Shoojit Sircar and Juhi Chaturvedi's 4th collaboration is the least impactful film till date from the duo. Gulabo Sitabo is based on conflicts that happens in an ageing Haveli (Fatima Mahal) and its narrative emphasizes on the old moral story of greed. There is a saying "As long as greed is stronger than compassion, there will always be suffering" and thats what Juhi' script narrates. It has its own charm in presenting some interesting characters and their day to day squabble but the satire to me felt very outdated low-key. The 2 hours really felt stretched partly due to its nuanced narration. The films picks up a bit of pace in the second half and i loved the way it ended. Except Mirza carrying a balloon there are not many heart touching scenes in the movie. We never feel the pain of any of protagonist as they oscillates between hope and misery. The big enjoyment to me was the portrayal of Fatima Begum, wife of Mirza. She just stole the last 10 minutes of the show. Some of the chaos felt like the Priyadrshan old school of comedy. The tale contains soul but the presentation and narration was not up-to the mark. On top of that Lucknowi dialect is tough to follow. Overall the desparate measures of ownership and selfish act for a better future is a passable film. This bittersweet dramedy is an OKish film.
Verdict - 3/5(The consequence of Greed)