Vodka Diaries – Kay Kay Menon’s Talent is Wasted on this Futile Murder Mystery, And So is Our Time – Review
Vodka Diaries (2018)
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Suspense thrillers have always been tricky to execute on the silver screen. No matter how good the screenplay maybe, thrillers like Vodka Diaries (without any A-listers) need to rise exponentially above the mindless entertainers of Bollywood to become noteworthy in the eyes of the masala-driven audience.
Vodka Diaries, starring Kay Kay Menon, Mandira Bedi, Raima Sen and Sharib Hashmi, is a thriller that revolves around a club called Vodka Diaries, where few murders occur and a cop desperately tries to solve the bizarre mystery before the killer can strike again.
The film was directed by Kushal Srivastava and produced under the banner of K’Scope Entertainment Pvt.Ltd. & Vishalraj Films & Production Pvt.Ltd. It was released on 19th January 2018.
Vodka Diaries – The Story
The story is set in the freezing climes of Shimla where the Assistant Commissioner of police, Ashwini Dixit (Menon) sets out to find the person behind a series of murders. As the dead bodies start piling up, things take a turn for the worse when the ACP’s wife (Bedi) goes missing as well. Out of time, he receives a call from an unknown woman (Sen) who advises him to connect the clues left behind by the killer to solve the mystery.
Though the story sounds exciting on paper, debutant director Kushal Srivastava fails to execute it properly on screen. Vodka Diaries sounds like an engaging story of a whodunit affair, but feels far-fetched and dreary, missing its mark by a mile.
It’s like an M. Night Shyamalan-esque thriller where the twist, though intriguing, is predictable if you know what to look for.
Vodka Diaries – The Good and the Bad
The highlight of Vodka Diaries is unsurprisingly Kay Kay Menon. Menon’s superior acting prowess is the only thing that holds any interest of the viewer he and does the best he can with the resources available at hand; everything else is subpar. Mandira Bedi as the poetess wife of the ACP gives an ordinary performance, so does Raima Sen with her limited scope of her character.
The chemistry between Dixit and his wife leave a lot to be desired, the lengthy scenes of their cutesy conversations start with a poem and end with a reference to a crime. The dialogues are pretty shoddy and the script is full of plotholes. Also, the humour is badly-timed.
All in all, though Vodka Diaries is a million times better than some of the movies in the 100 Crore Club, it still fails to come out of its ordinary existence and rise up to the level of greatness.
It is, by no means, the best work of Kay Kay Menon, but it’s also not his worst. If you do decide to watch this thriller, make sure you have a bottle of Vodka at hand!
Verdict of The Idiot
Idiot-o-Meter: You’re Out Of Your Element!
[yasr_overall_rating]
The Idiot’s Rating System:
4.0 – 5.0: The Dude Abides!
3.0 – 4.0: Far Out, Man!
2.0 – 3.0: Take It Easy, Dude!
1.0 – 2.0: You’re Out Of Your Element!
0.0 – 1.0: The Goddamn Plane Has Crashed Into The Mountain!
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
The Idiot's Corner 
5
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