5 Films: That Advocate The Gandhian Ideology

Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006)

Second in the Munna Bhai series, this film sees the good-hearted goon, Munna, hallucinating about Gandhi. He has long conversations with the Mahatma, who lends an ear and also suggests a solution to his problems. Munna implements these principles and teachings to overcome his predicaments - by apologising to the girl he loves about lying to her and also by using Satyagraha as a means to save her house from being snapped by Lucky Singh. The neo-satyagraha, termed as Gandhigiri in the film, spread across cities like wild fire. Rajkumar Hirani's style of preaching and handing out morals in a jovial manner is seen yet again.

Gandhi (1982)

This film walks in straight into the list as it is one of the finest biopics, not just on Gandhi's life, but in general too. A great compilation of events that shaped the life of Gandhi who shaped the nation in return, the film browses through accurate historic data. Ben Kingsley's portrayal of Gandhi and Roshan Seth as Nehru have created an image so strong that it is hard to tell them apart from their real life personas. Richard Attenborough's approach to portray the world leader's life in an objective manner lends this drama a documentary like aura. This also means that however true to Gandhi's ideology the film is, it never propagates the values outright. The subtle events, however, sculpt for the audience a true statue of the Mahatma.

The Great Dictator (1940)

The film was made while the World War II was in its nascent stages. A slapstick Chaplin comedy on the face, the film is also a deep comment on the futility and absurdity of war. It throws light on the matter of extreme nationalism that led to the war and quite visibly comments on Hitler and Mussolini and also about the effect of anti-semitism. Although the film has no direct co-relation with the Gandhian principles, Chaplin's stature as a filmmaker and his treatment of the content make this film a strong socio-political comment on the times in which it was made. What's funnier is that Hitler saw the film and liked it.

Swades (2004)

Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, feels that this film epitomises Gandhi's values and priniciples. Shah Rukh Khan plays Mohan Bhargav - a scientist at NASA, who returns to India. The parallels between Mohan Bhargav and Gandhi are uncanny. Starting right up from their first names, both of them returned to India leaving lucrative prospects behind, and the rest is history. Mohan visits his village in North India for a brief time but as he sees the problems there, he decides to stay back and work at the grassroot level. Ashutosh Gowariker captures the rural mindset quite authentically and the film urges peoples to rise and help themselves.

Woodstock (1970)

This documentary directed by Michael Wadleigh chronicles the legendary Woodstock Music and Art Festival held in Bethel, New York in 1969. Held in good spirit as Three Days of Peace, Love and Music, the film gives a 360-degree look at the festival - from set-up to clean-up including stage performances by Pandit Ravi Shankar, Jimi Hendrix, The Who and others and combines it with offstage activities that the largest assembly indulged in. Woodstock is a landmark in the history of the generation that participated and the generations that followed - a generation that grew up on the principles of peace, love and music.


Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on September 28, 2012

Behind the Fire in Babylon - An interview with Stevan Riley

We are a country that is known to be mad over films and crazy about cricket. No wonder Lagaan was such a big hit with us. But more than a decade later, Stevan Riley's Fire in Babylon – a documentary on the West Indies' Cricket team of the seventies is causing a ripple among the audience. The first question on everyone's minds – why the name Babylon? 

To that, Riley says, “Babylon is a Rastafarian term. It was the lifestyle - a sort of a religion that Bob Marley followed. Babylon, to them, is a place that symbolizes prejudice and oppression. The fire, hence, is a representation of the quest for the right and the fight against the wrong.” This makes the film more than just a cricket film, or a sports documentary. This is what makes it a great story of the triumph of the under dog.

Riley, having grown up in England in the 1980s, was captivated by the West Indies' performance in the 1984 'Blackwash' series. It was a time of tremendous racial prejudice in Britain and what that team did made a statement that they are equal on all levels. “That is what inspired me to agree to make this film. If it was any other team, I might have not made it. Because although this was a film about a cricket team, it goes beyond the sport.” he says. 

After compiling the interviews and the stock footage within a year, the film was added the extra dimension with the music. Riley adds, “It was the Caribbean. I was spoilt for choice with music. Bob Marley was necessary and the rich folk tradition in these islands also provided a lot of material. It adds a Calypso flavour to the film.” The local folk artists singing songs in praise of the game and in the glory of the legends of their favourite game give the film a rhythm.

