A couple of good gags interspersed with heaps of mindless buffoonery is all you get of your money's worth from this lame comedy.
Money Hai Toh Honey Hai is a no-brainer revolving around a bunch of half a dozen losers who hit upon an unexpected jackpot.
Govinda plays Bobby, a pampered rich kid who fools other people to make a quick buck. Manoj Bajpai plays an incurably optimistic Lalabhai, who keeps smiling despite losing crores in doomed business deals. Aftab Shivdasani plays a conscientious copywriter Gaurav whose honesty becomes an insurmountable hurdle to success. Celina Jaitley plays a struggling fashion designer Shruti who wants to design clothes for common people. Hansika Motwani plays a television actress Ashima who is sick of playing saas bahu roles and wants to work in films. Upen Patel plays a struggling model Manik, who does C-grade, pulpy ads (like Fauji kaccha) and sleeps with a fashionista to get his lucky break.
The six are at the rock bottom of their lives when they get a call from a dying business tycoon ( Prem Chopra ) who has, for some inexplicable reason, chosen them as the inheritors of his wealth. At first, the sextet ignore the call. But later they realize it is their key to the riches. Still, there are many hurdles to cross before they can realize their dream.
To be fair, 'Money Hai' begins pretty well as each character is introduced. The most likeable of the lot are Manoj Bajpai, Upen Patel and Aftab Shivdasani. Govinda does chip in his characteristic humour in between. Also add to the melee two irritating caricatures of Ekta Kapoor and Vijay Mallya.
Well, that's about it for the entertainment that 'Money Hai' provides.
The movie begins to drag in the second half in which it is impossible to make a sense of where the plot is headed. Even if you switch off your grey cells and try to extract some fun out of the inane comedy, you fail miserably.
And the most tortuous is the finale in which the sextet organizes a fashion show and pick common people (like a prostitute, a taxi driver, a housemaid and a traffic constable) as their models. And after the fashion show is over, the movie ends abruptly.
It is clear that director Ganesh Acharya completely loses control over his film in the second half.
The performances are nothing to rave about but Manoj Bajpai and Govinda does evoke a few chuckles once in a while. Upen Patel is good in sequences with Archana Puran Singh who plays a dominatrix fashionista. Aftab Shivdasani needed a better fleshed out role because he has a natural comic vein. Hansika Motwani hams in a role that perhaps requires her to do so. Celina Jaitley seems to sleepwalk through the film. Worst of all, a veteran like Prem Chopra is made to look like a caricature.
Though the film is shot fairly well, the forcibly squeezed-in songs spring out now and then to test your patience.
In a nutshell, 'Money Hai Toh Honey Hai' is a waste of time and money.
Movie Review : Not funny, Honey (3/10) A couple of good gags interspersed with heaps of mindless buffoonery is all you get of your money's worth from this lame comedy.
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