Two Right Feet

A generation exposed to reality dance shows witnesses the next step in the audio-visual performing arts with ABCD (Any Body Can Dance), India's first 3D dance film. The film all but makes up for the unimpressive narrative of the TV shows, and also heightens the drama that is seldom seen on TV. In the 100-years of our cinema, there have been very few films whose core is dance and in that respect, ABCD is a great step forward.

A series of excellent and mind-blowing choreographies one after the other, ABCD progresses linearly in an acceptable narrative. However, the story and the plot merely play the role of a temporary adhesive that glues the dance routines together. A classic tale of the 'underdog triumph', the film doesn't really try too hard to get deep into the characters' lives and floats on the surface. However, one stops paying attention to the stale story and predictable plot once the feet start moving.

The entire cast made mostly of the creme de la creme of India's dance reality shows of the recent years, the artists put up a great show with regard to what really matters in the film. Prabhudeva, who plays Vishnu, flaunts his repertoire yet again and one cannot shake the feeling of wanting to get up from the seat and move a limb or two along with the performers on screen. KK Menon, the only actor in the ensemble does best of whatever he has, and it's high time he does another film that suits his calibre. The dialogue delivery and body language (when the characters are not dancing), is severely mediocre, and yet, since one is only waiting for the next dance number, the textual linkages are easily ignored.

The major fallout with respect to the 3D is that it hardly adds any value, with the exception of a few flashes of colour and water that generate the illusion of depth. Other than that, the choreographed sequences are good enough to be enjoyed in 2D too. With an over emphasis to get the dance scenes right, most of the hard work seems to have gone in designing them while the rest of the time, the film sticks to the basics. The climax, which is of course the finale of a prestigious dance competition, arrives after a few cliched twists but the overall presentation of the final sequence is totally overwhelming.

Remo D'Souza's ABCD is an ordinary film with its heart in the right place and for an audience that has been fed dances in the name of entertainment; the film at least provides some quality which one can appreciate. All in all, the film is two-and-a-half hours well spent and you have to be made of stone if you come out of the hall without wanting to tap your feet to some music.

Rating - 3 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 9, 2013