Fire in Babylon is one of the very few nonfictional films to be released theatrically in India but Riley is confident of its success. “It's a great story of an underdog's victory. It is about a cricket team from a colonial country that rises against the oppression of its colonizer. I think the Indian audience will relate to this. Atleast I hope they do.” he says. But the fact that Indian audience is relatively new to the genre of documentaries, being an advocate of non-fictional story telling, is a cause of concern for Riley. 

He urges the Indian audience to change their perspective and says, “It's a shame really if Indians are not that much into documentaries. There is so much rich life to catalogue here. The perception that documentaries are just a factual record needs to change. It's a form of story telling and people need to see it that way.” He also comments that it is a vicious circle and adds, “It is a financial thing. If a documentary is a hit, the distributors start to trust the makers, and once the platform is available, the audience gets created.”

Riley was in India for a week and had plans to spend some time in Himalayas before going back for the premiere of his upcoming documentary Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 which releases in the UK in the first week of October.

Unedited Version

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on September 25, 2012

A Box of Sweets

Entertaining, heartwarming and joyful, yes; but Anurag Basu's Barfi! has loopholes that can trap a Yeti's foot. The plot is thin as ice and is held together only by the sweet moments that bring a smile to your faces from time to time. Barfi! is a great series of short events, but in those events, the bigger picture appears to have lost its purpose. 

The gaps in the narrative are unseen while you are experiencing the delight that the film is, but as soon as the initial charm fades, the shortcomings and predictability of the plot become visibly evident. Barfi! is a story of 3 individuals and their search for love and where that search takes them depending on the paths that they choose. Their destinies are intertwined such that they affect each other and eventually, they all end up finding what love means, one way or another.

The screenplay, written by Basu himself,  unfolds on screen like a spoonful of ice-cream melts on your palette. But, however excellent the execution, every brilliantly crafted moment in the film reminds you of something you have seen in a good movie before. And that may very well appear revolutionary for the naive audience, for a veteran or a cinema junkie, Barfi! is a deja vu. The deja vu not only spoils the originality of the film but also brings you out of the world that is in front of you and you begin thinking about the parallels from The Notebook, Amelie, City Lights and others to name a few.

The music is a treat to the ears but it is impossible to not reminisce the time you watched Jean Pierre Jeunet's Amelie. The score is slathered with influence of the soundtrack from the brilliant French film. The songs are performed brilliantly by all the artistes and Swanand Kirkire's lyrics couldn't be more apt. A special fist bump/high five/ chest bump to whose ever's idea it was to start the film with Picture Shuru. The background score in the movie tends to be over used to fill the silences left by a mute protagonist, which, quite frankly, would not really bother you. It is just the kind of gimmicks that are undertaken to appease the restless audience and to spoon feed them that turn a good film into an average film.

Ranbir Kapoor speaks just one word in the film but reaches out to the audience like he never did. His Chaplinesque performance is a delight to watch and is not only a noteworthy performance but an homage to Raj Kapoor's legacy. Priyanka's portrayal of an autistic girl is a little over the top but the consistency of body language and the way she has carried herself throughout the film is commendable. Arguably her best role so far. Ileana impresses on debut but there is nothing extraordinary about her acting (unlike her pretty face). The overall ensemble cast puts in a satisfactory performance and after a long time, Saurabh Shukla is seen in a role that exploits his talents.

Ravi Varman is the stand out individual with cinematography that belongs to the elite league in Indian cinema. Every frame is perfect and the consistency of treatement is what makes the rest of the units in the film look good in unison.

All in all, Barfi!, for the audience that we are as a nation, will be one of the best films made this year. It is a great experience but there's nothing you take home. You love it while you live it.

Rating: 3 out of 5

5 Films: Whose Protagonist Symbolizes Ganesha

Alice in Wonderland (2010)  

Tim Burton’s new rendition of Lewis Carroll’s famous fairy tale is a fresh perspective on the Wonderland and on Alice herself. Alice has now grown up but remembers nothing about her visit to Wonderland in her childhood. Her second coming however sees that Wonderland is in distress under the reign of the Red Queen. At first, she is a little apprehensive of the characters and creatures she meets there but then, on Frabjous Day, rises to the occasion and delivers Wonderland to the White Queen. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen and the voice of Alan Rickman as Absolem - the Caterpillar will enthrall you in Burton’s dark treatment of a children’s classic.

