Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi Review

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