Multiple factors work in favour of
debutant Director Bela Sehgal. To begin with it charters a
novel path dealing with persons well past their acceptable romantic prime and
are single and thus fall in love. There is then some fine performances
from the lead pair and good support from the support cast. Also the froth
filled narration is translated without much fuss or temptation into the vulgar
vistas that a contemporary film maker is likely to take. The film truly comes
nearest to a Basu Chaterjee film. In fact Basu Da did a film on Parsis in
Khata Meetha and it must be said to the credit of the editor turned director
that she sticks to her script and works on a tight story line.
40 plus
Farhad Pastakiya ( Boman Irani) is a salesman at a lingerie out let and is not
embarrassed about it. He is proud about it and wears it on his sleeve. He
is single, lives with Mom Nargis (Daisy Irani) and grandma (Shammi). Obviously
the family is concerned about his marital status and are enthusiastic about
every possible alliance. In a chance encounter, Farhad runs into Shirin
Fugawala ( Farah Khan) who too is single and has not walked up the later since
she is required to take care of her ailing father . they strike an
instant chemistry and you would believe that all is fine and the not so young
couple are all set to walk up the alter . the twist in the tale comes
when Nargis declares that Farhad will marry Shirin only over her dead body.
The
Shirin-Nargis conflict is on a frivolous issue: As a member of the Parsi Trust
Shirin oversees the demolition of an illegal water tank constructed by the
Pastakiya family and this is more than enough to invite the ire of
Nargis. Shirin does not help the cause with her consistent faux
pause without realising that the lady is none other than her prospective
ma-in-law. Farhad however is encouraged by his grandma and is any way so
smitten that he cannot forget his lady love. So like the adolescents who
defy parental opposition time comes for the two to take a call. By now
Shirin is peeved off and returns the diamond ring and thereby the proposal.
Surely the film is not going to end this way . How the lead pair finally
get together is part of the light hearted film. It is
unpretentious. It is short. It is light hearted. It is novel
to an extent and stylised without too much gloss.
A film with
romance as the basic theme is bound to take the chartered route of songs, mushy
romance and shrieking conflict. This time the clichés are well packaged
and the credit for that surely must go to Bela Sehgal. She shows up with
a much better sense of humour than her more celebrated brother. The scale
of the film too is not over bearing as is with Bhaiyya ( Sanjay Leela Bansali)
.
What really
gives the film a cutting edge is the quality performances. While the
support cast give excellent support – including Daisy, Shammi , Mahabanu Kotwal
, Kavin Dave, the central characters are brilliant. Boman
Irani who swings from the ham to the fine chooses the later this time. He
adds a high degree of dignity to his role and displays his potential very
endearingly. The actor has a role that could have fallen in hidden traps.
He fights clear and comes up with a performance that is worth an award.
Farah Khan proves that she is much better is front of the camera than
behind. Bubbly and camera friendly, she is confident and shows no signs
of being a late entrant before the camera. The two play a major role in
taking the film from a clichéd to a heart touching tale. There lies the
success of the film. Watch it. Any way you are not investing too much
time and you get to seeing a romance that is different from the ever so many
love stories seen this far.
L.Ravichander