking person's love is meaningless. It could have been story of any two common person then also there would have no any problem. Whenever they want they start speaking Marathi or Tamil. Sometimes Director provides subtitle sometimes he does not. You feel cheated. Performance wise Rani Mukherjee did well but only in dancing. She is simply fantastic in songs. Credit goes to choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant too but shockingly Rani Mukherjee disappoints in emotional scene, which is her comfort zone. She looks funny when she cries after gulping Vodka. Her tears were fake. It's very tricky situation to blame for this disaster. It can be Director Mr. Sachin Kundalkar or actress herself. Pritviraj Sukumaran impresses as Surya. Even the boy who played Rani's younger brother , character Nana did well. Eventually not worth of watch.
Smells great, but makes you unnecessarily wait
ayanpal113 October 2012
'Aiyyaa' is a film that redefines zany, whacky, and crazy, or should I instead say 'Wakra'? It's leading lady – a librarian in an Art College in real, and a Bollywood Diva in her fantasies - Meenakshi (played uninhibitedly by Rani Mukherjee) and her acute sense of smell and by connection, unfathomable attraction to the tall, dark, and handsome art student Surya (a delightful Bollywood debut by Malyalam star Prithviraj Sukumaran) and maddeningly Bollywood fantasies drive not only her, but also those around oscillating between sanity and the puerile.
Be it her motor mouth mother who keeps laughing and telling all and sundry about how perfect a bride her daughter will be, her father, surrounded by innumerable mostly dysfunctional telephones who has the quirky habit of smoking 4 cigarettes at the same time, her jobless class 10 failed brother 'Nanu' who loves dogs and is dogged in his hate for humanity, or last but not the least, her blind grandmother with her golden dentures who keeps zipping around the house in a motorized wheelchair and passes expert comments on everything.
Add to that a crazy co-worker 'Mayna' who is a cross between Lady Gaga and Bugs Bunny. Be it her crazy Lady Gaga inspired dressing, bad Bollywood dancing, maddening fondness for John Abraham, or overall behavior with those around her. She really is as whacky, if not more than Meenakshi's family.
The only sane person in her life is her forced fiancé – Madhav Rajadhyaksha (played aptly by Marathi actor Subodh Bhave) whose logicality almost threatens to overpower the smelly attraction Meenakshi has for Surya. And therein lies a terrible tale.
This is a classic example of too many ingredients confusing the cook. For, while several sequences stand out for their whacky quotient, the overall picture is one of incoherence. The story and plot are as weak as Meenakshi's knees every time she spots Surya. The funny lines, superb acting, excellent choreography, and beautiful music are somehow thrust at the background every time you desperately hope and wish to hear the mostly silent Surya speak. His body however speaks, rather screams, every time he enters a fantastical dream of Meenakshi and ends up displaying some groovy dancing, a chiseled body complimented by a shaved chest, and six pack abs that stand out in stark contrast to his unkempt chest hair ravaged painter avatar in the real portions.
But for the most part your heart might actually go out to the more earthy suitor of Meenakshi with his love for the kind of romance exemplified by Farroukh Sheikh and Deepti Naval.
If you shirk your nose every time you catch a rerun of MTV Fully Faltoo, this film might be the smelliest thing to have entered your nostrils. If a great story and plot are those that drive you, this film is likely to be a huge let down. But if you are one of those who are ready for some zany humor, this indeed might be the film to catch. Though a better script/story/plot rounded with some crisp editing would have done this film a world of good, it stills holds its ground for several reasons. Watch it for its characters, presentation, dialogues and crazy sense of humor (thanks to National Award winning director Sachin Kundalkar), whacky lyrics (Amitabh Bhattacharya), fantastic music (Amit Trivedi), exuberant choreography (Vaibhavi Merchant) and last but not the least, for Rani Mukherjee.
Be it her enacting of iconic songs and dialogues of Sridevi, Madhuri, or Juhi, her attempts at learning Tamil, her overpowering melodrama about everything happening to her, and for her trio of terrific dance performances - a luscious Lavani, a Silk Smitha inspired 'Dreamup Wakeupum', or her fantastic Kamasutra inspired Belly Dancing in 'Aaga Bai'. Rani is fantastic or should be say 'Wakra'? Go decide for yourself.
