So a thoda of Sound of Music or Mary Poppins never did anyone any harm. Nor will thoda dose of recent flicks like Nanny McPhee or Lemony Snickets. So why not stir it all in the melting pot and bring forth THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC.
Ranbeer Talwar (Saif Ali) is a pretty successful businessman Saif Ali Khan). Though he has been pretty much the achiever at everything he does from childhood, he has only stood to lose the people he loves. And this loner‘s life takes the plunge when he ends up killing a couple, the Walias, in a road accident.
However the twist is that instead of a prison sentence, the judge hands out a controversial judgement whereby the accused Ranbeer is given the complete responsibility of the four kids of the deceased couple.
However Ranbeer realizes that this is not going to be an easy task especially with the foursome out to seek revenge. Even Ranbeer’s bimbo girlfriend Malaika (Amisha) too ends up failing to win the hearts of the kids
That is when God himself (Rishi Kapoor), dressed in all white, decides that he shall dispatch his angel down to earth to help out the kids. And he finds no better candidate than the bubbly Geeta. (Rani Mukherjee).
Now it is upto Geeta to pose as a nanny and ensure that she completes her task of getting Ranbeer and the kids together!
Director Kohli has made a splendid kiddie flick and is sure to be lapped up by those below 10. And the film has enough to keep the ones accompanying them entertained. The ones in between however are not going to derive the same amount of enjoyment. Barring the ‘Lazy Lamhe’ number, Kohli has ensured it stays rooted in the fantasy realm in which the narration is spinned around. But that one song though eventually is well incorporated, does stand out like a sore thumb. But then being the most popular number from the film, I guess that shall not bother many.
The script and narration is straight forward and nothing exceptional is tried out here. You do not have crass humour or the unwarranted subplots here in the name of Bollywood masala. But then again, that certain charm associated with movies like Mr India and Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke is missing here…the kind that makes these moves a repeat viewing success for viewers of all ages.
What saves the day for the older audiences at the end of day is the acting. Saif Ali Khan plays his part perfectly and shows how much he has evolved as an actor. Saif is certainly at ease here and fits the bill.
Also after crying her heart out in recent outings like Baghban and Laaga Chunari…, Rani Mukherjee is bound to be received with open arms as the bubbly angel who just cannot cry. That in itself is a welcome relief and gives Rani , an extremely powerful performer a chance to chill away with this role. Once again, even Rani makes it look like a cake walk and to top it, like a cherry comes the on screen chemistry between the Hum Tum pair.
But the real life line of this film are the kids and that is where Kunal Kohli has kept his word and not shown the kids as the typically irritating all-too-smart kids that run havoc on the Indian screens. This foursome plays it out as normal kids and therefore connects a lot better with the viewers, especially the boy who plays the role of Iqbal. He walks away with some of the better scenes in the film.
As for a Kohli favourite Rishi Kapoor, he comes out decent enough as God in Jeetu ji’s white attire. But then again he is no Morgan Freeman. Amisha Patel plays the bimbo part perfectly and gets a chance to sizzle away in the Lazy Lamhe song.
Back to the movie, the USP of the flick is its creative screenplay which is aided by some of the finest visual effects witnessed on the Indian screen. Be it the dance in the skies ‘Bulbula’ or the Night at the Museum inspired ‘Beetey Kal Se’, it brings freshness to the song visualization. And what is commendable is the fact that the makers never bragged about it but instead let the magic take over onscreen.
That then brings us to the music department which is extremely strong. To begin with Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio reteams with lyricist Prasoon Joshi to recreate to a great extent the magic they brought to Taare Zameen Par. And that is well followed up by the background score from Sandeep Chowta which is effective despite resorting to Hollywood-ish clichés. And even if you miss all these finer things, you are still sure not to miss some Apple and Dominoes branding in the movie. But you cannot be blamed for missing certain Lucha singh and Sher singh who goes completely missing from the script pages as the film progresses.
This is the kind of movie that has a certain vintage Disney charm and feel to it. And we all know that in these days of bikini clad hot bods and bare chested dancer boys, not much Bollywood movies know what that exactly is. But Kohli seems to prefer sticking to the basics to come up with a sweet and endearing movie. And thankfully, it is low on melodrama too.
So what you waiting for, take those kids and treat them to Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. This one is for them, and let them enjoy the magic and fantasy.
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