The film is the first big screen adaptation of one of the most popular Indian television sitcoms ‘Office Office’ which was aired in 2001 and 2002. The sitcom and the film revolve around Musaddilal Tripathy (Pankaj Kapoor), a former school teacher in Ghaziabad and his encounters with corrupt officials.

The film is a satirical take on the plight of common man in a system swathed with corruption. Musaddi Lal is the representation of this common man. The film portrays the ironical situation where while he is on a pilgrimage after the death of his wife, due to a certain misunderstanding, the government officials declare him dead and stop his pension that rightfully belongs to him. Musaddi Lal returns and finds himself trapped amidst corrupt officials who will accept that he is alive only upon receipt of monetary favors or in plain terms bribe. At his old age, Musaddi represents the frustration of ‘Aam Aadmi’ who is most often made to fight for what rightfully belongs to him.

After his superhit comedy Chamatkaar, Rajiv Mehra’s re-entry with this film is found wanting. The direction of the film is good in parts, especially in the last few scenes. The callousness of the doctors when treating Musaddi Lal’s wife is one such scene that has been well executed. The story is good, especially since it has been adapted from the television sitcom which has won numerous awards. However, the screenplay fails to make impact with poor acting and dialogues. For a film that was expected to be, if not more, as rib tickling as its small screen version, the humor in the film is sparse and dull.

Pankaj Kapoor, a great actor, fails to impress. His performance in the court scenes are commendable as they bring out the frustration of an innocent man being made to run around for his own money. However, his acting skills were disappointing especially in the scenes when he loses his wife and is frustrated with his unemployed son.  Patel’s (Deven Bhojani) performances are laudable as the corrupt Collector, pandit and pension officer. He is well supported by Pandeyji (Hemant Pandey) as a fellow corrupt priest and pension officer. The scene where Musaddi and his son are robbed by the local priests is worth a mention. Gaurav Kapoor shows some flashes of good performer in the film as Musaddi Lal’s son. Manoj Pahwa, Sanjay Mishra, and Asawari Joshi also deliver well.

The track ‘Aam Aadmi’ sung by Sukhvinder Singh and composed by the music duo Sajid-Wajid is peppy and works well as the recurring background track. The lyrics by Oscar winning writer Gulzar make an impact here and there.

Overall, the film has a good story but fails to inspire. Ardent followers of this television serial will undoubtedly like the show better. 

Verdict: Superhit sitcom falls short on the Big screen