DeConstructing Barfi !

Anurag Basu’s magnum opus attempt to portray unconditional love on celluloid underlines the finer nuances required to convert a good work of art into a great, timeless classic. Barfi has all the ingredients to become a landmark cinema in the history of Bollywood but ends up being a half baked savory that still tastes delicious thus forcing one to think the unexplored potential of it. Barfi is essentially a story of a deaf, dumb, handsome young man (Ranbir) who in spite of his physical limitations celebrates the essence of life with a beautiful smile on his lips & spreads happiness all around. As the effervescent Burfi ,Ranvir is outstanding and reminds one of Charlie Chaplin & Raj Kapoor rolled into one. His effortless portrayal of the character leaves you speechless and many a times his character becomes bigger than the movie. He goes through the trails & tribulations of rejection in love, but that does not result in dejection or bitter feeling. His chance meeting with Jhilmil, the autistic daughter of a rich family transcends into a saga of platonic love that crosses the barrier of a give & take world. Few brilliant and hilarious run and chase sequences between Ranvir and Saurav Sukla adds humor to the plot. Saurav Shukla as the pot bellied policeman reaffirms what a fine actor he is.

The relationship of Barfi & Jhilmil has been captured poignantly and provides some brilliant cinematic moment. Pritam’s music is mellifluous and completely in sync with the tone of the movie. Ravi Verman’s remarkable cinematography, be it capturing the hue of Darjeeling or the sublime romance between Jhilmil & Barfi or the beautiful glowworm lit night deserves a special mention. Ilena does justice to her role and Priyanka deserves kudos for her much restrained portrayal of an autistic girl.

What acts as a damp squib to an otherwise brilliant movie is the indulgence of its director to unnecessarily use sub plots and flash backs to tell a simple story. It confuses the audience and complicates the narrative. The motive for Jhilmil’s abduction remains too weak. No effort what so ever has been given to develop the supporting characters like Jhilmil’s parents, which could have added teeth to the plot.

But in spite of its weakness Barfi will remain an important cinema of 2012 for its protagonists astounding performance. Go indulge yourself with a generous helping of Barfi !