Be it her motor mouth mother who keeps laughing and telling all and sundry about how perfect a bride her daughter will be, her father, surrounded by innumerable mostly dysfunctional telephones who has the quirky habit of smoking 4 cigarettes at the same time, her jobless class 10 failed brother 'Nanu' who loves dogs and is dogged in his hate for humanity, or last but not the least, her blind grandmother with her golden dentures who keeps zipping around the house in a motorized wheelchair and passes expert comments on everything.
Add to that a crazy co-worker 'Mayna' who is a cross between Lady Gaga and Bugs Bunny. Be it her crazy Lady Gaga inspired dressing, bad Bollywood dancing, maddening fondness for John Abraham, or overall behavior with those around her. She really is as whacky, if not more than Meenakshi's family.
The only sane person in her life is her forced fiancé – Madhav Rajadhyaksha (played aptly by Marathi actor Subodh Bhave) whose logicality almost threatens to overpower the smelly attraction Meenakshi has for Surya. And therein lies a terrible tale.
This is a classic example of too many ingredients confusing the cook. For, while several sequences stand out for their whacky quotient, the overall picture is one of incoherence. The story and plot are as weak as Meenakshi's knees every time she spots Surya. The funny lines, superb acting, excellent choreography, and beautiful music are somehow thrust at the background every time you desperately hope and wish to hear the mostly silent Surya speak. His body however speaks, rather screams, every time he enters a fantastical dream of Meenakshi and ends up displaying some groovy dancing, a chiseled body complimented by a shaved chest, and six pack abs that stand out in stark contrast to his unkempt chest hair ravaged painter avatar in the real portions.
But for the most part your heart might actually go out to the more earthy suitor of Meenakshi with his love for the kind of romance exemplified by Farroukh Sheikh and Deepti Naval.
If you shirk your nose every time you catch a rerun of MTV Fully Faltoo, this film might be the smelliest thing to have entered your nostrils. If a great story and plot are those that drive you, this film is likely to be a huge let down. But if you are one of those who are ready for some zany humor, this indeed might be the film to catch. Though a better script/story/plot rounded with some crisp editing would have done this film a world of good, it stills holds its ground for several reasons. Watch it for its characters, presentation, dialogues and crazy sense of humor (thanks to National Award winning director Sachin Kundalkar), whacky lyrics (Amitabh Bhattacharya), fantastic music (Amit Trivedi), exuberant choreography (Vaibhavi Merchant) and last but not the least, for Rani Mukherjee.
Be it her enacting of iconic songs and dialogues of Sridevi, Madhuri, or Juhi, her attempts at learning Tamil, her overpowering melodrama about everything happening to her, and for her trio of terrific dance performances - a luscious Lavani, a Silk Smitha inspired 'Dreamup Wakeupum', or her fantastic Kamasutra inspired Belly Dancing in 'Aaga Bai'. Rani is fantastic or should be say 'Wakra'? Go decide for yourself.
watch if you don't have sleeping pills or hit yourself to wall
gajrajiitr8 November 2012
I don't understand how one can think like Rani Mukharji. she thinks it can be her comeback movie. I am sure if Rani ll be on her top at the time movie released, it ll have the same impact on box office as well as people. it is a total waste movie. You ll hit your head on wall after watching this.
you must be wondering about the movie title 'Aiyaa'. how did it come. when man want to see Rani Mukharji to meet at her house. at time time Rani made surprise disappoint expression with word 'Aiyaa'. and thats the name of movie.now come to the acting , Rani hadn't done justice with the role. its seems like overacting all the times.So if you want to sleep and you don't have sleeping pills, I am recommending his/her to watch this movie.
you must be wondering about the movie title 'Aiyaa'. how did it come. when man want to see Rani Mukharji to meet at her house. at time time Rani made surprise disappoint expression with word 'Aiyaa'. and thats the name of movie.now come to the acting , Rani hadn't done justice with the role. its seems like overacting all the times.So if you want to sleep and you don't have sleeping pills, I am recommending his/her to watch this movie.
its a dreamy twist to an ordinary love story with scenes from every day life which any gal from middle class can relate to
anuqt5 August 2017
Meenakshi is so real,she portrays any gal's dilemma of pursuing inner desires vs choosing a life which is practical and realistic. except for the raunchy numbers, this movie is a beautiful. the songs seems like they were added for the masses otherwise its a very well written and directed story. i love the chemistry between meenakshi and surya . her helplessness in expressing her true intent was portrayed very well by Rani Mukerji. i like prithviraj and i would watch this again for him.