Anand (1971)

Although a tragedy, this Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan starrer is one of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s finest films. Rajesh Khanna plays Anand who is terminally ill but wishes to drink from the glass of life until its last drop. A melodrama that makes you weep your heart out, Anand, through the eyes of his physician and friend Dr Bhaskar (Amitabh), tells the story of a dying man who appears cheerful and spreads happiness to everyone he comes across. Anand refers to his Bengali doctor as Babu Moshai whilst making profound philosophical observations on life. The final lesson, left in a pre-recorded tape, makes Babu Moshai reach the conclusion that Anand kabhi marta nahi (happiness never dies). With Gulzar’s dialogues and Salil Choudhury’s heart warming music, this film, like its protagonist, leaves you with a hope to live.

Bheja Fry (2007) 

Probably the most odd film in this list, but Sagar Ballary’s laugh-your-ass-off comedy drama has a lesson if you read between the lines. Ranjit Thadani (Rajat Kapoor) lives an up-market life with his singer wife Sheetal (Sarika). He manages a music company and loves to ridicule the below par talent. But the evening he invites Bharat Bhushan (Vinay Pathak) to his house for one of his TGI Fridays, he turns his insecure, pretentious world upside down. Ranjeet, suffering from severe back ache, is made to confront a nymphomaniac ex-girlfriend, his friend turned foe Anant Ghoshal (Milind Soman) and an annoying pest of an income tax officer Asif Merchant (Ranvir Shorey). But, at the end of an eventful night, Ranjeet’s life problems are resolved thanks to the catalyst in Bharat Bhushan.

Invictus (2009) 

Morgan Freeman plays a character he was born to play – Nelson Mandela. Set in the post-apartheid South Africa, this Oscar-nominated film directed by Clint Eastwood, tells one aspect of the story of how the father of the nation built the Rainbow nation. In his first term as the country’s president, Mandela initiates a unique venture to unite a nation divided by race. The idea is for its Rugby team – the Springboks to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Matt Damon plays Francois Pienaar, captain of the team, shares a close relation with the president. He is Mandela’s agent in the team that eventually, against odds, wins the trophy to emerge on the world stage for the first the time as one nation. The vision of one man to unite the entire nation and the belief he has in his people is captured very intensely by Clint Eastwood. The African sound and music bring the film closer to the audience.

Hugo (2011)

Martin Scorsese’s latest entry to the Oscars, Hugo is the story of an orphan who lives inside the railway station and loves to fix broken gadgets. Set in the 1930s in Paris, it is more than just a metaphor for how broken things can be fixed. The orphan comes across a great filmmaker Georges Melies, who now lives in oblivion, and tries to find out more about him with the help of his god-daughter (Chloe Grace Moretz). Hugo’s life ambition is to fix the mechanical man which is the last memento of his father. But the mechanical man, which actually belongs to Melies himself, gets fixed like everything else that is broken,including the leg of the rigorous station inspector (Sacha BaronCohen). Hugo (Asa Butterfield) is the agent that binds all the elements and is the reason behind Melies getting recognised, the guard getting his leg fixed as well as the mechanical man being made functional.



Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on September 21, 2012

ApoCalypso

“Aggression means aggression. That’s just how I look at life. If you fight, I am going to fight,” says a very inspiring and awesome Sir Vivian Richards in Stevan Riley’s non-fiction film Fire in Babylon. One of the few full-length documentaries to be released theatrically in India, this film is one of the most inspiring accounts of a sports team rising from ashes and ruling the world.

Based on the phase of West Indian cricket when their fast bowlers – Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, and Malcolm Marshall were nothing short of names of nightmares that batsmen all across the world had, this film tells the background story of what led to the resurgence of a team that was loved for playing entertaining cricket and losing. 

After suffering from a humiliating series defeat in Australia and being mauled by the beastly fast bowlers Australia had then, the West Indian team led by Clive Lloyd embarked on a journey that not only silenced their critics and got them the results they wanted, but also forced fear in the minds of their opponents. The film browses through the period from 1975 to the late 1980s, when test cricket was dominated almost single-handedly by the West Indies.

