{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}} {{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}} {{Infobox film | name = Short Kut | image = Shortkut.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = Neeraj Vora | producer = Rajat Rawail<br>Anil Kapoor<br>Sunil Manchanda<br> | writer = Anees Bazmee | based_on = Udayananu Tharam (Malayalam) by Sreenivasan | starring = Akshaye Khanna<br>Amrita Rao<br>Arshad Warsi | music = Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy | cinematography = Ashok Mehta<br>Johny Lal<br>Arvind Soni | editing = Rajiv Gupta | studio = Anil Kapoor Film Company | distributor = Indian Films | released = {{Film date|df=yes|2009|7|10}} | runtime = 156 minutes | country = India | language = Hindi | budget = | gross = }} '''''Shortkut''''' (also known as '''''Short Kut: The Con Is On''''') is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Neeraj Vora and produced by Anil Kapoor under Anil Kapoor Films Company. The film stars Akshaye Khanna, Arshad Warsi, and Amrita Rao in lead roles. It was released on 10 July 2009 worldwide to negative reviews from critics.
The film was an uncredited remake of the Malayalam-language film ''Udayananu Tharam''.<ref name=ShortKutET/><ref>{{cite news |last=Shekhar |first=Mayank |author-link=Mayank Shekhar |date=11 July 2009 |title=Review: Short Kut |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/review-short-kut/story-Gkg5JmDcCBvzpQRbibc2QO.html |work=Hindustan Times |location=Mumbai |access-date=30 December 2024 |quote=The screenplay here has been wholly lifted from a Malayalam original Udayananu Tharam. The idea was remade into Tamil as Velli Tharai (Silver Screen) — a reasonably earnest regional film with a solid final sequence (over-done in this version). The tagline — The Con Is On — has been copied from Franz Oz’s Bowfinger, an Eddie Murphy-Steve Martin film, with a similar theme.}}</ref>
==Plot== The story focuses on Shekhar, who is currently an assistant director, hoping to write and direct his own movies soon. His friend Raju is a struggling actor who has been waiting on Shekhar to write a film script so he can star in his movie. However, when Shekhar rejects him as the film's leading role, Raju decides to steal Shekhar's film script, star in the movie himself and release it without crediting Shekhar. The film is released and it turns out to be a blockbuster, propelling Raju to overnight stardom. Heartbroken Shekhar, now experiences a break-up with his girlfriend Mansi. Nonetheless, Shekhar writes a new and better film script and wants to star Raju in it, however when Raju rejects the script, Shekhar decides to film the movie without Raju ever knowing that he is in it. Shekhar and his low-budget film crew follow Raju around everywhere to complete their movie covertly. Eventually, when the movie is released, Raju's role in the film attracts embarrassment and humiliation but the film itself succeeds and Shekhar finally enjoys a taste of success in the film industry. In the end, an unfazed Raju decides not to change his ways but to again steal someone else's script.
== Cast == * Arshad Warsi as Rajesh "Raju" (King Kumar) * Akshaye Khanna as Shekhar Giriraj * Amrita Rao as Mansi * Chunky Pandey as Guru Kapoor * Tiku Talsania as Tolani * Siddharth Randeria as Kantibhai * Ali Asghar as Vikram “Vicky”, Mansi's brother * Anil Kapoor as himself (special appearance) * Sanjay Dutt as himself (special appearance)
==Soundtrack== {{Infobox album | name = Short Kut | type = soundtrack | artist = Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy | cover = | alt = | released = 17 June 2009 | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = Feature film soundtrack | length = | label = T-Series | producer = | prev_title = Luck by Chance | prev_year = 2009 | next_title = 13B | next_year = 2009 }}
The film's soundtrack was composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, with lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar. The song, "Patli Galli" was split into two versions in the film, even though only one version was included in the soundtrack.
The soundtrack contains four original songs and three remixes.
{{Tracklist | headline = Track listing | extra_column = Artist(s) | title1 = Patli Galli | extra1 = Shankar Mahadevan | length1 = 3:31 | title2 = Kyun Hota Hai Dil Deewana | extra2 = Shreya Ghoshal, Javed Ali | length2 = 3:35 | title4 = Kal Nau Baje | extra4 = Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam | length4 = 4:13 | title3 = Mareeze Mohabbat | extra3 = Nikita Nigam, Keerthi Sagathia, Hrishikesh Kamerkar, Shankar Mahadevan | length3 = 3:59 | title5 = Patli Galli | extra5 = Shankar Mahadevan, DJ Nasha, Nucleya | note5 = Remix | length5 = 4:14 | title6 = Mareeze Mohabbat | note6 = Remix | extra6 = Nikita Nigam, Keerthi Sagathia, Hrishikesh Kamerkar, Shankar Mahadevan, DJ Nasha | length6 = 3:54 }}
==Reception== Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film one out of five, writing, "On the whole, SHORT KUT - THE CON IS ON is a poor show all the way. A major disappointment."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/13450/index.html |title=Short Kut - The Con is On Review |last=Adarsh |first=Taran |date=10 July 2009 |website=Bollywood Hungama |access-date=30 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714183835/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/13450/index.html |archive-date=14 July 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express wrote, "''Shortkut'' suffers from director Neeraj Vora's customary inability to infuse any newness or subtlety into a plot that could easily have gone the other way. It covers roughly the same ground as Zoya Akhtar's ''Luck By Chance'',minus its craft and skill. Everything is loud and plastic, and the actors all chant their lines at the top of their voices."<ref>{{cite news |last=Gupta |first=Shubhra |date=10 July 2009 |title=Movie Review: Shortkut-The Con Begins |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/movie-review-shortkutthe-con-begins/ |work=The Indian Express |location=New Delhi |access-date=30 December 2024 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=30 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241230232203/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/movie-review-shortkutthe-con-begins/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Gaurav Malani of The Economic Times gave the film 1 out of 5, writing, "The derived screenplay is patchy and its shows as writer Neeraj Vora struggles to script weak characters and weaker conflicts."<ref name=ShortKutET>{{Cite web |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/ET-Cetera/Movie-Review-Short-Kut-The-Con-is-On/articleshow/4762188.cms?curpg=1 |title=Movie Review: Short Kut: The Con is On |access-date=10 July 2009 |archive-date=7 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230807001512/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/movie-review-short-kut-the-con-is-on/articleshow/4762188.cms?curpg=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|1229390|Short Kut: The Con Is On}}
Category:2009 Hindi-language films Category:2009 comedy films Category:2009 films Category:Viacom18 Studios films Category:Hindi remakes of Malayalam films Category:Indian comedy films Category:Films about Hindi cinema Category:Films directed by Neeraj Vora Category:Hindi-language comedy films