This unique love story, as described by the film maker Anand L Rai, is a story that celebrates incompleteness and inadequacies of life.
Writer Himanshu Sharma has drawn up all his lead characters as flawed but it’s their zest for life that makes them feel complete. The director’s vision was to convey the message to celebrate life and feel complete inspite of shortcomings, whether physical or emotional.
Vertically challenged Bauua ( Shahrukh) believes that he has been shortchanged by God and makes up for it every bit with his larger than life attitude. Aafia (Anushka)is a highly acclaimed scientist who suffers from cerebral palsy and falls for Bauua’s charm.
Bauua is smitten with Babita ( Katrina), a very sought after movie star whose personal and emotional life is a wreck.
Bauua, completely unaffected by his physical limitations and quite supported by his father’s coffers is an irresponsible flirt and a great charmer.
How their lives get intertwined and where their destinies lead them is what the story tells us further.
What’s pleasant about the movie when they introduce the characters is that there’s no emotional baggage with any of them.
As the writer director wanted, the characters do not aim to draw any sympathy. Just like the real people with inadequacies who want to be treated at par, the characters behave in a very normal way. Bauua flirts and woos just like any other man. His parents treat and reprimand him without any discounts whatsoever. Aafia gets floored and aspires like a normal woman would.
The taunts, the remarks, the jokes about the incapacities have been done in a very light hearted and well meant banter.
But then there’s something missing that did not let us connect with the characters on an emotional level to be able to see the message that the film makers wanted to convey.
After all, Bauua ‘s attitude also had a lot to do with money. Not every man,forget a short height one,could splurge 6 lakhs in one go just to woo a woman ,wear the best of tuxedos, or shower a wad of 500 notes or just hop onto a flight to US by business class all the while sponsoring his friend.
And when the woman with cerebral palsy is a scientist shown to be at a Stephen Hawking level, its a different ball game altogether.
The movie, in a bid to bind together a noble message in a saleable story on lighter vein , is riddled with improbabilities.
And to give that additional astronomical twist, they go a tad immature too. I mean, imagine people actually standing in queues outside NASR ( read NASA) to apply for being a part of a high-level astronomical mission. And there’s more to this twist.
Katrina had to appear with a smudged mascara in almost all scenes just to appear an emotional wreck.
On the whole, screenplay was very weak and seemed haphazard.
Performance wise, Anushka has worked very hard and shines amongst the rest of the cast.
My scale of measurement for such a character would always be Kalki ( Margherita with a Straw) who was unsurpassable. But that was a different level altogether and shouldn’t take away Anushka ‘s share of appreciation.
Shahrukh is almost his usual flamboyant self except that he is one foot and few inches short.
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Ajay Atul have given a very groovy Heer Badnaam and a very melodious Mere Naam tu. Rest of the tracks seemed mediocre.
Anand Rai fans are bound to be highly disappointed. I guess his forte remains the movies with an earthy and grounded feel to them ( Tanu Weds Manu, Ranjhana) . Even as a producer, his movies with small town set up and real people have always hit the bull’s eye ( Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Mukkabaaz , Nil Battey Sannata and many more ) .
For someone who claims he knows how to emotionally exploit his audience, he has failed miserably.
I have observed that such film makers when teamed up with superstars just go out of sync with their forte. Similar was the case with Sharat Kataria’s Sui Dhaga .
It was definitely not the flawed characters but the flawed execution that marred your message Sir. And it was the inadequacies of your plot that made the audience feel incomplete.
Shahrukh and Anushka fans would be able to find reasons to appreciate. And( tongue firmly in cheek )if you are truly someone who can love movies inspite of shortcomings, then you might not mind this one .
Score 5 on 10