With personal interviews with Sir Vivian Richards, Michael Holding, Colin Croft, Clive Lloyd, Andy Roberts, Gordon Greenidge and some groundsmen, along with one of the Wailer Bros, Stevan Riley provides kind of a firsthand account of the era. Compiled in a way that captures the Caribbean essence, with amalgamated footage from the live games, Fire in Babylon brings you close to the action. It is evident that the focus is on the fast bowlers that shook the world and broke some skulls. As an Indian, it hurts the ego to see Sunil Gavaskar walk off the field protesting against the vicious bowling. They are the metaphor for the aggression of the oppressed, not just in the sport but in the society. The film sees these cricketers share their experiences on foreign tours where they were met with racial abuse and brutal competitiveness, whose consequence was the brutality in their game. The film also glimpses over the Kerry Packer series and the incident when some cricketers rebelled against the ban on South Africa during apartheid and were later suspended.

The content is gripping but its impact is amplified with the music that plays in the background. Some footage of Bob Marley performing Get Up Stand Up lends an added dimension to the experience. The interviews are also interspersed with folk musicians from the Caribbean singing glorious songs about their favourite game and beloved cricketers who are now Caribbean legends.

Made in 2010, the film releases in Indian theatres today. But, given how rarely we get to watch good non-fiction in theatres, Fire in Babylon is a must watch. It is a fine sports film, a good musical, great action thriller and probably a movie that will motivate you. 


Rating: 3.5 out of 5


Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on September 22, 2012

5 Films: That Are a Post 9/11 Must Watch

Hurt Locker (2008)

Katherine Bigelow’s Academy Award-winning film starring Jeremy Renner as Sergeant First Class William James is a complex documentation of war at its grassroots. Based on war-time journalist Mark Boal’s experiences, the film tells the war story from the perspective of those who have seen it up close and personally – the soldiers. Renner, is a replacement in a three-member Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Squad. Thanks to his maverick attitude and his non-conformist nature, he is considered reckless by his team members. The film browses through their life in Iraq where every moment is a tryst with death. Gripping screenplay, wonderful performances and nerve-wrecking scenarios, this comment on the ugly end of the war is a must watch.

Tere Bin Laden (2010)

One of the very few feature films made in India in the genre of political satire, Abhishek Sharma’s Tere Bin Laden is outright hilarious. This Ali Zafar-starrer is a blithe take on the subcontinental American dream and the ridiculous depths to which people here are willing to go to get a visa. Zafar plays Ali Hassan, a TV reporter at a local cable channel Danka TV. After several failed attempts to visit America, thanks to the mindset post 9/11, Ali is desperate to find a way. He realises his chance when he comes across Noora – a poultry farmer who looks like Osama Bin Laden. He makes a fake threat video to become popular. What follows is a ridiculous saga where FBI and Pakistani intelligence search for Laden, and finally, Ali and Noora release another video where Laden requests a cease fire to end the war.

Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)

The only non-fictional film in the list, Fahrenheit 9/11 is a documentary by filmmaker and liberal political commentator Michael Moore. The film, made after the US intervention in Iraq, focuses on the irregularities in the election, functioning and decision making of the Bush administration. The film also comments on how the American media glorified the war and overlooked the facts which the people should have known. Moore also discusses the relationship that the Bush family has with the US government and the Bin Laden family has with the Saudi Arabian government and the Taliban over the past three decades. Labeled untruthful and propaganda by some critics, the film is the world’s highest grossing documentary. Moore, however, released a document stating the sources of his claims.

Khuda Kay Liye (2007)

An intense film from Pakistan about three characters in three continents who are affected by the misinterpretation of Islam and the wrong image of Muslims in the Western world. Mansoor and Sarmad are two brothers who are popular musicians in Lahore. But their fates are different as Mansoor pursues further studies in music and goes to Chicago where he is accused of being a terrorist and tortured in custody. Sarmad gets influenced by extremists and follows their path and gives up music. Mariam, a young British Pakistani girl is brought to Pakistan and forcibly married off to her cousin Sarmad and held captive in Northwest Frontier Pakistan. The Shoaib Mansoor film has Naseeruddin Shah, who plays a Mulla, is the voice of reason who states Islam is being misinterpreted by those who don’t understand it.