The Eyes Have It
palainausa7 August 2018
There are some completely cringe-worthy things about this film, notably certain supporting characters and the Benny Hill style speeded up action. After 15 minutes, I paused it to see what IMDB had to say. 4.4 stars. I've never watched a movie with less than 5 stars, and only a few under 6. Nevertheless, I decided to perserve. I'm glad I did. I truly enjoyed the musical numbers, done mostly in colorful Indian style clothing (as opposed to the "urban" look that is showing up in Bollywood), and Ms. Mukerji was a delight. She completely carried the movie, almost by herself. The ending was quite worth waiting for, and Im glad I did. 6.5 stars.
Avoidasam!
nairtejas4 February 2013
Sadly, the movie doesn't fulfill at least the satisfactory kind of expectations. All the elements in this boring flick adds up to ennui- generating claptrap and Rani Mukherji has totally lost it!
What was the director even thinking during the making? The writer needs to take a reality check and every other factor in this cinema is rubbish.
South star Prithviraj was completely wasted, having seen almost all his Malayalam movies. His first ever dialog in the movie comes after about 2 hours, near to the climax sequence. Furthermore, in the entire movie, he just had one expression in his face, moves around and does nothing extraordinary.
On the whole, this mixture of Misal Payasam and Idli Dosappam is unhappily avoidasm. Prithviraj, if not for his bod, is out of Bollywwod. So should Rani! :D
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES. But, you shouldn't!
Language: No | Sex: No | Foreplay: No | Violence: No | Smoking & Alcohol: Strong | Nudity: Very mild
What was the director even thinking during the making? The writer needs to take a reality check and every other factor in this cinema is rubbish.
South star Prithviraj was completely wasted, having seen almost all his Malayalam movies. His first ever dialog in the movie comes after about 2 hours, near to the climax sequence. Furthermore, in the entire movie, he just had one expression in his face, moves around and does nothing extraordinary.
On the whole, this mixture of Misal Payasam and Idli Dosappam is unhappily avoidasm. Prithviraj, if not for his bod, is out of Bollywwod. So should Rani! :D
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES. But, you shouldn't!
Language: No | Sex: No | Foreplay: No | Violence: No | Smoking & Alcohol: Strong | Nudity: Very mild
Personification of Why Divorces Happen
daysky2 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Summary of this review: Kept my interest, but only because I didn't know the ending would make me want to pull my hair out.
Main actress is infatuated with a college student. He treats everyone like dirt (including his mom) and completely ignores her when she tries to talk to him. Why does she like him? He has LITERALLY has 2 redeeming qualities. He is a talented artist and he smells good. His eyes are always red, and there are rumors of him being an alcoholic, druggie, and a womanizer. Despite all this, the main character can't get into the nice guy who wants to marry her because she is hung up on this loser. Finally, she discovers why he smells good and why his eyes are red. It's a plot twist, but I thought it would wake her up. NOPE! She still thinks she will be happier with him than someone who treats her nicely and values her opinion. When she explains to her parents why she likes the loser, she only has shallow things to say (his height, his eyes, etc.) It was so bizarre and dumb. I watched it to the end though I skipped some of the musical numbers. If I would have known she would never wizened up, I might not have watched it all. UGH.
Main actress is infatuated with a college student. He treats everyone like dirt (including his mom) and completely ignores her when she tries to talk to him. Why does she like him? He has LITERALLY has 2 redeeming qualities. He is a talented artist and he smells good. His eyes are always red, and there are rumors of him being an alcoholic, druggie, and a womanizer. Despite all this, the main character can't get into the nice guy who wants to marry her because she is hung up on this loser. Finally, she discovers why he smells good and why his eyes are red. It's a plot twist, but I thought it would wake her up. NOPE! She still thinks she will be happier with him than someone who treats her nicely and values her opinion. When she explains to her parents why she likes the loser, she only has shallow things to say (his height, his eyes, etc.) It was so bizarre and dumb. I watched it to the end though I skipped some of the musical numbers. If I would have known she would never wizened up, I might not have watched it all. UGH.
