Santa Banta Pvt Ltd: Undiluted, boring kitsch

Cast : Boman Irani, Vir Das, Neha Dhupia, Lisa Hayden, Johnny Lever, Ram Kapoor, Vijay Raaz, Vrajesh Hirjee, Sanjay Mishra
Rated : 1/10
Now, why would you even attempt such a one? To make viewers laugh? Well, they cry. To make sense out of nonsense? Well, that doesn’t happen even once. To milk some funny stars like Vir Das and Boman Irani? Well, they are entirely trumped by the complete lack of humour.
All the Santas and Bantas of the world cannot save this bumbling and almost unreal blunder in the comic genre. The director — and the hard at work actors — fail to conjure up even a whisker of comedy all the way in Fiji.
Of course, India’s premier external agency RA&W should sue the filmmakers for making such a bad spoof on their activities. The viewers should do the same, or, in this day and age of PILs, file one to ensure that electricity, time and space are not wasted on such needless, fruitless and listless ventures. That, despite all attempts to keep the kitschy proceedings at a crescendo by constantly yelling, screaming and shouting inanities.
Vir Das who propels himself as India’s leading stand-up comedian and Boman Irani who has grown into meaningful roles in all genres of films in Bollywood, fall with a thud here. Why and how is what one leaves the hall asking. Even a lift of Santa-Banta jokes from the Santa Banta Collection of Jokes could have given some jaan to this film. Please avoid, big time. 
Source: Sunday Pioneer, 24 April, 2016

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