A wise person once compared the process of sequel making to that of making coconut milk. The first extract is rich and creamy, the second mildly watery and the third absolutely diluted.

Fukrey, directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba, made waves in 2013 as a tale mildly far-fetched, of four wastrels out to make a quick buck. They land in all sorts of trouble. From ganglords, prostitution racket-running gangsters to drug distributors, from fleecing watchmen to incredible wins at the lottery. Add to this a romantic angle, sacrifices, a demanding parent and wannabe musician. It made for compelling viewing as the innocence of the school boys accentuated the human drama. However, Fukrey 3 has proved that the movie industry tries to squeeze as much mileage it can out of a good franchise till it is sucked dry and is practically unrecognisable.

Varun Sharma (Choocha) is still enamoured with Richa Chadha (the ironically named Bholi Punjaban), Pulkit Samrat (Hunny) is still in need of moolah, and Lali (Manjot Singh) is still hanging around. Pankaj Tripathi (Panditji) brings in his brand of deadpan humour, which salvages the movie somewhat. Bholi Punjaban is contesting an election against Choocha. In quest of wealth, the quartet has to move to South Africa, where a brown-skinned Hindi- speaking girl falls in love with Choocha. There is a lot of research on someone’s pee and someone else’s sweat, which makes you squirm. Fukrey 3 disappoints because it resembles Fukrey on the surface and is nothing like it. (I liked/didn’t like Fukrey 3 because... September 29)

Pampa Paul

For me, Fukrey 3 was one of the most anticipated films of 2023. Revolving around the attempts of a close-knit gang determined to hinder a headstrong gangster from contesting the elections, it brings back the old charm of the characters Hunny, Choocha, Lali and Panditji in their best capacities. Packed with a bunch of lighthearted jokes and great comic timing, it shines as a perfect mood booster. Though the script fell flat at some points, the leads covered it up deftly, retaining the essence of the film till the end. The cast delivered a winning performance lifting this laugh riot to greater heights. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the film. Can’t believe the franchise has already completed 10 years!

Aayman Anwar Ali

I liked Fukrey 3 because it is a laugh riot and immensely watchable. Pankaj Tripathi and Varun Sharma stand out for their comic timing. The rest of the cast is first rate. An enjoyable joyride for the whole family. A decent one-time watch.

Rahul Krishnan

I liked Mrighdeep Singh Lamba’s Fukrey 3. This instalment of the hugely popular comedy film franchise, which gave me — a Fukrey movies fan — the fantastic opportunity to crashland into my favourite world of ‘fukreys’ again, also hugely entertained me just like the previous two parts. This fresh story was immensely funny and I loved it. Varun Sharma, Pankaj Tripathi and Richa Chadha shone in their respective roles. Varun’s effortless acting — specifically his impeccable comic timing — and the brilliant way he revived Choocha’s charm just won my heart. I also liked the dialogueswhich I found very, very witty. Another thing which I enjoyed about the film was its quirky and cool music. No doubt, it’s the best slapstick comedy from Bollywood this year.

Sourish Misra