The much-anticipated fourth installment of the Mastiii franchise has hit theaters, but unfortunately, Mastiii 4 delivers a disappointing comedy experience that relies heavily on crude humor while offering only fleeting moments of genuine laughter. Directed by Milap Milan Zaveri, this latest venture brings back the familiar trio of Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, and Aftab Shivdasani, though their combined star power isn’t enough to salvage a script that struggles to find its comedic rhythm.
Star Cast: Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani
Director: Milap Milan Zaveri
Rating: 2.0/5
The film centers around three friends – Amar (Riteish Deshmukh), Prem (Aftab Shivdasani), and Meet (Vivek Oberoi) – who are living mundane married lives in the UK. Amar works as a ‘master-mator’ at a zoo, helping animals with mating, while Prem practices medicine and Meet works in the automobile sector. All three are married to Bindiya (Elnaaz Norouzi), Geeta (Ruhi Singh), and Aanchal (Shreya Sharma) respectively, but their marital bliss has long since faded.
The plot takes an interesting turn when the trio attends the tenth wedding anniversary celebration of their friends Kamraj (Arshad Warsi) and Menaka (Nargis Fakhri). Witnessing Kamraj’s apparent devotion to his wife, the three friends become suspicious and eventually discover him in a compromising situation with multiple women. However, the real shock comes when they learn that Menaka is fully aware of and approves of her husband’s extramarital activities through what she calls a “Love Visa” – a weekly free pass that supposedly keeps their marriage strong.
Fascinated by this unconventional marital arrangement, Amar, Prem, and Meet decide to negotiate similar agreements with their own wives, setting the stage for the chaos that follows.
While the premise had potential for comedy gold, the execution falls significantly short of expectations. The screenplay by Farrukh Dhondy and Milap Milan Zaveri, despite having all the ingredients for a laugh-riot, fails to deliver consistent humor. The jokes are hit-or-miss, with more misses than hits, and several comedic moments feel forced rather than organic to the story.
One of the film’s major shortcomings is its over-reliance on crude and crass humor that often crosses the line of good taste. A particularly distasteful scene involving toilet humor in the pre-climax serves as a prime example of how the film prioritizes shock value over genuine wit. Even more disappointing is the blatant lifting of a popular one-liner from the 2014 film Main Tera Hero, which raises questions about the originality of the writing.
On the performance front, Riteish Deshmukh delivers a sincere effort and manages to bring some authenticity to his character despite the weak material. His natural comic timing shines through in several scenes, though he’s ultimately let down by the script. Vivek Oberoi, unfortunately, goes overboard in numerous sequences, while Aftab Shivdasani also tends toward the over-the-top, though he manages to salvage his performance to some extent.
The female leads – Elnaaz Norouzi, Ruhi Singh, and Shreya Sharma – deliver adequate performances but are given limited scope to showcase their talents. Shaad Randhawa as Virat provides dependable support, while Tusshar Kapoor’s appearance as Don Pablo Putinwa had potential but suffers from poor character development. A bright spot in the cast is Genelia Deshmukh, who brings charm to her brief cameo appearance.
From a technical standpoint, the film does have some redeeming qualities. Sanket Shah’s cinematography gives Mastiii 4 a fresh, contemporary look that’s visually appealing throughout. The production design by Tajamul Ismail Shaikh and Anshita Manot appears rich and well-crafted, while Avni Gumber’s costume design adds style to the proceedings. The opening credits deserve special mention for their creative presentation.
However, the film’s technical merits can’t compensate for its narrative weaknesses. The music falls flat across the board, with songs like the title track, ‘Pakad Pakad’, and ‘One In Crore’ failing to make any lasting impression. While Vishal Shelke’s background score serves its purpose adequately, it doesn’t elevate the material.
Director Milap Milan Zaveri ensures that the film maintains a brisk pace with no dull moments, but this constant activity often feels chaotic rather than engaging. The twist in the tale is predictable and bears unfortunate similarities to previous installments in the franchise, making it feel recycled rather than fresh.
Perhaps most troubling is how the film’s reliance on crude humor might alienate even its target audience of mass moviegoers and front-benchers. While there are indeed a few genuinely funny moments that will elicit laughs, they’re too sparse to sustain the entire film’s comedic momentum.
The editing by Sanjay Sankla keeps the film at a reasonable runtime, though some judicious trimming of the weaker comedic sequences could have improved the overall experience. Unfortunately, the VFX work by White Apple appears substandard and occasionally distracts from the narrative flow.
Mastiii 4 represents a missed opportunity in the comedy genre. While the film boasts attractive production values and a cast capable of delivering laughs, it’s ultimately undermined by lazy writing, recycled jokes, and an over-dependence on humor that prioritizes shock over wit. The “Love Visa” concept had genuine potential for exploring modern relationships through a comedic lens, but the execution fails to do justice to this intriguing premise.
For audiences seeking light-hearted entertainment, Mastiii 4 might provide occasional chuckles, but it falls well short of being the comedy riot that fans of the franchise might expect. The film’s prospects at the box office appear challenging, given its inability to consistently engage viewers with quality humor.
In conclusion, while Mastiii 4 offers sporadic moments of genuine laughter, it’s largely bogged down by lame, recycled, and unnecessarily crude humor that prevents it from achieving its comedic potential. The talented cast deserved better material, and audiences deserve more thoughtful comedy that doesn’t rely solely on shock value for laughs.
