Saat Uchakkey Movie Review: The Magnificently Roguish Seven!

If you thought actors like Manoj Bajpayee and Kay Kay Menon are their best only when it comes to intense performances, debut director Sanjeev Sharma's con caper Saat Uchakkey should definitely help you change your mind.
 

Set in Old Delhi and infused with the rustic charm of the place, Saat Uchakkey is about Pappi Jaatwala (Manoj Bajpayee), who wishes to earn money in order to marry his ladylove Sona (Aditi Sharma), who is also being wooed by Pappi's nemesis Inspector Tejpal (Menon).

When Pappi overhears some people talking about a hidden treasure in the mansion of the eccentric Diwanji (Anupam Kher), Manoj ropes in five hustlers to help him burgle the place. However, things are easier said and done and the hilarious consequences that arise during this 'mission', is what the film is all about.

At the very outset, let us mention that it is not just Bajpayee and Menon who have made us laugh till our sides hurt… actors Vijay Raaz, Aparshakti Khurrana, Nitin Bhasin, Vipul Vig, Jatin Sarna, who play Pappi's gang members, have outdone themselves in this crazy caper. The actors have put in a superb performance in the film and as a result, every character and his quirks stay etched in your memory for a long time after the movie is over.

Some viewers might not like the fact that almost every dialogue is laced with cuss words, but the humour lies not in the abuse, but the way it is hurled with an innocent abandon. There is a sort of childish cheekiness to the way these characters let loose a volley of abuses with every sentence, which will have you guffawing in your seats.

The film is full of crazy characters, outrageously funny dialogues and some whacky situations, not to mention the rustic charm of Old Delhi, which is evident in its narrow alleys, small shops, the mannerisms of the people residing there and their approach towards life.

However, in our opinion, the whole 'magic realism' angle as provided by Annu Kapoor could have been easily avoided. Annu plays a mysterious hypnotist, who sows the seeds of burglary in Pappi's head, but his track is not so necessary to the film as such. All Kapoor manages to do is confuse the audience about what exactly is going on and we feel that had the makers restricted the film to a comic caper by eliminating the 'magic realism' angle, it might have been more enjoyable.

Nevertheless Saat Uchakkey remains an enjoyable watch, mainly because of its characters and the dialogues.