Dug Dug

Directed by Ritwik Pareek, Dug Dug follows the residents of a small village as they become convinced that a motorcycle driven by a now-dead alcoholic possesses divine powers. First-time filmmaker Pareek, working from his own screenplay, kicks Dug Dug off with an almost insanely padded-out opening devoted to the aforementioned alcoholic’s exploits and eventual death, and it’s clear, certainly, that the less-than-enthralling bent of this stretch does little to draw the viewer into the wildly overlong proceedings – with the arms-length atmosphere compounded by a midsection that seems to consist solely of meandering, pointless interludes and a near-record number of interminable montage sequences. And although Pareek has admittedly infused the picture with plenty of style, Dug Dug‘s complete and total absence of compelling elements essentially cancels out its few positive attributes and ensures that the filmmaker’s ongoing efforts at satirizing religious commercialism fall hopelessly (and aggressively) flat. The laughably obvious third-act “twist” is merely the final straw for what’s long-since established itself as a predominantly worthless (and exhaustingly tedious) piece of work, with Dug Dug‘s massive failure especially disappointing given that the premise could’ve, in another, better director’s hands, been used to smart, funny effect.

1/2* out of ****