This movie is for all the movie lovers who feed on foreign language movies(not Hollywood/bollywood) for the fresh and refreshing plot and characters.Its a story about recession and how it affects the kidnapping business and the local goons. It has a short movie kind of treatment - a problem - an opportunity - and a fresh solution.The characters are memorable - partially because of the uniqueness and partially as they have been played by talented actors. Rajat Kapoor as usual fits in his role, Sanjay Misra is amazing in this movie too funny and he knows how to make a simple line hilarious. Neha Dhupia always does good to a strong character like she did in 'Ek challis ki last local'. Manu Rishi is memorable as Anni,(don't miss the English coaching class scene).One thing more that makes this movie funny is the background score/music. When a gangster is telling about the difficulties he is facing in kidnapping, when a son meets his father,etc. The music is perfectly placed. Few times bollywood make some sensible movies, and we should appreciate these.

The setting is 2008, when the entire world is reeling under the financial tsunami of the Wall street collapse. And the tremors of those events are being felt as far as rural India, where a group of bumbling "khandaani" kidnappers are ruing the "recession" that has made their plight pitiful – victims are offering ridiculously low ransom payments, no one is paying protection money and things are so bad that they cant afford even outgoing calls on mobiles.Amidst this gloominess, the semi-literate member of the group Anee announces the arrival of NRI Mr Shastri to their town and the kidnappers immediately see a pot of gold with him. Unfortunately for them, other "senior" kidnappers in the area are also seeing stacks of dollars in front of them. In the midst of all this, imagine if Mr NRI is himself bankrupt and is in India only to sell off his ancestral property. Phas Gaye Re Obama's story flows well, and a few sequences are especially memorable. Especially the organised kidnapping business, with its bank-like ransom handling facilities and a "kidnapping receipt" - which is to be shown in case of any other kidnapping attempt and is valid for 12 months :) !! There is no sag anywhere in its runtime and the laughs are generated by its quirky characters and their rustic nature (it carries the tradition from the previous gangster capers Sankat City and 99 - both of which I adore). The "khandaani" kidnapper, Bhaisaab, played by Sanjay Mishra, is a delight to watch. And giving him company is Oye Lucky Lucky Oye's Manu Rishi – the America-worshipping, small-towner Anee – who gets his dreamer yet gullible act pitch perfect. Rajat Kapoor plays the hassled NRI effortlessly – he seems made for these kind of roles only. Neha Dhupia was the only misfit – her character too unrealistic and her performance nothing to write home about. Amol Gupte carries from where he left off in Kaminey, a natural gang leader. The movie holds your attention well for its entire runtime and the ending is not quite what you expected – so full marks to the director for that as well. There are no songs etc to distract. A solid effort by debutante director Subhash Kapoor, but left an aftertaste very similar to Sankat City etc. If it was not preceded by the above mentioned movies, I would have rated it a little higher. And others, who haven't watched those movies will definitely have a lot of fun watching Phas Gaye Re Obama

This a Brilliant movie and deserves all the accolades in the world. The way movie moves from one instance to the other is just flawless, the whole story has a sense to it. I don't know how to put it in words but this movie is such realistic depiction of India that it never feels absurd or impossible. The picturization is so beautiful, the language of characters is so natural, the acting so true that everyone added value to the film. Dhupia looked sexy, better than what she looks with short clothes. Foremost I want to congratulated this little known director for the GREAT effort and tremendous movie. Please know that your Screenplay, writing and Direction has completely blowen away, us - viewers !I hope I could have watched this movie in the theater. Best luck Mr. Kapoor for your future endeavors and I will definitely watch your next movie.Thanks a ton for the entertainment ! Sidds.

This deliciously smart comedy from writer-director Subhash Kapoor stars Rajat Kapoor as Om Shastri, a desperate NRI from America, who must sell off his ancestral village property so he can save his home in New Jersey from being repossessed by the bank. Within days of arriving in the village, however, he is kidnapped by local crime-pin Bhaisaab (played by the excellent Sanjay Mishra), who dreams of a fat ransom in exchange for the NRI's release. When Shastri reveals that he's lost everything in the recent financial meltdown, Bhaisaab's dreams are crushed. That is until Shastri himself, along with Bhaisaab's trusted right-hand man Anni (played by Oye Lucky Lucky Oye's Manu Rishi), comes up with a shrewd new plan that will make both the kidnapper and the victim richer by several lakhs.Constructed from a terrific script that's strong on plot and packed with crackling dialogue, 'Phas Gaye Re Obama' is consistently engaging. Shastri plots his own 'sale' from one wisened gangster to the next unsuspecting crook, in what becomes a chain of hilarious cons. Along the way we're introduced to a string of quirky, original characters that add colour to this palette.Neha Dhupia stars as Munni, a dreaded don who despises men, and who's dubbed herself the female Gabbar Singh. She surrounds herself by an army of tough-looking henchwomen with names like Kareena, Deepika, Madhuri, Rani and Preity, and spends her free time chipping away at male statues. Amole Gupte plays a permanently constipated minister who runs a professionally managed kidnapping-and-extortion company, where you're provided with a receipt on payment of the ransom, and a one-year guarantee against a repeat abduction.But the star of the film is Manu Rishi, who brings just the perfect degree of naïvete to his role of a gangster's moderately-educated sidekick yearning for a better life. His character, Anni has his heart set on moving to America, and insists he's got what it takes – he's watched reruns of Obama's famous 'Yes we can!' speech repeatedly, he's taking English lessons at a local coaching class, and he hasn't missed a single one of Sylvester Stallone's greatest action hits.'Phas Gaye Re Obama' is unpredictable and surprisingly relevant, even if the film's title (which seems to squarely blame the US President for the recent global recession) is a bit of a stretch. Cleverly written and sharply cast, it's a film that delivers hearty laughs. Don't miss it. It's one of those rare Hindi films that's funny and smart at the same time!