Toaster Review: It feels like a film that had a clear starting point but did not fully know how to sustain it
Toaster Movie Rating: 2 Stars
Watched Toaster movie on Netflix. Let’s focus on the complete details, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this movie.
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Sanya Malhotra, Archana Puran Singh, Farah Khan, Abhishek Banerjee, Jitendra Joshi and Seema Pahwa
Director: Vivek Daschaudary
Release Date: 15th April 2025 on Netflix
Story: Movie revolves around Ramakant (Rajkumar Rao) and Shilpa (Sanya Malhotra) are a married couple who live in a rented flat in a housing society in which mostly live old people like Malini Pherwani (Archna Pooran Singh) and Mrs. D’Souza (Seema Pahwa).
Ramakant is a stingy man who can do anything to not spend money. He gives a toaster as a wedding gift of INR 5000 worth toaster to the daughter of Shilpa’s guru, but when the wedding is called off on the same day due to a turn of events, Ramakant goes to the guru to get his toaster back. However, guru has donated all the wedding gifts to an orphanage run by Nandini (Farah Khan).
When Nandini refuses to hand over the toaster to Ramakant, he steals the same from the orphanage. And that is the beginning of all his problems. Malini Pherwani lusts for Ramakant and blackmails him to indulge in physical intimacy with her because she has a video which can prove that he had killed Glen D’Souza (Abhishek Banerjee) who is son of Mrs. D’Souza and soon after the passing away of Mrs. D’Souza.
In the hope that she would delete the video from her cellphone rather than showing it to the police, Ramakant obliges Malini. There’s also a track of a politician, Amol Amre (Jitendra Joshi), whose sex video was in possession of Glen before he had passed away and now seems to be hidden in the same toaster which is stolen by Ramakant. Investigating police officer Balgaode (Upendra Limaye) is corrupt and promises to lay his hands on Amol Amre’s sex video in return for favors from him. What happens to the toaster and the two videos?
Positives
1. Performances
2. Cinematography
3. First Half
Negatives
1. Length
2. Screenplay
3. Climax
4. Direction
5. Story
Durgesh Tiwary’s View: When I watched the trailer of this film planned to watch this movie in my free time as loved the trailer. When a miserly man goes to absurd lengths to retrieve a toaster he gifted at a wedding, he finds himself pulled into a bizarre mess involving multiple murders, blackmail, and darkly twisted consequences.
Toaster story is interesting but only up to a point. It begins with a strong and simple idea. A man who hates spending money gets pulled into chaos because of a single purchase he never wanted to make. It is the kind of premise that naturally lends itself to comedy. A small problem that keeps getting bigger because of one person’s stubbornness. The film understands this at the start, and for a while, it works. The first half builds on this nicely. The humour comes from situations that feel slightly exaggerated but still believable. Ramakant lying at a funeral to reduce rent or sneaking around to recover the toaster are the kind of moments that work because they grow out of his nature. The backdrop of the film is effective, and it lays the path for some genuinely enjoyable moments. The protagonist going all out for a simple toaster draws us into his stingy nature, which remains consistent throughout. Even after all the chaos, he doesn’t change a bit, which makes the character more likable. The dialogues are rooted in situational humor, and in many instances, the punchlines genuinely elicit laughter. While a few one-liners are memorable, the consistency of the screenplay does fluctuate slightly. The background score effectively complements the film’s chaotic and unpredictable mood. Debutant director Vivek Daschaudhary shows a decent grip on the material and is able to hold together much of the film’s absurdity, even as the script begins to stretch itself thin. The humor lands often enough in the first half, and the dialogue remains sharp and consistently funny, which helps the film stay afloat. But once the second half kicks in, the narrative starts to lose its grip.
Rajkumar Rao does an extraordinary job as the stingy Ramakant. His sense of comic timing is outstanding. He is the show-stealer of movie without an iota of doubt. Known for his impeccable comic timing, the actor amuses with his rib-tickling performance. As an extreme miser, he does a phenomenal job, and his character’s miserliness lands him in multiple troublesome situations, generating laughs. Sanya Malhotra is lovely as his wife, Shilpa, who has the mind of a detective. She attempts to be a private detective, and in doing so, unintentionally generates fun. Archna Pooran Singh lends superb support as Malini Pherwani. Abhishek Banerjee makes his mark in a friendly appearance as Glen D’Souza. Seema Pahwa makes her presence felt in a brief role as Mrs. D’Souza. Upendra Limaye is lovely as investigating police officer Balgaode. Jitendra Joshi is very good in the role of politician Amol Amre. Farah Khan shines in a special appearance as Nandini. Her acting underlines the fact that she is a supremely natural actress. Pratik Gandhi adds star value in a tiny guest appearance.
However, the film soon goes downhill. The screenplay is too stretched. The second half, especially, appears long and, therefore, a bit boring. The track of Malini Pherwani and the two burials are not as funny as they ought to have been. Besides, the change of tracks in the second half robs the drama of the innocence of a harmless comedy. Of course, the new track also has its share of funny moments, but they are fewer and not as hilarious as the track of the couple (Ramakant and Shilpa) in the first half. Also, the crime angle appears too long and hence it gets a bit boring towards the end. But the last few minutes of the drama are once again very funny. When a film with such a solid premise doesn’t realize its full promise, disappointment is inevitable. It’s not that Toaster is bad, as such. There are some genuinely funny moments, but the movie doesn’t rise beyond them. The second half, in particular, is filled with repetitive episodes, which bring down the overall impact of Toaster. Had the narrative been stronger here, the film could have turned out to be a much more compelling watch. In the end, we will just wish the storytelling were as wacky as Rajkummar Rao. Overall, movie feels like a film that had a clear starting point but did not fully know how to sustain it. It delivers enough humor to keep you engaged, but it does not build it into something sharper or more lasting. It is enjoyable in parts, but not consistently inventive. It is flawed, uneven, and often overcooked, but it still has enough bite to make it palatable. Despite a weaker second half, the film has enough amusing moments and eccentricity to keep one invested. My view on this movie Time Pass.
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