Badhaai Ho - Why should only the Young have all the Fun !

#BadhaiHo : I grew up watching and falling in love with  Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee films . Most of their films were simple situational stories built around middle-class Indian families and their predicaments. Both told their stories with lots of heart and humour. They made you laugh and brought a lump to your throat. And I have always been a sucker of such kind of cinema. Amit Sharma  follows the same template in “Badhai Ho” while dealing with a larger social stigma . An elderly couple , with two grown up kids, expecting a third one can be an enticing premise . However handling it deftly with right amount of humour , sensitivity and candour to reach out to the larger audience needs lots of maturity and that is where Amit excels .  He of course had the support of some outstanding actors all of whom provide their deft touch to make Badhai Ho a delightful watch that drives a strong message.

Gajraj Rao  as the husband/father and Surekha Sikri as the cantankerous mother in law / dadi  have given their career best performances.  Their body language, mannerism and expressions are immaculate.  Its difficult to take your eyes off them. Watch out for the scene where Gajraj is being introduced to Sanya Malhotra  for the first time. This has to be the funniest scene in Hindi cinema in last few years. Both Gajraj and Surekha have been ably supported by Neena Gupta. Aayusman Khurana, after that terrific performance in Andhadhun, is once again back in his familiar territory of a young Delhi lad  thrust into an unfamiliar situation. And he continues to maintain his top form.  The relationship between the parents, the warmth and intimacy has been explored beautifully. I also liked the way the film has been shot, especially the scenes inside the house and in the kitchen. It gives a sense of familiarity.

Badhai Ho has lots of moments of genuine laughter even while it keeps exposing the hypocrisy of our society. And that is where the film triumphs. It drives home the point without hammering it on the audiences’ head. It is refreshing to see the relationship of between an elderly couple over shadowing the relationship between young Ayushman and Sanya because that often doesn’t happen in hindi cinema . The writing has been detailed and the dialogues razor sharp. It captures the quirkiness of being in an unfamiliar situation .

Badhai Ho is not only warm and humorous it is also socially conscious and intelligent.  It has some terrific performances that will keep you engaged through out. This festive season spread some goodness and laughter and stay away from judging people and situations. Hypocrisy is such a passé , isn’t it ! I will go out with four out of five for a film that beautifully explores intimacy of elderly people and dares bare the hypocrisy of a so-called progressive society. Go watch it with everyone . Afterall why should only the young have all the fun!

Tumbbad : The Demon Within

#Tumbbad  :  We live in times when the line between greed and aspiration has been conveniently blurred . In fact, greed is being peddled in the guise of aspiration. The ability to grow infinitely in a finite world is what defines the modern man living in a moribund society. Generations have succumbed to it . Yet Man refuses to learn from it and continues to die or turn just into a survivor trying to fulfil his American dream. His quest to quench his materialistic desire continues to dominate most part of his existence.  I remember in Nolan’s “The Prestige” Robert Angier, a magician played by Hugh Jackman visits the home of Nikola Tesla , played by David Bowie in the hope that Tesla would build him a cloning device. Tesla asked Angier if he had considered the cost of such a machine. Angier nonchalantly responded that Price is not an issue to which Tesla retorted back that may be price is not but has he considered the COST. May be mankind need to ask that question. May be mankind is afraid of asking it, may be they are tuned into herds and have lost the ability to think radical  or may be in a world where greed is not only good but celebrated as glorious its not even a pertinent question to ask .  And the premise of Tumbbad is based on greed and the consequences of it.

 

Visually stunning and mysterious ,Tumbbad starts with Gandhi’s famous quote about the world having enough for everyone’s need but not enough for everyone’s greed and sets the ball rolling. The story spans for around thirty years between 1918 to 1947 covering three generations of a family and their increasing greed. Director Anil Barve has beautifully merged his narrative with the mythological story of Hastar to drive home his point. The screenplay is divided into three chapters that tells the story of Vinayak and his family. Tumbbad is poignant and philosophical.  The imagery is breath-taking.  The contrasting visuals throughout the film make the narrative rich and the tension palpable. The back ground score add on to the atmosphere . The performances are uniform. It is a film that will force you to contemplate .  

Tumbbad is mysteriously magical and shows a mirror to each one of us . May be that is why it is promoted as an horror film as truth is always scary . It is one of the finest films that I have seen this year . Watch it on the big screen . Discover the inner demon . Kill the Haster inside you . Afterall there is no end to greed and the consequences are for all to see . May be a small, slow simple life isn’t  a passé , at least not yet .