Why even this movie was made and marketed ?
raman_arora20 November 2012
this movie is bad... real bad .
Dunno why some people have posted excellent reviews..
may be those comments are from Rani Muk. herself...as no one in their real / normal mind will like this bakwaas...
If you have watched preview / trailer of this movie.. thats all you need to watch as those are the only good scenes in movie.. rest everything is pure junk...
if you still wanna waste 2+hrs of your life... then a big Good luck with that ...
trust me it does not even deserve 1* ratings...
Dunno why some people have posted excellent reviews..
may be those comments are from Rani Muk. herself...as no one in their real / normal mind will like this bakwaas...
If you have watched preview / trailer of this movie.. thats all you need to watch as those are the only good scenes in movie.. rest everything is pure junk...
if you still wanna waste 2+hrs of your life... then a big Good luck with that ...
trust me it does not even deserve 1* ratings...
We watched this with very low expectations, and were still disappointed!
shaunakk20 April 2013
Had seen the songs, which are quite well done.
Thought "how bad could it really be"...
So got hold of a copy and decided to watch it one weekend. First half goes OK, not brilliant but still bearable.
Second half goes downhill faster than a lorry with buggered brakes. Last half an hour makes you want to shoot yourself
Truly awful movie.
On the upside I will no longer have think when asked "what is the worst movie you have ever seen in your whole life"
It as if they put a team of artists together and said to them, lets make a movie that will take the world record the most ridiculous and mind-numbing show ever made and then dump all over it.
Thought "how bad could it really be"...
So got hold of a copy and decided to watch it one weekend. First half goes OK, not brilliant but still bearable.
Second half goes downhill faster than a lorry with buggered brakes. Last half an hour makes you want to shoot yourself
Truly awful movie.
On the upside I will no longer have think when asked "what is the worst movie you have ever seen in your whole life"
It as if they put a team of artists together and said to them, lets make a movie that will take the world record the most ridiculous and mind-numbing show ever made and then dump all over it.
Waste of time, effort and money
akhullar122 November 2012
First up, thanks to IMDb to enable its reviewers to give a 1 star rating to movies. If they could get any lower, I wudn't hesitate in giving it a 0.5 star. Secondly, I thank my stars for not watching this stupid movie in a movie hall although I had half a mind of doing it when it released. This could have been a good movie given the basic idea of the plot and the talent of Rani Mukherjee. But seriously, what was she thinking while signing up for it? She is already at the fading end of her career and such choices are obviously not doing her any good. The movie is just full of unwanted characters, over the top effort to make some parts funny, patchy editing and too many ideas to fit in a 2.5 hour long movie. its a showcase of the makers getting confused at every juncture and giving a completely erratic output. C'mon there are loads of amazing movies out there based on the common middle class family depicting their life (and dreams/nightmares)in a good way. All said and done, it wud still be better if there was more of a story build up between the leads (rather than Rani's brother finding her soul mate equally abruptly) and an alternate ending to the movie. And Rani, please don't try songs like Creamingum, Wakeupam, Birha Saudai etc. again.. everyone is not Vidya Balan.
Worst plot
pree191 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
'Aiyaa' is the weirdest movie I have seen. I am not sure I can appreciate the stupidity of Meenaxi character. The whole movie is based on Meenaxi's infactuation which 'Surya' who doesn't give her any time of day. I am not even sure he is aware of her existence even (well in the last 25 mins he does it seems). And I can still get behind that but then why not say no to the other guy if you are not interested. Just running away from your engagement and behaving rudely because someone likes you and you just string him along. She was actually stalking the guy. I am not sure I have a single thing to recommend in this movie. It was complete waste of 2.5 hours.