Turtles Can Fly (2004)

Set in the days that build up to America’s war in Iraq, this Bahman Ghobadi film is the first to be made in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. The film tells a sweet tale of Satellite (Soran Ebrahim) who is known in the village for installing dishes and antennae and his limited knowledge of English. He, along with a gang of kids, go about removing land mines. Satellite dynamic and strong personality makes him the gang leader. He falls in love with an orphan girl Argin who is seen roaming with an armless older brother who tries to foresee the future and an almost blind kid. The film puts forth a tapestry of life in a war-torn region where innocence still strives as Satellite and his friends find some moments of joy and respite among all the horror and chaos.

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on September 14, 2012

A Politickle Comedy

It is the year of elections in America and a film that has a hint of political satire could have had a much larger impact than Jay Roach’s The Campaign has. But the movie produces enough laughs to fulfill your entertainment needs. The Zack Galifianakis and Will Ferrell starrer is a crude mash-up, where the ridiculous American comedy meets dark political strategy.

The story begins when a four-time Democrat congressman from District 14 of North Carolina falls out of favour with the corrupt billionaires – the Motch brothers. In order to strike him down, they appoint Marty Huggins, the uncanny son of a former Republican, to stand in opposition. Having been elected unopposed four times, Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) takes it upon himself to humiliate his rival. And then, the games begin, after a few setbacks, the Motch brothers appoint a campaign manager for Marty, a shady man who is later revealed to be an international fugitive (Dylan McDermott). 

The battle that follows sparks a fire that engulfs the two candidates and their families too. Cam along with his campaign advisor Mitch (Jason Sudeikis) portray Marty to be an Al Qaeda terrorist and ridicule him for being a little unusual. Cam even seduces his wife. Marty on the other hand, humiliates Cam by proving to people that Cam is a bad Christian. Cam also gets coverage for his infamous punching of a baby, and then punching Uggie, the dog from The Artist. Finally, when the Motch brothers reveal their true intentions, which involve practically selling the District 14 to China by importing cheap labour from there, Marty refuses to cooperate. They rig the elections; take Cam on their side and he wins. But a change of heart causes him to step down and Marty wins by default. The district is saved and the honour restored.

The satire in this film is very superficial and doesn’t dig deep. The humour is crude and lewd and definitely unsuitable for the under-aged, but it sure does crack you up. Ferrell and Galifianakis live up to their comic expectations and deliver performances that put up a hilarious drama before you. The film holds you, but is a little bit of a dampener towards the end in terms of how the plot unfolds. But, it moves from one funny sequence to another making the boring bits less boring.


The film begins with a quote that reads, “War has rules. Mud wrestling has rules. Politics has no rules.” But the dark essence of that message gets lost in the unsophisticated portrayal. It is a good watch if you are looking for a good laugh. For those seeking a lesson in politics and how dirty the game is, The Campaign will paint a caricature that is hardly true.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on September 8, 2012

5 Films: That Are The Best Shakespeare Adaptations

Maqbool (2003)

Based on perhaps Shakespeare’s most celebrated play, Vishal Bharadwaj’s Maqbool tells the famed tale in a brand new environment. Set in the backdrop of Mumbai’s underworld, it is the story of Maqbool (Irrfan Khan) who is the right-hand man of Abbaji (Pankaj Kapoor). Maqbool is in love with Abbaji’s mistress Nimmi (Tabu), who also loves him. Together, they plot Abbaji’s murder and succeed. Maqbool becomes the don but the guilt haunts the two lovers and they eventually meet tragic ends. Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri play two corrupt cops who are a direct representation of the three witches from the original play.

Chimes at Midnight (1965)

The plot of this Orson Welles’ classic centers around Sir John Falstaff – Shakespeare’s most recurring character. Welles claimed this movie to be a story of betrayal of friendship. The script is an amalgamation of text from Henry IV part I and II, Henry V, Richard II and The Merry Wives Of Windsor. The film has sparked debates over whether it was better than Welles’ Citizen Kane and whether Welles identified with Falstaff’s character. Some also argue Welles identified Falstaff’s character with his father’s. The film, like many of Welles’ work is a low budget project but the noir lighting, cinematography and vivid images take it to a new level. The film, however, is disputed not only critically but also has ownership conflicts – which make its availability difficult.

