Boys Hostel Review – One-Of-A-Kind Crazy Ride

BOTTOM LINE
One-Of-A-Kind Crazy Ride

OUR RATING
2.75/5

CENSOR
2h 24m, ‘U/A’ Certified

What Is the Film About?

The evening before examinations, the strict hostel warden commits suicide and writes a note blaming a few students for his decision. Who are the responsible people, and what do they do, led by Ajith (Prajwal BP) after they know of the incident, is the movie’s basic plot.

Performances

Boys Hostel is tricky when it comes to casting and acting. It is not just about a single guy. A bunch have to click as a whole, as a group. We get that exactly here.

Each actor in Boys Hostel represents a stereotype, and the cast effectively conveys that. Prajwal BP obviously comes across as the lead, as his idea forms the narrative. He effectively depicts the frustration and shock of the unexpected chain of events unfolding before his eyes.

Manjunath Nayaka, playing the warden, does a fine job. The fact that one can feel the character coming full circle (considering where it started) by the end shows the success of the acting and the scripting.

Natural acts are the key and everyone within the limited screen time pitches in with one. A couple stand out due to the role’s comic tinge; otherwise, most get equal footage.

Tharun Bhascker’s cameo is well done. He adds to the fun in his style with his dialogues. Rashmi Gautam’s presence is a quirky idea. She does it with ease. Kannada star Rishab Shetty and director Pawan Kumar also make appearances as seniors. They go with the movie’s hyper-energetic flow.

Analysis

Nithin Krishnamurthy directs Boys Hostel. It’s the Telugu dub of Kannada cult flick Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare. It is a found footage styled black comedy set in a boy’s hostel.

Whenever we watch campus-related flicks, we imagine how fun it would be if someone captured college life or hostel life as it is – there is a lot of entertainment in the chaotic lifestyle and due to various characters. Anyone who’s been to a hostel or college must have thought about it at one time or another while watching flicks that depict them ‘cinematically’. Well, Boys Hostel makes that idea into a reality.

The plot is an excuse to capture the chaos in hostel corridors. We have all sorts of characters randomly doing their cliche stuff. However, it all comes together neatly.

But, still, randomly put-together hostel life would make for a messy narrative if there is no thread, however thin, holding them together and giving them the space to revel in their idiosyncrasies. We get that in the Boys Hostel, which is also punctuated with some minor twists.

Due to the nature of the narrative itself, the interval feels more than a pause rather than any bang of sorts. The actions of various characters are given a break with a slightly unexpected twist; that’s it.

The chaos resumes in the second half with escalating situations and stakes within the space created by the director. This proper blending of cinema structure within the found footage narrative style makes Boys Hostel a unique experience. Otherwise, it would have been a bunch of character-based jokes stitched together.

The warden track progress and its culmination is well thought out in the narrative. It gives a nice emotional touch to the proceedings, along with the fun, which, in any case, is the central theme.

However, the narrative is not without issues. After a point, the chaos really turns to look messy with so much going on simultaneously. Then, there is a deviation during the second half, which makes it look like the way is lost. A song feels out of place and adds to the length. The whole thing leads to weariness.

The humour is also primarily based on stereotypes and cliches. Some of it is region-specific; not all may get the punches unless the original context is understood.

The good thing is that effort is made to localise them, and some work is done to incorporate and reference locally trending fun bits.

Finally, despite the issues, the movie leaves us with a positive feeling by the time it ends. The genuineness of the whole effort and its huge task to mount in such a style yet make it look simple makes one overlook the glitches.

Overall, Boys Hostel is a unique attempt out and out and a mad ride. It’s an unconventional attempt with a bunch of new faces, hilarious writing, and crazy execution but eventually overstays its welcome length-wise. If you are open to new-age cinema, go for it.

Music and Other Departments?
B Ajaneesh Loknath, whom the Telugu audience recently discovered for his terrific work in Virupaksha, provides the music. The songs are forgettable, but the background score is excellent. It enhances the quirkiness and helps give the narrative its big screen appeal ‘sound’ wise.

Aravind S Kashyap’s cinematography is good, considering the style adopted. The visuals are clean and add to the impact that the director intended. The editing is terrific, as a lot is happening, and everything has to make sense. Suresh M needs appreciation for bringing out a seamless, although a bit overlong, narrative out of all the happenings. The writing is superb. The dialogues are kept natural, keeping in with the performances.

Highlights?

Writing

Editing

Direction

Mad Fun

Drawbacks?

Length

Repetitive In Parts

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes

Will You Recommend It?

Yes, but remember it’s a different film.

Boys Hostel Movie Review by M9