From 'aaiyaa' to 'aaiyo', Rani pulls it off!!
roy-puja0317 October 2012
There was a time in the early '2k era' when an actress was slowly making a mark in Indian cinema. She was small, impish, vigorously spontaneous and ever charming. Her crackling voice appeared unpleasant initially leading filmmakers like Mahesh Bhatt to dub someone else for her. However, like a true talent would, she turned every scar to star. Rani Mukherjee, the actress with all her effervescence was missing all this while from the silver screen, she made her fans wait and grumble. However, the wait was worth!! With "Aiyaa", Rani is rightfully "back with a bang". She rants, she banters, she raves and she rules!!!
Meenakshi Deshpande (Rani Mukherjee) loves to dream herself as Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi and Juhi Chawla (the ladies who ruled Indian cinema in the 90's). She idolizes them...but wait, she is not a wannabe actress, she simply loves to dream! A typical 'teenage Bollywood freak' at heart, Meenakshi's dreams are pompous, opulent and larger-than-life, no matter how diminutive her real life existence is. While her parents almost hound for a suitable match for her, she secretly nourishes the idea of eloping with her boyfriend by taking away all her grand ma's assorted jewellery. A secret wish to fall in love and get rid of the 'ever-so-mundane' ways of life is all that she wants. The movie begins by elucidating upon the innuendos of this freaky, simple yet vivacious Marathi mulgi. Meenakshi's dream is perhaps every (middle class) girl's dream and this is where an instant connection takes place between the audience and the gripping narrative of this girl.
Rani Mukherjee with all her gusto gives a live wire performance as Meenakshi on-screen.
Before one could settle down with the vibrancy of this girl, another aspect about her comes to surface. Meenakshi is hyper-sensitive to 'smell' in general. The municipality dustbin is just a stone's throw from her house. She is agitated, screams and rants about it all the day. Feels stifled almost every time she passes by it and gets nauseated by its foulness. However, the fragrance of dreams never ceases to grasp her. The bin here works as a complete metaphor to showcase the innate quality of this girl to live life just the way she wants to!
The story develops further. Meenakshi eventually manages a job as a librarian in an art college and consequently feels a magnetic pull towards an art student there for the "heavenly" smell that he emanates. Is it the perennial stingy smell that she has to bear with back home which makes her so drawn towards this "out-of the world" smell of this man? We ponder! Prithviraj, I was told is a South superstar. He absolutely lives up to the expectations in the film. Super dashing as he looks on screen, his contemplative face as an artist is a "countenance to reckon with", so much so that Meenakshi eventually falls head-over-heels in love with him and so does most of the girls in the audience! (I included)
Like her dreams Meenakshi follows him almost everywhere. She goes all out of her way to learn Tamil. She barges into the men's toilet, gatecrashes into his house as a sales woman and secretly steals his shirt only to wear it in the night and feel closer to his 'existence'. The longing to be with the beloved can also be satiated by wearing his clothes, his belongings and their remnants. A beautiful expression indeed!!
Gyrating dance moves and raunchy make-ups are nothing but an expression of her fantasies that plummets the moment real life strikes.
Meenakshi's marriage gets apparently fixed up with the 'Farooque Sheikh' admirer Madhav which she couldn't impede even after a forceful horrendous rendition of a Tamil song.
She continually follows her dream man who is continually oblivious about her. Meenakshi pulls out all the stops to follow him for an entire day and escapes from her pending engagement. She finally meets him eventually discovers the reason for the heavenly smell that pulls her....
Almost a fairytale story told in a fairytale fashion, 'Aiyaa' wins your heart with its softness, unique expression of love and ever so pure "smell" factor attached to it. What is it, other than the looks, which make a person different from the others externally? Smell right?
No two individual can smell the same technically. The director harps on this fact and colors it with all the possible shades of romance. The intensity of a person's body, the feeling of getting attached with him by inhaling that fragrance ..emotions become almost palpable at the very realization of it all!!
