Yeh Khula Aasman:
This all pulpit script is hugely
self contradictory and there lies the major flaw. We will list a few more as we
go along. Yet the film stands out for its sincerity and for being non
pretentious. It is one of those targeted at the multiplex audience who remain
to see the film that is an offer when tickets at the other counters have been
sold out.
The film starts with an adolescent Avinash (Raj Tandon) taking the bad news
that he has not made it to the IIT. His parents are abroad Dad Kailash (Yashpal
Sharma) and Mom Rama (Manjusha Godse) are trading charges on why the son has
not made the grades, in foreign soil as the son loiters on the streets of Amchi
Mumbai.
Avinash to escape from himself takes the train to grandpa Gulab Rai (Raghubir
Yadav) in a rural setting- full of the haveli, the mangroves, fields and a laid
back life. What starts as a focus on parental refusal to take failure (?) of
the child and the emotional trauma of the victim student in a system that
defies logic, meanders into an equation of want for time and concern within the
family. For conflict and resolution, the caring grandpa begins to install
values – oops sorry techniques for success and soon we have him teach the
adolescent learned the art of kite flying (symbolic eh!)
Here comes the next flaw. The script does not shift, it looses focus and has a
set of rural characters who walk in to deliver their lines rather than live
their characters. Our grandpa is a rural avtar of Robin Sharma and has many a
self help mantra hidden in his closet. Then there is calf love. We have Avinash
spending time with neighbour Muskaan (Aarya Anand) in a suggestive romance that
lacks flesh or blood. The village is gearing up for an annual kite competition.
At stake is the reputation of Gulab and the ambition of Javed (Gulshan Pandey)
whose good for nothing son is the kite flying face. To get things sufficiently in
formula mode we have him as the villain who is a bully trying to get even with
the NRI new arrival in the village.
Yet another problem with the story is that the characters are so straight
jacketed and under developed that they remain more caricatures than characters.
This robs the film of the dramatic punch that could have made the film more
serious. It is not documentary enough like Peepli Live, it is not emotional
enough like Udaan, it is certainly not emotional enough to a be in the league
of Tare Zameen Par. It is a visible attempt at being those and more.
The crew hardly inspires. Anand Milind in a come back of sorts are half hearted
with their tunes. More from the archives, it seems. Kastubh Chitnis edits the
scenes rather than tells the tale. The two technicians who require positive
mention are Vivek Shah for his cinematography and the costume designer who has
eschewed the regular filmy wear and made costumes of all artists extremely
pleasant on the eye.
Of the cast, the film revolves around Raj Tandon who is awkward. He shows
screen presence but no acting abilities. On the other hand Aarya Anand shows
more promise. A good actor like Yashpal is wasted. The film however show cases
the brilliance of Raghubir Yadav. Coming as it does after a brilliant cameo in
Mod, one wishes we get to see more of this actor.
Yeh Khula Aasman has a major crisis. The strong need to succeed is encouraged
in the youngster and scorned at at the door step of the parents. It is too
judgemental on the parents who seem to have no right to their dreams. There
lies the catch. As for our education system that banks so much on a single day
performance and is rejection oriented rather than acceptance focused is touched
not dealt with. This is kite flying with out much aerodynamic back up.
L. Ravichander