Jackpot Review from Times of India!

Story: Three con artists have their eyes set on some fast money. However, each of them are secretly trying to con the other as well. Who will outwit whom and get away with the loot?

Review: Goa forms the backdrop for this who-gets-the-moolah caper. Francis (Joshi) packs in the muscle and has a can of beer always close at hand. He is also street-smart enough to impress Maya (Leone), the oomphy voice of reason in the movie. Boss Man (Naseeruddin) is a veteran raver whose clothes are as colourful as his principles and punchlines. Slow in speech but quick to draw a six-shooter, he owns the Jackpot casino.
Boss, Francis and Maya hatch a plan to steal crores of cash. And while the deed itself is executed decently enough, the subsequent sub-plots and implications of intrigue amongst the schemers is laid on with the predictability and subtlety of a bull in a china shop.

Completely in character, Boss looks and sounds like a parody of a villain. While it's clearly understood that he is the owner of a floating casino, his lines flog every possible gambling pun to death. After a point, you can almost predict what the next one-liner will be. Francis and his other muscle-bound cronies often get into squabbles whenever some suspicion of duplicity arises amongst them.

And those expecting anything even close to a Sunny Leone steam-fest will be disappointed. In fact, she raps the knuckles of the local lads, scolding them if they dare lay their gaze on her bursting-at-the-buttons bosom. "My eyes are up here, not down there!" she reminds one local lad. She is also given lines like "Sarkar aur underworld mein kya farak hai?"

Similarly, Francis, who later in the movie reminds her that "Hum log artisthai - con artist!" and Boss, who reasons out that in his line of work, "Risky is like whisky". Makarand Deshpande's kooky cop character is genuinely funny, but corny lines aside, one of Jackpot's few redeeming factors here is that it moves along quickly.

Rating:**
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Jackpot/movie-review/27297202.cms

Jackpot Review from Taran Adarsh!

Kaizad Gustad, who wowed moviegoers with BOMBAY BOYS, but got it all wrong with BOOM, returns to tell a story after a hiatus. Is his new endeavour, JACKPOT, sharp and intelligent like his first film?

JACKPOT is a thriller with comic one-liners and crazy characters, set entirely in Goa against the backdrop of casino boats. An amateur gang of young Goan con artists plan the perfect con -- no nuksaan, no pareshan. However, it doesn't take long for them to discover that a reverse con has been played back on them... 

JACKPOT starts off with a title track that seems highly inspired from the opening credits of a Bond film... also reminiscent of the one in SHAAN. Soon thereafter, we are introduced to the characters, with multiple subplots adding to the mystery... and confusion. Kaizad doesn't spill the beans at the outset and the non-linear depiction of happenings that constantly switch back and forth leave you confused, making you wonder, what's Kaizad up to? Actually, with multiple cons being played simultaneously, the viewer is at a loss when trying to figure out what the original con was. 

However, Kaizad links the uneven subplots wonderfully in the second half. With a run time of approx 1.40 hours, the post-interval portions move feverishly and the unanswered questions get an answer. The writing is smart, the pacing is just right, the twists and turns in the narrative are sharp and the culmination catches you completely unaware. Kaizad serves an intelligent thriller, while the DoP does justice to his vision, capturing the lush green spots, grey skies and the downpour with precision. The background score too gives the film an edge. 

Kaizad also integrates the songs smartly in the narrative and the romantic track filmed on Sachiin and Sunny, 'Kabhi Jo Baadal Barse', stays in your memory. Having said that, the romantic scenes between the lead pair aren't too convincing. Also, the pacing in the first half is quite erratic. 

Sachiin certainly manages to pull off a more convincing job as an actor this time. Sunny also shows a marked improvement in her performance. Naseeruddin Shah is, as always, tremendous. Makrand Deshpande does a stellar job of playing the laidback cop, getting the local dialect right. Bharath, who has a humber of South Indian films to his credit, makes his Hindi debut with JACKPOT. He's first-rate. 

On the whole, JACKPOT proves to be an interesting watch with a sharp and clever second half.

Rating:***

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/reviews/type/view/id/1328

Jackpot Review from Rediff!

Jackpot is a very confused film, feels Paloma Sharma.

Kaizad Gustad is back with Jackpot after his last film, Boom.

Yes, that Boom.

Much like Boom (I shudder every time I say it), Jackpot too stars a creepy old rich man and a young cunning seductress.

Only this time, he does you the courtesy of adding a creepy young-ish guy and his 'lukkha' friends -- just to keep it original, you know?

Doublechin Joshi... I mean, Sachiin Joshi... stars as Francis, the leader of a group of conmen. He and his friends plan to con a casino owner -- who goes by the name of Boss (Naseeruddin Shah) -- with the help of Boss's secretary/girlfriend/casino manager/squeeze Maya (Sunny Leone).

But Boss has bigger plans for them and when things go downhill, loyalties shift.

Or at least I think that's what it was about.

Since Gustad uses extremely complicated storytelling techniques like non-linear narratives and hot girl breasts to distract you when things get too confusing, I decided to look take a man's perspective as well.

18-year-old theatre actor Arnav Thakker shares his views on the film, in a conversation with me:

He says: I don't think that even Kaizad Gustad knew what he was trying to say through the film.

She says: I honestly think he was trying to say, "Money, boobs, money, boobs, money, boobs."

He says: Boobs? Yeah, both male and female.

She says: Well, Joshi really did give Sunny Leone tough competition.

He says: (laughs) I don't know why he was in the film. (pauses) Didn't his wife produce the film?

She says: Forget that, why did Naseeruddin Shah even sign it?

He says: Money, boobs, money, boobs, money, boobs? Or maybe the head-mop he got to wear?

She says: Was that a mop? I thought it was a dead octopus.

He says: No, no. The octopus was Sunny Leone.

She says: (shocked) I honestly thought you liked her. I mean, all the guys are crazy about her.

He says: (blushing) Well... She's okay.

She says: And what about that scene where she strips down to her lingerie?

He says: Been there, done that -- the Internet way.

She says: So what if she's a porn star?

He says: I know people have judged her before she even started. But I have an issue that she doesn't even try.

She says: Fair enough. But the lead pair seemed to be trying too hard in that song, Kabhi Jo Badal Barse. It was such a nice song until the two of them walked into the frame.

He says: People were actually whistling at the end because it finally ended.

She says: It wasn't that bad. At least Makrand Deshpande played an extremely entertaining Goan Inspector Clouseau.

He says: (exclaims) Quarter of a star for Makrand Deshpande!

I was quite surprised to find that the Sunny Leone factor did not work even for the male half of the audience (and I'm secretly glad about it).

But I personally feel that we're coming down to hard on Sunny. It was Sachiin Joshi who was the real star of the film.

He's proved that he doesn't even need acting lessons -- because they won't change a thing.

Only go for Jackpot if you sat right until the end of the titles of Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag and yelled encore.

Rating:1/2

http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/review-jackpot-is-only-about-money-and-cleavage/20131213.htm