Pakistan, March 18 -- The plot of this film is buried under an avalanche of narrative cliches. In her comeback film, Rani Mukherji essays the role of a Tourette Syndrome-afflicted teacher. Full marks right there!

However, Hichki, directed by Siddharth P Malhotra, isn't the kind of class act that does justice to the film's larger purpose of underscoring the need for inclusion.

It is marred by more hiccups than its wafer-thin storyline can handle. The screenplay suffers from a syndrome that Bollywood fans are familiar with - it is a condition characterized by an obsession with amplified sentimentality and the tendency to offer superficial commentary.

In the opening moments, the protagonist is interviewed by the trustees of a school. At t...