Fukrey 3 review: Third instalment of popular franchise falls short

SLACKER comedy Fukrey made a big impact in 2013 largely thanks to clever writing and memorable characters.

The watered down 2017 sequel Fukrey Returns had some hilarious moments but wasn’t on par with the original and the same applies to this newly released third instalment. This time around the notorious Bholi Punjaban is standing for elections and crosses paths with the slackers again, in order to get their assistance. Then through a series of circumstances, they decide to fight Bholi in the elections and attempt to raise money to help them fight this new battle.

Those who enjoy Bollywood ‘leave your brains at home’ formula driven comedies will find plenty to like and there are some genuinely great jokes in there. But this is a third instalment that ultimately wasn’t needed and perhaps explains why Ali Fazal stepped back from playing a lead role in the franchise.

The characters played by Varun Sharma and Richa Chadha continue to have the most weight. Both deliver great performances in their respective roles. Pankaj Tripathi has some great moments and shows his class as a performer, but the others seem to be bystanders without too much to do.

Better writing could have combined political satire with clever comedy, but Fukrey 3 just concentrates more on crude jokes and is too fractured to make use of the premise. Most of the humour being in the first half means it loses steam in the latter part of the movie and attempts to put across a social message that seems forced.

There isn’t much going on musically and the overacting will annoy some sections of audiences. It is ultimately an average comedy that could have been so much more. Although Fukrey 3 leaves the gates open for a part four, this is a franchise that has dipped in quality.