Opinion: With Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, Maa Bhen, is comedy going downhill again? Rehashed concepts, high on name, low on content will affect genre big time

As a lover of the comedy genre, I dig, or rather crave, a good laugh. Being a 90s' kid has spoilt me to an extent that anything that is substandard, I reject it instantly. And if anything comes close to my high-held expectations, I go gaga about it. I've grown up enjoying Govinda films, Priyadarshan's madcap entertainers, and Hrishikesh Mukherjee's simple but delightful comedies.

Thus, I hold high standards for the comedy genre. Recently, I saw trailers of two upcoming releases, and I'm afraid the genre is again taking the wrong route, leading to disappointing results. Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai: Too many old wines in a not-so-new bottle Director David Dhawan, the guy who has literally shaped the 90s with Govinda, has announced his final film with Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, and things are not looking good for this Varun Dhawan-starrer. The teaser was awful, with blatant use of AI.

The trailer fails to impress. It looked like a Cocktail of old Dhawan's hits. A mashup of Gharwali Baharwali meets Saajan Chale Sasural, muddled with Garam Masala buffoonery, served with lame punches. The Gen Z, or the teens, might take a chance, but not us.

Such movies thrive on impressive assets, and the film failed to create that. Overall, the movie has a been-there-done-that feeling, and it seems that the film won't be able to live up to the expectations we have from David Dhawan. Seriously, if this is Dhawan's last film, he should consider it again. As a fan of his cinema, I think he should call off on a high note.

Maa Behen Now this is the second film that I have mixed feelings about. Compared to HJTIHH, this looks slightly better because of the fusion of crime comedy.

But still, when we have Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri, with Ravi Kishan, we expect it to go bonkers with the subject. Sadly, that has not been reflected in the trailer. The concept is good, the cast is promising, but the absence of punches irked me. I hardly had a LOL moment or chuckled hard.

However, it has intrigued me to see Madhuri in a tricky situation, dealing with crime while managing the tricky family relationships. As a cinephile, I wish both films to do well and live up to the high standards.

But if they fail to do so, it would be a warning sign to all the makers not to take the audience for granted, because Comedy is a serious business.