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‘Why Cheat India’: Fails to convey a strong social message (IANS Review, Rating: **1/2)

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By Troy Ribeiro
Film: “Why Cheat India”; Director: Soumik Sen; Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Ammar Taalwala, Snigdhadeep Chatterjee; Rating: **1/2

Great films are conversation starters and game changers; mediocre ones are like dull lectures, one-sided. This one is the latter and not at a very good college.

Director Soumik Sen’s “Why Cheat India”, subtly exposes the appalling underbelly of the education system in our country.

The narrative begins circa 1998. Satyendra Dubey aka Sattu (Snigdhadeep Chatterjee) is a studious boy from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, who studies in Kota, the hub of coaching classes for competitive exams. On successfully clearing his exams, he is abound by offers, mostly by dubious people running coaching classes.

Soon, he gets lured by the smooth operator Rakesh Singh aka Rocky (Emraan Hashmi), a con-man who runs a flourishing business that allows education scams to flourish in the country.

His modus operandi is to enrol bright students to crack the question papers or write proxy exams for rich spoilt students who are unable to score. Alternately, he is a genius in producing fake documents or degrees. How Rakesh Singh gets exposed, forms the crux of the narrative.

Part of the genius of the film, is that it unfolds at a deliberate pace. While the first half is engaging, it manages to build a solid set-up, the second half indulges in a romance angle. Despite deviating from the flow, the plot does not lose focus. In fact, playing safe, the film is careful to keep a distance from controversies and to some degree is truthful to the subject (One of the first slide of the narrative states that the film is a hybrid of facts and fiction).

Emraan Hashmi plays the classic anti-hero Rakesh Singh to the hilt. He is a charmer and is sincere in his performance despite being a rotter, bounder and an opportunist.

He is aptly supported by Snigdhadeep Chatterjee as Sattu and Shreya Dhanwanthary as Sattu’s sister and Emraan’s love interest Nupur. They are both natural and impressive in their debut performance. The other noticeable character in the film is Rakesh’s lackey who acts like a buffoon while assisting him in his endeavours.

The music is insignificant and goes unheard in the narrative.

Overall, with its moderate production values the film manages to keep you engaged for most of its run time. But considering its strong social message it is supposed to convey, the film fails to leave an impact.

–IANS
troy/ksk

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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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