Movies are about makinga story out of aconcept on the drawing board. Sometimes, a bad concept can be developed into a good film and, sometimes, a good concept can be turned into a damp squib. Joker is anexample of the latter. The basic premise of the film is good but the story has not been fleshed out. Also, the filmmaker has taken too many cinematic liberties,which insults the audience’ intelligence.It also has a tedious script and flawedscreenplay.

Here’s the story: During Independence,when the States of India were being carved up, a fiasco was unfolding in Paglapur village, on the border of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and MadhyaPradesh, where patients escaped from amental asylum in the village.

Cut to the present, to Agastya (AkshayKumar), who is an NRI scientist from theUS with a live-in girlfriend Diva (Sonakshi Sinha) and who works with the government.His mission is to make contact with aliens but all his efforts are in vain.

Agastya is summoned to his village,Paglapur, by his brother (Shreyas) when their father (Darshan Jariwala) takes ill.On arrival, he realises that his village needs his help as there is no development and his hometown has remained inthe boondocks. Paglapur is officially noton the map of India and hence doesn’thave any formal administration. Agastya hoaxes a crop circle, which draw media attention. Soon, one thing leads to another and the village has its own alien visitors. What follows is an array of situations leading to a ridiculous climax.                          

The film is a series of ludicrous happenings.It doesn’t stretch the imagination;it is beyond belief. For instance,how can a village without any amenities suddenly enjoy running water and decorative lighting in somescenes? The film also leads you to believe that everyone in Paglapur is mentally unsound. The residents shout more than they speak, which jars onthe ears, to say the least.The vagueness in the screenplay is more irksomethan impressive.For instance, Shreyas’s character talks gibberish and he is the only one whois able to communicate with the aliens! Besides, everyone is so ignorant that no one ever thought of leaving the village except for Kumar.

Apart from the fact that the basic premise of the film is good, writer-director Shirish Kunder fails to create magic inthe screenplay and presentation. Music is another minus, and even the item number picturised on Chitrangada Singh fails to impress. Sudeep Chatterjee’s cinematography is all right.The special effects used to create the alien and the spaceship are impressive.Costumes are apt, and locations and sets earn brownie points.Performance-wise, if hamming and shouting is what you call performing,well, everyone in the film has done a fabulous job!

Verdict: Flop