Dilwali Diwali, which has released today on Netflix, can best be described as reverse Munna Bhai MBBS – a father elaborately lies to his son when the latter visits him. It can also be called reverse Hindi Medium. The subject is very relatable as many families move into sprawling homes in skyscrapers, leaving behind old neighbourhoods where neighbours were like extended families. The humour works well and so do some of the emotional scenes. The biggest issue with the film is that it is ONLY 61 minutes long. The makers rush through the narrative in some places. This could easily have been a great 90-minute film. Mihir Ahuja looks dashing and delivers a decent performance. Manoj Pahwa delivers yet another impactful performance after The Ba***ds Of Bollywood. Neelu Kohli is dependable but her character is not fleshed out properly. Aurra Bhatnagar Badoni acts confidently. Nimisha Sirohi (Anita; neighbour), Manmeet Singh (Ratandeep), Ashish Kaul (Shampy), Vivek Tandon (Ashish Jethmalani), Ashok Manjhi (Sadanand; broker) and Shrirao Swapnil Avinash (Watchman) do well in supporting roles. All in all, Dilwali Diwali is a decent timepass film.
My rating – *** out of 5!