Filmmakers often assume that assembling a cast of good comic actors is enough to guarantee laughs. It isn’t. If the writing doesn’t give them enough ammunition, even the sharpest performers can only do so much… unless they are expected to start performing circus tricks. And the same applies to non-comedy films too. Just look at Devashish Makhija’s Gandhari, which has dropped on OTT this week and has little going for it beyond the casting of some decent actors. Thankfully, Jeevan Ya Bheema Con? fares slightly better.
It is more than its mouthful of a title, (earlier a crisper Jeevan Beema Yojana)
Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006) comes to mind as another film that managed to turn tragedy into comedy right from the opening sequence. Directed by Abhishek Dogra, the story (by Vivek Varma) revolves around Yojana (Sanjeeda Shaikh), who returns home after attending the cremation of her husband, Jeevan (Arshad Warsi). Except, he is actually alive and well. It turns out that Yojana and Jeevan had cremated his lookalike, Bheema, in order to claim Jeevan’s insurance money and pay off their loans. Their plan, however, goes haywire when two goons, Vinayak (Vijay Raaz) and Manu (Brijendra Kala), turn up at their doorstep. They believe the man at the centre of the mess is actually Bheema, who has allegedly stolen their diamonds and gone on the run while posing as Vinayak. Confused yet? The film wants you to be. So, is the man really Bheema? What happened to Jeevan? And where exactly are those diamonds? Watch the film to find out. The setting is confined to a single house, with all the aforementioned actors occupying every frame. The story kicks off on an urgent note. After all, what could be more urgent- and, for the dead man, already too late- than a funeral as the opening shot? The first half keeps things moving, with a handful of one-liners that land. More importantly, it is the cast that does much of the heavy lifting, bringing enough energy to keep the proceedings light and watchable even when the writing occasionally runs out of steam. The film also avoids spending too much time on elaborate backstories. Performance wise, it’s Arshad Warsi who keeps the energy of the film intact from start to finish in a double role. Sanjeeda Shaikh matches Arshad’s energy as his wife, and does well. Pooja Chopra as Yashika, Jeevan’s landlord, is also good. Vijay Raaz and Brijendra Kala have good chemistry on screen but their act gets monotonous after a point in the film.
Overall, Jeevan Ya Bheema Con? is hardly a classic, but it knows that the easiest way to keep a comedy alive is to keep moving. The writing runs out of steam in places, and some gags could have been sent into early retirement, but the actors ensure that the film remains largely watchable. It’s the kind of chaotic comedy that doesn’t demand too much from you, and thankfully, doesn’t take itself too seriously either.
