Producer-Director: Vipul Amrutlal Shah Cast: Akshay Kumar, Aishwarya Rai, Neha Dhupia, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Ranvijay Singh

MUMBAI: Action Replayy has a reasonably promising theme, which could have become a joy ride from 2010 to 1975 and back. But, alas, it lacks in substance to build on this theme and lame efforts at comedy make it pure dullsville till the last few reels when the film gains some momentum.

Aditya Roy Kapoor does not mind being in love, parenting a child or a live in relationship, but abhors the very idea of marriage. Randhir Kapoor, his girlfriend, Sudeepa Singh’s granddad, sets him a deadline till midnight next day to decide because after that he plans to proceed on time travel in the time machine he has invented. 

Aditya’s reasons for avoiding marriage have a solid base; he has never seen his parents, Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai, happy or in love or not fighting with each other. His idea of a surprise party for his parents backfires when both fight in front of the guests. Aditya learns that the very beginning of their relationship/ marriage was wrong. He decides to set the foundation right. He hijacks Randhir Kapoor’s time machine and lands up back in time in 1975 when his parents were yet to be married!

There, he finds his father-to-be is a shabbily dressed, idiotic looking man dominated by everybody, while his mother-to-be is a tom-boy with a couple of make-believe bullies who also treat his father shabbily. Aditya Roy Kapoor sets out to set things right, play cupid to his parents, make both of them fall in love with each other.

The plot is lost as Akshay plays the buffoon to childish gags. The rest of the cast is too feeble to lead. It is only in the last few reels when Akshay Kumar comes into his element that the film generates some pace.

Vipul Shah has tried to go into details to create 1975 ambience which is quite off the mark; dressing, hairstyle, peace pendants are more like 1960s rather than mid 70s; also twist dance went out of vogue long before that; Bori Bandar of the 70s with miles between two vehicles? That would be a car driver’s dream!

Sets, miniatures and surroundings don’t convince. Playing Aandhi number in the backdrop to establish 1975 makes you wish Action Replayy had such songs too, at least one or two! Dialogue could have held this film together to an extent but it is only towards the end that you hear some witty repartees.

Akshay Kumar is totally out of sync with the character of a loser despite being made to look like one. Aishwarya Rai tries to imitate mid-70s heroines (Zeenat Aman/Mumtaz?) instead of acting like one and manages to be a caricature at best; pouting and making eyes is not 70s acting. Aditya Roy Kapoor and Neha Dhupia are good. Ranvijay Singh is okay.

Action Replayy falls far short of providing entertainment for most of its part and disappoints.