Ek Aur Ek Gyarah (2003) - Review in English

About the story: The brothers Sitara (Sanjay Dutt) and Tara (Govinda) have developed elaborate methods to shift for a living as thieves and cheaters. But they are just small fry in comparison to the duo Cobra (Ashish Vidyarthi) and Panther (Gulshan Grover) who steal a super modern weapon from under Major Ram Singh’s (Jackie Shroff) nose. While Singh manages to arrest Panther, Cobra escapes – and out of the frying pan lands in the fire thanks to Tara and Sitara. The brothers have to flee from furious Cobra, and hunted by him and by the police they find shelter in Major Singh’s house. There Tara falls in love with Singh’s sister Pinki (Nandini Singh) and Sitara with Pinki’s friend Priti (Amrita Arora). But Cobra remains on the brothers’ track. He abducts their mother (Himani Shivpuri) and thus blackmails Tara and Sitara to betray Singh’s hospitality and to free Panther...


Ek Aur Ek Gyarah (1+1=11) is a poor imitation of Jodi No. 1. And already Jodi No. 1 wasn’t a good film. Why Sanjay temporary lends himself to undemanding comedies of this kind is an enigma to me; I mean, even old amicable relations (like Sanju’s to Dhawan and Govinda) should have limits. But the worst is yet to come: In Jodi No. 1 Sanjay had kept to his normal way of acting and left the hamming to Govinda, but in Ek Aur Ek Gyarah he suddenly starts hamming himself! Why, Sanju, for heaven’s sake? Okay, I can imagine after all those serious and difficult roles he otherwise plays it may be a welcome break for Sanjay to turn up the heat and to bugger around free from restraints. But even then there are taste limits, and he always preserved them even in comedy films like Thanedaar or Jodi No. 1. And now he permanently crosses them. (Except in one single scene where he in emotional exuberance for one moment forgets his hamming tone of voice and talks in his normal way – if genuine feelings are called for, Sanju simply cannot simulate...)

As even the other cast members don’t make any efforts to upgrade the film or to outstand in a positive way, I spare every more word as it is not worth the labour. Ek Aur Ek Gyarah is a good bet for the rank of the worst movie in Sanjay’s filmography, and even his team-play with Govinda touched bottom – too bad, it had started so promising in the end-80es but unfortunately later became marshy in the shoals of stupid buddy slapstick.

Produced by Mukta Arts Limited; Directed by David Dhawan
155 Min.; DVD: Eros, English Subtitles (including songs)
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