Throne of Blood (1957)

Yet another adaptation of Macbeth, Akiro Kurosawa captures the essence of a European literary classic and internalises it to suit his setting in ancient Japan. The film exhibits the tragedy of Macbeth, but it goes beyond just the portrayal of the link between ambition and corruption. It has been critically acclaimed to be Kurosawa’s comment on Japan’s post-war imperialism. An old work of literature put in a new context of eastern culture with unmatchable craftsmanship by a great filmmaker. The film’s highlight is a sequence which is arguably the greatest death scenes ever pictured in the history of cinema.

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

This modern day retelling of a famed love story is an abridged version of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Bass Luhrmann transforms this piece of classical literature into something so contemporary that, at times, it comes as a cultural shock. The film maintains Shakespearean dialogue but the setting and the costumes are modern. When the characters draw their swords, they actually draw guns that are manufactured by Sword. The Capulet and Montague family heads get first names which are missing from the original play and a few plot details like the final death scene have been altered. But, the essence of Romeo And Juliet, the romance, has been beautifully portrayed by the leads Leonardo Di Caprio and Claire Danes.

Merchant of Venice (2004)

Unlike Macbeth or Romeo & Juliet, Merchant of Venice hasn’t been a muse of many filmmakers; this, being the first time it was put on celluloid. It follows the text reliably and only adds a few nuances to make it visually convincing. Michael Radford, the director, believes that Shylock was Shakespeare’s first ever tragic hero who suffers the consequences of his own doing. Shylock therefore, is portrayed as a complete villain but with a hint of victimisation which becomes dominant towards the end. The exquisite cinematography and medieval costumes enhance the setting and Al Pacino as Shylock makes puts up a character before you that angers you and eventually drowns you in sorrow.

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on September 7, 2012

Light Hearted, Heavy Letdown

Saurabh Shukla, Rajat Kapoor, Ranvir Shorey, Neha Dhupia et al – once put in a sentence, you get a fair idea of what to expect from the film that follows. Bheja Fry, Mithya, Hulla, Dasvidaniya and more recently – Fatso; are all films that have a niche audience and hardly ever attract the so-called masses. Saurabh Shukla’s I M 24 too is just another example of a lighthearted comedy with a message.

It is a story of a 42-year-old struggling writer Shubhendu Roy (Rajat Kapoor), who is honest and righteous. He lives with his roommate and friend Gagan (Ranvir Shorey) who is a struggling actor and believes that end justifies all means. But life takes a turn for Shubhendu when one day, he comes across a pretty girl from Delhi while chatting online and guess what! He falls in love with her. But, his insecurity about being a middle-aged, bald nobody, pushes him to drift away from the path of righteousness and take Gagan’s advice. He claims to be a 24-year-old sporty guy with long hair, who is a writer by profession, and claims to have written Gadar, Dil Chahta Hai, Lagaan and Kal Ho Naa Ho. The twenty-something internet-savvy girl from New Delhi, wait for it, believes him. The first half ends on a dramatic point, where the girl says she will visit Mumbai and meet him.

But the build-up of the first half begins to gradually decay, as the film turns into a dampener. Shubhendu first attempts to convince the girl of his lie with the help of his friends and later confesses his farce to gain a moral high. What follows is a diabetically sweet climax where things fall into place for all the main characters, at least in terms of their romance.

The ensemble cast includes some renowned and established actors who play the supporting roles. Saurabh Shukla himself plays a bloated television producer and Lilette Dubey plays his chesty wife. Vijay Raaz plays a waiter/struggling actor whose story runs almost parallel to the main plot. The typical one liners that are the USP of such films, are few and far between. The scene where Vijay says, “Yahaan calender ke paise nahi hain aap date ki baat kar rahe ho,” (to Ranvir Shorey) makes you chuckle the most while watching this film. Ranvir Shorey and Rajat Kapoor have lived up to their roles, but Rajat always looks too classy for a poor man.

For all that a film about online dating and false identity could be, this film is vague and shallow. The preaching of “truth triumphs” almost makes you point a gun to your head, and the fact that the climax actually proves this hypothesis true, makes you pull the trigger. I Am 24 is lighthearted alright, but at times, it is light-headed too.

Rating: 1 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on September 1, 2012