Ramji Londonwaley (2005) Reviews

• Very lovely

  patobiero2006-09-23

  I really, really loved this movie. It was a simple and heartfelt story about a good, caring and simple man who tries to take care of his sister and gets into a load of trouble along the way. I found the story very moving, and the performances, in my opinion, were all very good. Madhavan shines in the lead role (he plays strong, sensitive, and simple very well...and looks good too, I might add - sorry just had to put that in there!), and the lead female actress is great too. The other actors all do a decent job. The guy who played 'Jai' was generally very good, but his scenes with the 'Samira' character were stilted. I cringed every time he called her 'baby'. The film has a strong message, about being true to yourself, and finding good in others. There's also a message about using your talents and appreciating the gifts we each have. For me, the love that grew between the lead characters was very believable, and was the anchor for the story. We saw it develop over time - it wasn't over-sexualised or ridiculously sudden like in a lot of movies. And a lot of topical issues were dealt with in the movie, but not in a preachy way (see Shah Rukh Khan's 'Pardes' for an example of a Hindi movie that preached at the audience - I felt I was being hit over the head with a mallet). In 'Ramji Londonwaley', the messages are more subtle and therefore seem more sincere. I wasn't expecting too much from this movie (and it does start out a bit slow), but I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I loved and enjoyed it. A good job by all.

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• It is OK! A decent Timepass Film

  abhaybhargav2005-09-06

  I went to this movie with great reluctance. I was told by a good friend that it is the remake of a Tamil Film Nala Damayanthi, which was very good. I found it to be a decent masala film. The story is about a cook Ramji(Madhavan), who gets his sister married but cannot find the cash to pay for her dowry. His sister's father-in-law threatens him that if he doesn't pay the dowry quickly he will have no option, but to throw his sister out. He is given an offer to go to London to cook for a wealthy Indian Family, and he takes it in the hope of making some money for his sister's dowry. This story basically deals with he culture shock faced by poor Ramji in the alien land of England and the funny situations he gets himself into. He finds his Indian roots to be of great help in London and becomes a much loved character there. He also manages to find himself a love interest played by Samita Bangargi. She is the modern Gori Mem and she moves from hating Ramji to loving him deeply(Very Original!!!!). The comedy in the movie is good but it loses way in the middle. The movie tries to do too much and falls flat on its face. The scenes with the Immigration officials are a little silly. Overall a decent movie. A family entertainer. If you have 3 hours to kill, you can go for it.

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• A very simple movie

  BiswajitSince20052007-02-28

  This is the story of Ramji a simpleton who stays with his sister Parvati after their parents expired. He is a tremendous cook and is a master of all art of cooking. He arranges his sisters marriage promising a lot of dowry as asked. But then he is unable to arrange the dowry and promises to his sister's father-in-law to arrange the dowry soon. One of the guest in the wedding is so pleased with his cooking that he arranges a job for him in UK. Ramji though is not interested to go, but has to go for arranging the dowry for her sister. Upon reaching UK he finds that the person who had employed him has died and his family members doesn't need his service anymore. He is handed over a ticket back to his village in India and is thrown out of their house. But he has got a job to complete. Arranging dowry for his sister. He lost all his papers and must find a job before being thrown out of the country. He does find an Indian Guru who employ him as a cook in his hotel. Guru is more happy when he finds that his handicapped son is also fond of Ramji and he decides to keep him and arranges his marriage so that all his papers can be made. The marriage is supposed to be a 3 month's marriage after which Samira will divorce Ramji after his papers are made. He goes to stay with Samira in her house with her grand mother. Staying there slowly they call in love with each other. Ramji applies for a cookery competition and wins the first prize that gives him the much needed money for her sister and opening a restaurant for himself and comes back to India to fulfil his dreams.

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• Heartwarming comedy

  AishFan2006-07-27

  Ramji Londonwaley is a beautiful comedy about a cook, played by Madhavan, in an Indian village who accepts an offer to cook for a man in London so that he can pay the dowry for his sister's marriage. The movie is hilarious for NRIs as they can relate to several of the cultural confusions that have been penned very creatively! This movie teaches us a lesson to some of us who look down on upon uneducated villagers but can learn from some of their values and high honor of commitment as does Ramji's wife. The scenes with the mentally handicapped child are extremely touching! Everyone gives an absolutely fantastic performance!! Madhavan, his wife, the grandma, the retarded child, his parents, and even the police officers and interrogators are all amazing! Excellent direction. The only thing I don't like is the ending, which seems to be too "Bollywoodish" and rosy, setting it apart from the rest of the film, which deals with some serious and difficult situations, while maintaining a light atmosphere. It would have been better if the wife did not go to India. The clichéd scene of running to the airport at the last minute and the "10 months later" scene are very unrealistic compared to the rest of the movie. All in all though, the film deserves an applaud for tackling several issues such as unjust laws, physical handicaps, alienation/loneliness, and the meaning of true love while still being a great comedy!

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• One-Time Watch

  CriticGirl912015-07-22

  There is nothing outstanding about the plot of the film, in fact, it is full of clichés. Still, I enjoyed watching the film, and never got bored because of its earnest approach. The movie has very positive, even if unrealistic ideas. For example, Parvati's remarriage really won my heart. The narrative supported practical solutions over idealistic ones, which are so typical in our Hindi films. Sonu remains disabled till the end, with only some improvement. There is no scene of herogiri, or hero protecting the heroine with the help of blows. No courtroom drama. No overnight stardom. Very remarkable for a Hindi film. The film does disappoint on several counts though. The performances are just about there, but never there. Except Harsh Chaya, nobody delivers too well. Ramji meeting a bunch of restaurateurs after his initial disappointment is unrealistic, as is the heroine falling for a villager. The songs are very bugging, too. Especially the one that goes, "When in Rome, do as Romans..." Overall, a feel-good film with an effort to be different from the mainstream ones. Deserves encouragement.

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