'Aiyaa' other than being a fun to watch movie is also very profound in the message it inadvertently conveys. With some comic relief in the form of the 'golden tooth of the grand ma' and Meenakshi's pro-PETA brother (which I honestly feel the script did not need at all), the film fulfills all the quotients of entertainment. After Sridevi's powerful performance in English Vinglish, its Rani's exuberance that comes our way this time round. What a treat for movie buffs! Much like Sridevi's Shashi, who ends up completely transforming herself as an expert in English, Rani's Meenakshi too coverts from speaking "aiyaa" to "aaiyo". She meets her dream man finally and becomes "Meenakshi Deshpande Iyer".
P.S- Extra ordinary dance prowess showcased by Rani (especially the belly dance). Beautiful movie, must watch!!
Meenakshi Deshpande (Rani Mukherjee) loves to dream herself as Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi and Juhi Chawla (the ladies who ruled Indian cinema in the 90's). She idolizes them...but wait, she is not a wannabe actress, she simply loves to dream! A typical 'teenage Bollywood freak' at heart, Meenakshi's dreams are pompous, opulent and larger-than-life, no matter how diminutive her real life existence is. While her parents almost hound for a suitable match for her, she secretly nourishes the idea of eloping with her boyfriend by taking away all her grand ma's assorted jewellery. A secret wish to fall in love and get rid of the 'ever-so-mundane' ways of life is all that she wants. The movie begins by elucidating upon the innuendos of this freaky, simple yet vivacious Marathi mulgi. Meenakshi's dream is perhaps every (middle class) girl's dream and this is where an instant connection takes place between the audience and the gripping narrative of this girl.
Rani Mukherjee with all her gusto gives a live wire performance as Meenakshi on-screen.
Before one could settle down with the vibrancy of this girl, another aspect about her comes to surface. Meenakshi is hyper-sensitive to 'smell' in general. The municipality dustbin is just a stone's throw from her house. She is agitated, screams and rants about it all the day. Feels stifled almost every time she passes by it and gets nauseated by its foulness. However, the fragrance of dreams never ceases to grasp her. The bin here works as a complete metaphor to showcase the innate quality of this girl to live life just the way she wants to!
The story develops further. Meenakshi eventually manages a job as a librarian in an art college and consequently feels a magnetic pull towards an art student there for the "heavenly" smell that he emanates. Is it the perennial stingy smell that she has to bear with back home which makes her so drawn towards this "out-of the world" smell of this man? We ponder! Prithviraj, I was told is a South superstar. He absolutely lives up to the expectations in the film. Super dashing as he looks on screen, his contemplative face as an artist is a "countenance to reckon with", so much so that Meenakshi eventually falls head-over-heels in love with him and so does most of the girls in the audience! (I included)
Like her dreams Meenakshi follows him almost everywhere. She goes all out of her way to learn Tamil. She barges into the men's toilet, gatecrashes into his house as a sales woman and secretly steals his shirt only to wear it in the night and feel closer to his 'existence'. The longing to be with the beloved can also be satiated by wearing his clothes, his belongings and their remnants. A beautiful expression indeed!!
Gyrating dance moves and raunchy make-ups are nothing but an expression of her fantasies that plummets the moment real life strikes.
Meenakshi's marriage gets apparently fixed up with the 'Farooque Sheikh' admirer Madhav which she couldn't impede even after a forceful horrendous rendition of a Tamil song.
She continually follows her dream man who is continually oblivious about her. Meenakshi pulls out all the stops to follow him for an entire day and escapes from her pending engagement. She finally meets him eventually discovers the reason for the heavenly smell that pulls her....
Almost a fairytale story told in a fairytale fashion, 'Aiyaa' wins your heart with its softness, unique expression of love and ever so pure "smell" factor attached to it. What is it, other than the looks, which make a person different from the others externally? Smell right?
No two individual can smell the same technically. The director harps on this fact and colors it with all the possible shades of romance. The intensity of a person's body, the feeling of getting attached with him by inhaling that fragrance ..emotions become almost palpable at the very realization of it all!!
'Aiyaa' other than being a fun to watch movie is also very profound in the message it inadvertently conveys. With some comic relief in the form of the 'golden tooth of the grand ma' and Meenakshi's pro-PETA brother (which I honestly feel the script did not need at all), the film fulfills all the quotients of entertainment. After Sridevi's powerful performance in English Vinglish, its Rani's exuberance that comes our way this time round. What a treat for movie buffs! Much like Sridevi's Shashi, who ends up completely transforming herself as an expert in English, Rani's Meenakshi too coverts from speaking "aiyaa" to "aaiyo". She meets her dream man finally and becomes "Meenakshi Deshpande Iyer".
