Item: Fukrey 3
Rating: 3.5
Author: Himesh Mankad

You step into the cinema halls to watch a film from Fukrey Franchise with a certain set of expectations with regard to the tone of humor and presentation of characters. Does director Mrighdeep Singh Lamba manage to score a hattrick with the franchise? Let’s find out!

Plot of Fukrey 3

The Fukra’s – Hunny (Pulkit Samrat), Choocha (Varun Sharma), Laali (Manjot Singh), and Pandit Ji (Pankaj Tripathi) - are back on another adventure, this time to fight an election against Bhooli Punjaban (Richa Chaddha) for the larger good of the society. The idea to contest in the election is a result of a ‘Deja-Chu’ moment, which leads to a cat-and-mouse battle between the Fukra’s, Bhooli Punjaban, and others in the game of power. What is it that pushes the gang to fight the election? What triggers Bhooli Punjaban? What exactly does Choocha’s ‘Deja Chu’ lead the gang to? Why does the Fukra gang visit South Africa? All of this unfolds in Fukrey 3.

What works for Fukrey 3?

Fukrey 3 is a result of solid writing by Vipul Wig. To think of it, Fukrey 3 rides on one of the wackiest ideas in recent times, which had more chances of going wrong than landing in the right direction. But the franchise has a strong connection to establish and put context to the unbelievable world that director Mrighdeep Singh Lamba plays upon. You believe in the actions and reactions of the character due to the strong base established by the previous two parts. It takes conviction to another level to take the audience on a trip with the route that Mrigh and his team have decided on.

Of course, the gags and quirky one-liners evoke laugh-out-loud moments at regular intervals and keep the entertainment quotient intact. But what separates the third Fukrey film from the earlier two is the storyline, which has the thread to keep the interest intact. While most comedies are gag and dialogue-driven, Fukrey 3 is among the rare which also works due to the situations created in the story which leads itself to some dramatic moments too.

Over and above the one-liners, the standout sequences from Fukrey 3 include the introduction act at the TV shop, the airplane sequence, the pre-interval block, the episode of Choocha and Bhooli’s wedding followed by Lali’s tea preparation gag, and the entire humorous turn of events in the water park in the climax.

What doesn’t work for Fukrey 3?

The biggest drawback of Fukrey 3 is the music album, which just fails to deliver. The first and second Fukrey films had some memorable songs, but the third one fell flat on the music front. While Fukrey 3 is a lot more complete as a film due to the addition of a villain track, the makers have missed out on the romantic track, which actually had its own spark in Fukrey and Fukrey Returns.

At 2 hours and 30 minutes run time, Fukrey 3 is a little long for a film in comic space. There is an undercurrent of social message in the second half with regards to water conservation and this could have been cut short. The teams spent a lot of time in the first half in South Africa to set up the plot, which could have moved at a faster pace. The entire track around a South African girl, Mumbasa, falling in love with Choocha is also forced into the narrative and doesn’t land well. The same can be said for Manu Rishi Chadha’s track in the second half.

Some of the jokes are double-meaning, which probably would not go down well with the family audience.

Performances in Fukrey 3

Fukrey 3 is an out-and-out Varun Sharma show as the actor brings out laughter with his impeccable coming timing through the narrative. He is simply fantastic as Choocha, and it’s his presence that elevates the humor in the film to another level. Watch out for the entire airplane gag. Pulkit Samrat as Hunny gets the moment to shine and brings in an element of calmness to balance out the madness of Choocha. Pankaj Tripathi as Pandit Ji is again a show stealer, especially in the sequences that see him make an attempt to speak in English. He continues to evoke laughter with a poker face and is effortless with his presence. Manjot Singh brings in a certain innocence to Lali and gets a hilarious moment in the second half. Richa Chadha is in her element as Bhooli Punjaban, and picks up the character right from the point she left it in Fukrey Returns. Manu Rishi Chadda is decent in his part. The rest of the supporting cast do well in their respective roles.

Final Verdict of Fukrey 3

Fukrey 3 is an entertaining ride as director Mrighdeep Singh Lamba packages the film with well-integrated gags and quirky one-liners. The biggest win for the film comes with the smart writing which leads itself organically to some laugh-out-loud moments. Varun Sharma as Choocha is a show-stealer bringing the house down with laughter and the entire gang of Fukra’s – Pulkit Samrat, Pankaj Tripathi, and Manoj Singh – ensure the right energies on screen. While the editing could have been crisper, Fukrey 3 has enough comic moments in it to emerge a winner at the box office.