Cheeni Kum is a witty, sarcastic and humourous love story between an older man and a middle aged woman. The concept of an older man and a middle aged woman is no longer a novel concept in bollywood, nonetheless the writer and director attempting this concept is commendable as it is a topic which is still taboo amongst the masses. However the film caters more to the classes and the multiplex crowd with its concept as well as execution. Director Balakrishnan uses dry wit and humour and gives the entire romance between an elderly man and a middle aged woman dignity. The twist in the story comes in the form of an opposing father and the ploy he adopts to drive a wedge between the couple. The screenplay relies heavily on witty dialogues and various unusual relationships in the film to put forth the basic story. The approach that the director uses is different, interesting and entertaining. It is an above average romantic comedy.
The film has been directed by ad-filmmaker, debutant R. Balakrishnan and the star cast consists of Amitabh Bachchan as Buddhadev Gupta, Tabu as Nina Varma, Paresh Rawal as Omprakash Varma and Zora Sehgal. The film belongs to the romantic comedy genre and is set in London. The music has been composed by Illaiyaraja.
Buddhadev (Amitabh) is a 64 year old bachelor who is sarcastic, quick tempered, impatient and brash. He lives with his aged mother and runs an Indian restaurant. Buddhadev shares an unusual relationship with his mother which seems quarrelsome on the surface but is friendly on the inside. He has only one passion which is cooking and is the main chef at his restaurant. He also has only one friend, his terminally ill nine year old neighbour. She is his advisor, his friend and problem solver. Buddha meets Nina, a single, 34 years middle aged woman who is a customer at his restaurant. Nina is warm, affectionate but strong, independent and opinionated. Their chance meeting begins on a bad note but later develops into a friendship of opposite natured people.
The friendship slowly and steadily moves on to another level and blossoms into a mature romantic relationship between the two. However the twist to their love story comes when Buddhadev meets Nina’s father who strongly opposes their relationship. Moreover Nina’s father is actually younger than Buddhadev. Nina’s father Omprakash Varma is a staunch Gandhian, a sophisticated cultured man who opposes his daughter’s marriage to the older, brash and sarcastic Buddhadev. Omprakash will do almost anything to dissuade his naive daughter from marrying Buddhadev and in turn Buddhadev tries his best to convince Nina’s father that he is the right man for her.
Cheeni Kum has an interesting script, fairly entertaining screenplay and Balki’s execution has been carried out with adequate flair. Balki has chosen an interesting setting of a restaurant in London with food as an important element. This is a fairly new setting for a Bollywood film and hence it is bound to catch the audiences’ attention. The setting is also appealing to the upper classes. Balki has etched out his characters with precision, Amitabh’s character is sarcastic, witty and arrogant but he still comes across as charming. Tabu’s character too is affectionate but yet strong and independent. Even Zora Sehgal and the little girl play characters which have depth and make a strong impact. Balki has made use of dry wit and humour immensely well which enlivens the film to a great extent. The director has etched out the romantic angle between the couple with a unique flair lending it immense dignity and maturity despite the age differences of the protagonists.
However there are a few things which dampen the film, the pace of the film stagnates quite often in both halves thereby dragging the film. Better editing and trimming of unnecessary portions could have enhanced the film. Also the drama quotient in the second half of the film is not quite captivating, it lacks punch. Also the director has not managed to give Paresh Rawal’s character the same edge that the other characters have and his character comes off as a disappointment.
Nonetheless the film still entertains its audiences to an extent with its sharp and witty dialogues. The climax is acceptable and the cinematography too is eye pleasing. Music is soft and charming which matches the theme of the film. Performances too are good and enhance the film. Amitabh as the sophisticated, brash and impatient chef is first rate, he portrays the character with complete ease and his styling too is becoming. Tabu as a soft, strong and affectionate woman too manages to complement Amitabh quite well as his co-star and delivers a wonderful performance. Zora Sehgal is simply entertaining and even the little girl manages to play her part straight from the heart. Paresh Rawal unfortunately does not have a well-etched out role but his effort too is average.
Cheeni Kum is a breezy light romantic comedy film which is witty, amusing and enjoyable. The debutant director definitely seems to have made a unique impact with his first film. However it is nonetheless a film for the multiplex audiences. At the box-office though it should have an above average impact.
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| Reviewed By: Rachel Fernandes |
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