Chris, is a New Yorker who comes to Mumbai without any leads — she doesn’t have a name or even a photograph. But she’s mesmerised by the music. At the centre of it all is Taraat, played by Riteish Deshmukh. Taraat means bewda or drunkard. Taraat is described as ‘Banjo ki duniya ka Bachchan’. He’s a gritty, banjo-playing goon-musician. Taraat feels like he has stepped out of a 1980s film. The movie labours to showcase him as a rock star, using slow-motion entries and one-liners. All the attempts at creating a credible romance between him and Chris are sabotaged by Nargis’s absolute lack of expression. She’s both beautiful and unintentionally comical.

To be fair, the film touches upon interesting themes like class wars, what makes a true artist, the transformative power of music and of India. There is also the group's desperate need to feel respected. But these ideas are only briefly flirted with, even as the script takes familiar and formulaic turns.

Riteish has come out of his comfort zone and that’s the best thing about Banjo. Otherwise, Banjo is an over-cooked mess.