When the women in the film crooned Hum To Aise Hai Bhaiyya… I think they meant Hum To essay hai bhaiyya… That's because, like an essay, this journey of a woman just went on and on.
Laaga wherever daag is about Vibha-worry (Rani) and Shuba-worry (Koko) and their mother Mrs. Worry… (Jaya B) as they keep pondering over issues like petticoat sales and ancestral house issues and all that. The main worry that eats Vibha is her father's belief that she ain't a son (Grr.. ki lakshmi betiyaan) and Aaj agar mera beta hota to…
Then one fine day Vibha starts off her journey that begins from Benares to Mumbai and then her chunari gets spoilt and then she continues her journey from Mumbai to Swiss alps (way to go Yash ji!) and back to the ghaats again…
What is also eating Vibha is the worry that her family will one day get to know about her flesh trade (conveniently no one knows for a very long time) and then Mrs. Worry's worry that Koko's marriage might face hurdles if Worry senior attends it… Ouch! (Possibly inspired by real life: remember how the Bachchans didn't invite Rani for the Abhi-Ash wedding! Tee hee!)
The film is not as good as one would have expected Pradeep Sarkar's second film to be. His characters are no doubt lovable but the basic premise that you have to give in to prostitution somewhere didn't strike a chord.
Also, the make-overs in character that Shubhi gets when she comes...
to Mumbai - from a naïve girl (check out her first scene when she gawks at a urban chick's undies and asks her silly questions) to a smartie is a bit jarring. Ditto Rani - she seems quite brazen and bold as she becomes Natasha.
Also, the final conclusion that all is fine if a woman with a mucky chunri's life gets settled in marital bliss is silly. It would have been nicer had she, despite everything, carved a niche or done something about winning her dignity back. Somewhere hence the film that manages to hold you with its family swan song in the beginning loses that grip as the story progresses.
As for performances, they are all decent. Whatever little (not more than two pages of lines) that both men get in this film, they are essentially the proverbial 'Prince Charmings' in the fairy tale, they nibhao well.
One extra point in not succumbing to getting Amit ji and Uday Chopra singing Hum To S.A. hai Bhaiyya! (S.A.- Special appearances)
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