P.S- Extra ordinary dance prowess showcased by Rani (especially the belly dance). Beautiful movie, must watch!!
Underrated & unusual comedy
yashrajail3 August 2020
A wonderfully bizarre comedy and a delightful Mukherjee
Peter_Young29 December 2012
Aiyyaa was a major critical and financial failure, but having seen the nice trailer and liked it, and considering the fact that Rani Mukherjee is in it, I most willingly decided to watch it. I personally found Aiyya to be thoroughly enjoyable. It is a slightly mad but totally relatable comic ride which is well written and acted and which has plenty of great moments. The humour is indeed very different from what we are used to watching in the usual Bollywood fare, and the basic concept of a woman just going 'aiyyaa' over a stranger whose mysterious fragrance attracts her the most may be quite weird at points. But, it is this very premise which makes this little film ever more unique and funny. The film is portrayed rather realistically, with the sets, costumes and dialogue giving it an engaging sense of everyday simplicity, while being consistently humorous. The portrayal of Meenakshi's Marathi family is very amusing, and the songs are quite fun to watch. Aiyyaa's biggest strength, however, is the portrayal of its main character; Meenakshi finds a way to deal with her everyday troubles through the power of the imagination. She creates her own perfect, spiritual world, using her dreams without really losing herself. In this regard, Aiyyaa works as a mini-celebration of the human spirit.
All of this, however, wouldn't have been the same without the wonderful presence of Rani Mukherjee. Mukherjee is a true delight in this film. Her last great performance was in a minuscule part in Saawariya, and it's been ages since we've seen her really immerse herself into a character, as she does here. As Meenakshi, she is hilarious and at times just borderline self-deprecatory. It is this uninhibited, fearless quality that makes this comic performance work so well. Her dance numbers, needless to say, are brilliant and she looks a million bucks in each one of them. South Indian actor Prithviraj is for the most part a mere presence on-screen, but he does pretty well and is good foil for Mukherjee. The other members of the cast are all very good and turn in nice and funny acts. Towards the end the film provides us with some of its most beautiful sequences. The climactic scenes are very surprising and the ending is unexpected and rewarding. This is also the opportunity to note the excellent cinematography, and the amazing background score, which enhance the narrative. Aiyyaa is an absolute laugh riot which has been misunderstood and rejected by critics and audiences just for the wrong reasons. I liked it, and would definitely recommend it to Hindi film buffs.
All of this, however, wouldn't have been the same without the wonderful presence of Rani Mukherjee. Mukherjee is a true delight in this film. Her last great performance was in a minuscule part in Saawariya, and it's been ages since we've seen her really immerse herself into a character, as she does here. As Meenakshi, she is hilarious and at times just borderline self-deprecatory. It is this uninhibited, fearless quality that makes this comic performance work so well. Her dance numbers, needless to say, are brilliant and she looks a million bucks in each one of them. South Indian actor Prithviraj is for the most part a mere presence on-screen, but he does pretty well and is good foil for Mukherjee. The other members of the cast are all very good and turn in nice and funny acts. Towards the end the film provides us with some of its most beautiful sequences. The climactic scenes are very surprising and the ending is unexpected and rewarding. This is also the opportunity to note the excellent cinematography, and the amazing background score, which enhance the narrative. Aiyyaa is an absolute laugh riot which has been misunderstood and rejected by critics and audiences just for the wrong reasons. I liked it, and would definitely recommend it to Hindi film buffs.
