Billu Barber

Rating : 4/10
Time : Too long
Director : Priyadarshan; Writer : Shrinivasan; Music : Pritam
Starring : Shahrukh Khan, Irrfan, Lara Dutta, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav, Asrani, Manoj Joshi

Too implausible. Too long. Too painful. Especially towards the end. A simple story of an alleged ‘friend’, Billu, of a famous film star, Sahir Khan, who actually lands up in Billu’s village for a shoot and unleashes mayhem as all people try to beg the previously ignored Billu to put in a word for them. With some hilarious and some tragic consequences. But it’s a story stretched with too many songs, at least 3 item numbers, one very desperately wannabe rock number, tears, and other emotional atyachar etc which lays to waste the humour of the no-nonsense variety displayed by Irrfan and some other funny scenes like Inspector Choube’s attempt at being a star.

Shahrukh is his usual ‘emotional’ hammy self, Irrfan was very good, fit his part brilliantly & Lara - it was good to see her again after a long time, especially in those low cut blouses – I wish village belles really wore such stuff.

I’m going to be politically incorrect and call it Billu Barber – if someone gets offended by being called by their professional name, they need help. As do the people who liked the film.