Komal Kumar tries to find out what women want in this week's Kannada release Wah Re Wah. He returns to the big screen as a lead hero with this romantic comedy, directed by Vijayalakshmi Singh.
Adi (Komal Kumar) works in a travel agency. He is miffed with women as he is troubled by them at work and home. As if his sister, mother and grandmother were not enough 'trouble' at home, his boss and most of his colleagues are also women who 'bug' him. He feels that they are insensitive to his needs and wishes. When his girlfriend ditches him, it intensifies his impatience towards women.
Even as Adi becomes pessimistic about women, his parents get him married to a soft-spoken, well-mannered girl. This is just the beginning of an exciting life ahead.
Post marriage, Adi visits a temple and acquires a special power that enables him to read women's minds. Is this power a boon or a bane?
Wah Re Wah is inspired by Mel Gibson-starrer What Women Want. While the concept of the hero getting to hear women's thoughts has been retained, a few changes have been made to the storyline.
The script could have been strengthened if the comic sequences were fresh. In fact, the film comes with several cliche and overused romantic and comic situations.
The film also gets lengthy due to two bomb detection and diffusion scenes.
Scenes where the allergic to women hero is shown as a super-sensitive friend to women in his surroundings overnight are not appealing either.
The songs are also nothing to boast about. Being a great fan of late actor Vishnuvardhan, Vijayalakshmi Singh pays tribute by making the hero and heroine dance to a medley of his popular songs. The song leaves you missing the actor.
There is another song that is dedicated to the women achievers of the nation -- from the president, sportspersons, media professionals, social servants and actors to auto drivers and bus conductors, the song salutes them all. But none of the numbers leave an impact.
Komal is one of the best comedians we have today in Kannada but he needs to be backed by power-packed, fresh comic situations. The stale situations limit the actor in him. If only the scenes and dialogues were up to his standard. The emotional scenes in the film also don't stir you either.
Bhavana Rao, Mayuri and Umashree make their presence felt. Bhavana especially stands out with her subtle performance.
Wah Re Wah! is definitely not what you'll say after you watch the film.
Rediff Rating: 