A goofy film
sdreelin2 August 2014
OK, this is a goofy movie (the tag line is: Go Wakda (wacky)) so if you are expecting superb entertainment, you are out of luck. But, Rani Mukerji really shines as a nut job and really makes this movie laughable fun. I vote for her to star in the next Houseful 3 as her wackiness would work well in that series. You need to appreciate the wacky humor that comes with the Golmaal, Houseful, or Masti/Grand Masti series to enjoy his one. If that is not your style of humor, look elsewhere. Meenakshi's family is truly dysfunctional and adds to the humor. Meenaski's friend and co-worker Mynah comes across as an Indian Lady Gaga and is somewhat funny, but a little annoying at times. When Meenakshi dreams about being her favorite actresses is probably the funniest parts, so it helps to have a good background on some older Bollywood hits and veteran actresses to get a laugh at those scenes. The music is catchy, though some of the dance sequences are a bit risqué which is slightly unusual for Rani. Nothing terrible, but slightly not family safe for younger members. Prithviraj's character is played well especially in the end. Not a hit, but good goofy fun if you are looking for a good laugh.
I'm not Indian and I adored this Amelie like film
moviemom236 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I don't know how it started, but I enjoy Indian movies. (I'm not Indian) The Bollywood spectacles are so over the top and remind me of the Golden age of musicals. The actors are often beautiful to look at, and the exotic (to me) locales are so colorful and interesting! There is usually a wedding- which I also love- and comical wacky family situations for comic relief. Formulaic? Yes, but so much fun.
This film reminded me very much of Amelie. Now that movie I finally watched saw through very late, maybe just last year, because I gave up on it multiple times. You have to be in the right mood to watch a movie like that. Aaiyaa is the same type of thing. You've got to understand most of it is tongue-in-cheek sendups of other films and plots.
The only part that disappointed me is I think it would have been better had the ending been her ending up with the other guy. It would have fit better into the "just a fantasy" theme of most of the film. Maybe the ending would have worked better had the sequence of the hot guy recollecting moments in his mind that we experienced from her point of view previously would have been fleshed out more thoroughly. As it was, it just seemed like an aside, but it was one of my favorite scenes. That would have explained his silent brooding throughout much of the film.... Which honestly reminded me of Darcy from Pride &. Predjudice! Anyway it's a fun ride, a very long ride, but I think ultimately worth it.
The only part that disappointed me is I think it would have been better had the ending been her ending up with the other guy. It would have fit better into the "just a fantasy" theme of most of the film. Maybe the ending would have worked better had the sequence of the hot guy recollecting moments in his mind that we experienced from her point of view previously would have been fleshed out more thoroughly. As it was, it just seemed like an aside, but it was one of my favorite scenes. That would have explained his silent brooding throughout much of the film.... Which honestly reminded me of Darcy from Pride &. Predjudice! Anyway it's a fun ride, a very long ride, but I think ultimately worth it.
There is something Amelie about Menakshi.
MdlndeHond1 December 2012
It was Times of India that voted this one amongst the worst movies of 2012 and it didn't get a lot of love in the reviews either. I am surprised about that.
Rani Mukerji is one of my favourite actresses in general. Her comic talent is phenomenal. As a dreaming librarian who smells the world, sees through the eyes of a romantic movie and lives amongst a range of quirky but adorable characters she reminds me of an Indian Amelie poulain. Menakshi is a little awkward, carefree and full of good intentions with an indestructible faith in the power of love.
Of course the story is nothing new and for Non-Indians it might be a little over the top.There are a few characters the film could do with out for sure, one being the librarian and Menakhis colleague. She brings the rating down with at least 2 points on IMDb. How did they come up with the idea to pair the lovely Rani with this creepy caricature?) But when you take that lightly you want to follow Mukerji's Meenakshi in her pursuit for love and the adventures of her chaotic family are worth every minute of your time.
Rani Mukerji is one of my favourite actresses in general. Her comic talent is phenomenal. As a dreaming librarian who smells the world, sees through the eyes of a romantic movie and lives amongst a range of quirky but adorable characters she reminds me of an Indian Amelie poulain. Menakshi is a little awkward, carefree and full of good intentions with an indestructible faith in the power of love.
Of course the story is nothing new and for Non-Indians it might be a little over the top.There are a few characters the film could do with out for sure, one being the librarian and Menakhis colleague. She brings the rating down with at least 2 points on IMDb. How did they come up with the idea to pair the lovely Rani with this creepy caricature?) But when you take that lightly you want to follow Mukerji's Meenakshi in her pursuit for love and the adventures of her chaotic family are worth every minute of your time.
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