Sai and Shujath talk Cinema

From advertisements to movies, director Balki (R. Balkrishnan) makes a successful transition. Balki’s so-called “sugar-free romance” is the love story of a 64-year old man with a 34-year old woman. Buddha (Amitabh Bachchan), a chef with a big ego, owns an Indian restaurant that serves the most authentic desi cuisine in London. His ego is slighted when a customer, Nina (Tabu), returns his Hyderabadi Zafrani Pulao because it is too sweet. Without bothering to check, he insults her with a barrage of words. However, he later realizes his mistake and decides to apologize. Budhha is still a bachelor and is attracted to Nina. Nina, who is also unmarried, is attracted to his intellect and decides that he would be a good match for her despite his age. The two decide to get married but her Gandhian father (Paresh Rawal) poses a problem. The rest of the film is about whether they will get together or not. Other characters include Budhha’s mother (Zohra Sehgal) and a little girl suffering from cancer called Sexy (Swini Khara).

Ram Gopal Varma has claimed that the plot of this film sowed the seeds for Nishabd. However, the dumb media has proclaimed that RGV has lifted the plot from this film, made his own film and managed to release it before this one. If you’ve read or heard those stories, you would be happy to know that these films are as different as can be.

The USP of this film is its crisply written dialogue which is a zesty combination of wit and sarcasm. Balki (who also doubles up as writer) uses generous doses of humor to garnish the thin plot and it keeps the viewers in good spirits. He manages to steer clear of going over-the-top (though the film can’t be called realistic) for a large part of the film but slips up as he nears the climax. He doesn’t focus on the age aspect until necessary and that works well. The unlikely pairing of Amitabh and Tabu is another smart decision. Tabu once again shows why she is a treat to watch. Amitabh delivers another capable performance. Paresh Rawal does deliver some laughs (one wonders if his satyagraha in the film is a satirical take on Gandhi) but this isn’t the comic role that his fans might be expecting. Swini and Zohra are equally good in their roles.

This film brings Ilayaraaja back to Bollywood and he contributes a pleasing background score. The soundtrack features songs recreated from his earlier Tamil hits. The pick of the lot are the title song and its melancholic version, Sooni Sooni (competently sung by Vijay Yesudas).

Though it isn’t a serious take on the issue like Nishabd, traditional audiences might still find parts of the film difficult to stomach. This light entertainer, aimed primarily at the city audiences, is watchable for its humor.