Arjun Patiala

This spoof comedy narrates the story of a cop Arjun Patiala (Diljit Dosanjh) and his sidekick Onidda Singh (Varun Sharma). Together, will they be able to accomplish their mission of a crime-free town with their goofy style of policing?

'With you always,' reads the slogan on the police van of the fictional town of Ferozepur in Punjab. The man in charge is Arjun Patiala - a handsome young gabru jawan, who has his priorities set (read women, whiskey and work). Giving him company is his trustworthy but goofier constable Onidda Singh, who has given up on women after multiple heartbreaks. He has now settled for a buffalo as his lady love. If you thought that's bizarre, then wait for more. There is a glamorous yet feisty television reporter Ritu Randhawa (Kriti Sanon), who casually reports on the dreadful trigger-happy goons who infest Ferozepur. An unscrupulous MLA Prapti Makkad (Seema Pahwa), who is often referred to as 'Property Makkar' for her nefarious deals in the real estate. And there is also a gullible goon called Sakool (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) and a host of other quirky characters including IPS Gill (Ronit Roy), who is frankly the only sorted one (for the most part). All of them are part of a fictional story of a formula film narrated by a writer, who often breaks the fourth wall and talks to the audience. This altogether takes away the scope of taking the film seriously.

The film's first half breezes through with a few fun moments including a cameo by Sunny Leone. It fails to register her acting skills (or the lack of it), but leads to a forgettable item number that is admittedly mandatory in such a narrative. Diljit Dosanjh delivers a decent performance with a few laugh-out-loud moments. His innocence brings out the vulnerability of his character that is instantly likeable. His leading lady Kriti Sanon (introduced as Heroine No.1) looks flawless, but the same cannot be said about her character. The writing gives her little to work with other than mouthing dialogues without much conviction. But the one who manages to deliver most laughs is Varun Sharma. From his amusing backstory to his forced singlehood, Varun is simply the guy, who can make you laugh at his expense. He also gets some of the best lines that fall quite short in pulling off an out and out comedy.

The movie's writing, direction and execution become increasingly childish and pointless in the second half, as it stumbles towards a hotch-potch of a climax. Thankfully, the makers do not resort to cheap, offensive or vulgar humour in a desperate attempt to make you laugh. Film's music is average except for the peppy dance number 'Preeto'.

Spoof comedies can be a tricky affair and this one is way too underwhelming to tickle your funny bone for full two hours.