Paisa Vasool is led by two women, Manisha Koirala and Sushmita Sen. Manisha wears spectacles throughout a film and Sushmita is shown chain-smoking, drinking without getting drunk and dancing in films for a living.

Baby [Sushmita Sen] migrates from Delhi to Mumbai for her sheer desire of becoming a big-time actress. But height plays a major deterrent, confining her acting career only to item numbers and music videos. Maria [Manisha Koirala] flees from her cruel cop-husband in a small town and earns her bread by running a bakery in Bandra. She also inherits an ancestral bungalow, but the real estate mafia and the area goons make her life a living hell. The two women meet by chance outside a pub and start sharing their lives and also a room in the bungalow. They are desperately dreaming of making money and plan a shortcut to a better life.

Director Srinivas Bhashyam is saddled with an uninspiring screenplay and he needs to partner the blame partly. He may be a sound technician, but a director ought to be a good story teller.

The music of Paisa Vasool may not really be your money’s worth. Some of Bapi-Tutul’s songs may be passed off as situational, but Sandeep Nath’s lyrics often give you the creeps.

The well-orchestrated Rukte Chaltem sung expressively by Shankar Mahadevan, raises the quality temporarily. Vasundhara Das’s Bindas (C’est La Vie) has a catchy punch line, but doesn’t grow beyond a point. Yaadon Mein (Shreya Ghoshal-Shaan) is passable, but Helen’s Dance Mix contains versions of songs picturised on Helen. Despite a couple of good moments, this definitely isn’t the kind of soundtrack you’d want to hear too often. Bapi-Tutul's music is as unexciting as the script. Dialogues are witty at times. Cinematography is the sole redeeming aspect of this enterprise.

Sushmita finally getting meaty roles, instead of just item numbers and bit roles. Like her previous film, Samay, where she had proved herself, she is just as competent in Paisa Vasool and holds her own against the seasoned actress Manisha. Manisha Koirala makes a sincere attempt and so does Sushmita Sen. The other performances by Sushant Singh, Makarand Deshpande and Tinnu Anand are decent.

On the whole, PAISA VASOOL disappoints but for entertainment, watch Paisa Vasool!.