DOESN'T MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD
I suppose if it was ok for Sachin Tendulkar to ask for an import duty waiver on his Ferrari or claim that he 'forgot' to factor in his home gymnasium while planning his new bungalow and hence requesting additional FSI, then it's also ok for Rustom Deboo (Sharman Joshi), a clerk in the Tardeo R.T.O., to 'borrow' Sachin's Ferrari for a few hours in order to fulfil his son's dream of going for a cricket camp in London. This is the India we live in. Everybody is entitled to dream big and everybody is willing to adjust their moralities accordingly.
The problem is, the writers (Raju Hirani and Rajesh Mapuskar) want us to believe that Rustom is principled and earnest. Early in the film they establish this by showing him reporting at a traffic chowky to pay a fine for signal violation even without being caught. When the traffic hawaldar asks him why he insists on paying up when no one saw him breaking the law he says his son saw him. "Jo dekhega wohi seekhega." Wise words. Children learn their concepts of right and wrong from their parents and very often parents don't consider the impact their behaviour is likely to have on their impressionable offspring.
But then, the same Rustom gets lured into a ridiculous and complicated scheme to steal Sachin's Ferrari at the behest of an enthusiastic wedding planner (Seema Bhargava, superb) who has promised to produce the car for the nuptials of a corporator's son. In the race for material pleasures, everybody wants a go. Rustom is easily convinced that his son is talented enough to justify sacrificing his principles and committing a criminal offence of serious proportions -- it's not just a car, it's a Ferrari, after all.
This ideology makes an interesting contrast with last year's Do Dooni Chaar where a simple school teacher (Rishi Kapoor) is offered a hefty bribe by a student who is sure to fail the exam. Twice he considers taking the bribe (because he too needs the money equally urgently) and both times he holds himself back. When he finds out his son has taken to gambling, instead of castigating him, he takes him around on his scooter, disposing of the ill-gotten money by distributing it amongst beggars. The film ensures we continue loving this character because while he is certainly lured by the temptation, he doesn't actually succumb to it.
A similar contrast is seen in the Marathi film Taryanche Bait where another indulgent father (Sachin Khedekar) compromises himself in trying to fulfil his son's dream of spending a night at a five-star hotel in Mumbai. Again the difference is, through a series of incidents, the father realises his mistake and the son too understands that he shouldn't ask for the impossible. They have the money in their bag, but they turn back and go home.
Rajesh Mapuskar's debut film, on the other hand, creates a protagonist and a central crisis of dubious credence and if, to some extent, Rustom still manages to redeem himself, it's solely on account of Joshi's earnestness. Rustom's father Behram (Boman Irani) is a more interesting character, a former cricketer who never made it big because he was pushed out of the way by his ambitious friend and who now spends his time eating peanuts and watching television all day long. The eccentric Parsi gentleman understands the hazards of nursing impractical dreams and rightly points out that cricket is likely to wipe them out. Then suddenly, and inexplicably, he too does a volte-face overnight!
It's only because the screenplay so contrives that Rustom and his son Kayo (a spirited Ritvik Sahore) come out unscathed in the end, but nowhere does the film question the father's choices or make him pay for his idiocy. And that's it's primary failing, the reasonably okay production values and fine performances all round notwithstanding.
This observation is completely based on this review; I have not seen the film. It seems that protagonist, Rustam, is more interested in being a good example in front of his son, and may not be inherently overly honest ( jo dekhega wahi seekhega so as long as he does not see him doing wrong, Rustam may not act honestly all the time). Expecting Rustam to be honest during full reel length is not necessary. Again, based on this piece.
Posted by: Kaustubh | Jun 18, 2012 at 07:43
Good thing about your reviews is that there is no star rating method, up to the point and very genuine.
Posted by: Nitin | Jun 15, 2012 at 19:03