Fugly Movie Review: No VAT On This Entertainment

In one of the pivotal scenes in the film, Jimmy Sheirgill, who plays a brutal cop, does some calculations based on all the charges he wishes to impose over the four  youngsters who get caught up in his trap. After arriving at an official figure, he adds VAT over it, hence making it 10 times the figure, that results in an astounding figure of over 60 lakhs. Even as the youngsters are shocked, Jimmy gives a 'business as usual' look, hence concluding one of the finest scenes that one has seen in a film belonging to this genre.

It is scenes like these and more which make Fugly a truly different film where the narrative turns sinister with every passing episode. Mind you, it is not a feel good Delhi based film on the lines of Fukrey. Neither is it overtly dark, as was the case with Shaitan. Instead, it takes a middle of the road route and while it doesn't necessarily enter the underbelly of Delhi, there is one side of the city which is shown that not many filmmakers have entered before.

Hence, one is exposed to farmhouse parties where lakhs are earned in a matter of a single night, cops create and burn evidences on will, spy cams are accessible for one and all with an eye on porn, rich kids are considered as criminals by default, an attractively dressed girl is automatically considered available, hanging out with boys can actually be just friendship, politician families don't necessarily come for their kins' defence always and ghoonghat clad girls are not actually coy.

In short, there is a world out there - a real one at that - where there is a lot of fugliness amidst the goodness it has to offer.

No wonder, the girl in picture, Kiara Advani, wonders if this country is safe enough for girls. The boy (Vijender Singh) of a politician family thinks he can take on anyone and everyone with a simple line - Tu Jaanta Nahi Mera Baap Kaun Hai. A forever scared boy (Arfi Lamba) doesn't hesitate taking even his fiancée (Mansha) to a police station for moral support. And then there is a thinking guy (Mohit Marwah) who realises that desperate situations require desperate measures.

Together, they are put against a real bad a$$ cop, Jimmy Sheirgill, who has now almost made it a habit to deliver a performance which is better than his last. One look at his recent repertoire (Special 26, Saheb Biwi aur Gangster series, Bullett Raja) says it all! This time around he manages to make you hate him and full marks to director Kabir Sadanand for making it happen.

In this well placed dramatic affair, the place where Kabir strays is towards the culmination where the narrative extends by a good 15-20 minutes. (Spoilers ahead) Just when one thought that the film was nearing conclusion with a shoot out at the farmhouse, a couple of new episodes open up, which are avoidable. Also avoidable are the three songs in the second half, including a forced item number, that could have been done away with. Also, the motivation for the big step taken by a key protagonist could have come with a better push. One wonders whether this was the only solution?

Leaving aside such tangents, what one likes about Fugly is the point it tries to make without turning preachy, something which had killed O Teri, another Delhi based film with crime and politics at center-stage. Also, it is good to see youngsters doing well with Mohit being good, Kiara quite attractive with substance to add and Arfi looking like the character he is playing. However the most endearing of them all is Vijender who just wins you over with his boyish charm. Also, his Haryanvi lingo is bang on which only adds on to the entertainment quotient.

All of this makes Fugly yet another different offering by producers Akshay Kumar and Ashvini Yardi who defy norms by bringing something unconventional, yet entertaining.