Gol Maal (1979)

Yes, Yes, YEEESSS!!! I've
finally found a Bollywood comedy to love!





Ahh, I've struggled so to get here. I know I

haven't

been making the best choices, but for a long while I didn't know where to
start. Gol Maal was recommended to me by

Doc Bollywood and was a favorite on Shweta's

Mac N' Cheese Movie Poll, so I just knew
this was going to be a good one (Shweta and Sanket will never steer you wrong!)

Amol plays Ram Prasad Sharma, a recent college grad living
with his sister. Knowing he'll be looking for a job, his uncle suggests he apply
for an interview at his friend's firm. But there is a catch: The uncle's friend
(Bhavani Shankar, played by Utpal Dutt) is extremely picky about who he hires
(He even has a plaque in his office that reads, "WORK IS GOD"). As a matter of
fact, there are several rules Ram must follow in order to get the job. His uncle
tells him that Bhanvani:

1)Hates recommendations, therefore he can't use his uncle as reference.

2)Doesn't want to hire anybody with the least bit of interest in sports (which
Ram loves) or music (which Ram also loves--see above images and video)...

3)Has a strong respect for Indian values...

4)Considers having a mustache a sign of strength and confidence!





Ram decides (somewhat reluctantly) to conform to this persona in order to become
the ideal candidate for the job. He borrows pyjamas and a kurta from a friend
(who happens to be in the film business, which leaves room for some fun
cameos!), slicks his hair back, and pretends to have no interest in anything
except work and his "rigid Indian values". The interview process goes smoothly,
he is hired, the boss is happy, Ram is happy, everyone's happy. Of course, since
the entire thing is based on a lie (Ram's carefree personality is miles away
from the "New Ram"), we know Ram's headed for trouble.

This guy means business.

Ram's very proud of his new job, and we see him living the "good life", singing,
throwing parties, feeding his friends. But when the gang invites him to a
cricket match that happens to be going on during work hours, it doesn't take
much convincing for Ram to devise a plan to get out of work early. He uses the
oldest, riskiest trick in the book: His mother's sick and he has to go see her
at once. Of course, since Ram has sort of become Bhavani's pet employee, he
agrees and Ram happily attends the game with his pals.
But guess who also shows up at the game!


That's right, the boss himself. Sounds like omething that would happen to me,
yaar!

Of course, Bhavani's ticked off, and confronts Ram the very next day. Caught on
the spot, Ram does the only thing he can do to save his hide: He tells his boss
it wasn't him, but his twin brother, Lakshman, that he saw at the stadium.
Bhavani actually feels guilty for mistrusting Ram and offers his brother a job
at the firm to make it up to him. Ram frantically declines the offer, saying
Lakshman is too incompetent for a job like this, since music is more his thing.
But Bhavani won't take no for an answer, and counters with a job offer for
"Lakshman" as a music tutor for his beautiful daughter, Urmila.


The boss' beautiful daughter

I'm sure you can see where this is going. Ram has to assume two identites, the
"New Ram" (which is the polar opposite of the real Ram) and the fictional twin
Lakshman a.k.a. "Lucky" (who is actually more like the real Ram, only with a
shaved mustache). By day he works for Bhavani in the office, and by night (which
looks more like afternoon since its always during broad daylight) he tutors
Urmila. Do they fall in love? This is Bollywood--Of course they do!



What follows is mixup after mixup, mishap after mishap, until Ram's lie blows up
to enormous proportions. Most of the time I felt like I was watching a sitcom
instead of a movie--and that ended up being a good thing! The comedic timing was
spot on, the actors looked like they're having a fun, and the movie didn't drag
one bit. It was just pure zany, wacky Bollywood fun! Like eating a bowl of mac
'n cheese, indeed!



It's probably no coincidence that Farah Khan chose the names of Shahrukh and
Zayed's characters in Main Hoon Naa to be Ram Prasad and "Lucky" Sharma
as well. I could see Gol Maal being one of her all time favorites,
since this looks like it would be right up her alley!

There are cameos galore in Gol Maal. While I'm sure I missed some of
them, the one with Amitabh Bachchan was appreciated, though I didn't get the
whole "Anthony Bhai" thing all the way.



I recognized Rekha, Zeenat Aman, and Hema Malini, in a fun song that I really,
reallyy wish would have been subtitled because it looked like it was
chock full of jokes and cameos!