FILM
REVIEW: BUNTY AUR BABLI (2005)
CAST: Abhishek
Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai (special appearance)
DIRECTOR: Shaad Ali Sehgal
LYRICS: Gulzar
MUSIC: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
PRODUCER: Aditya Chopra
Radio
Sargam Rating: 6/10
Bollywood’s
prestigious production company Yash Raj Films enjoyed a fantastic year
in 2004, thanks to the success of Hum Tum, Veer Zaara and Dhoom. They
start 2005 with Bunty Aur Babli, a fun-packed musical comedy directed
by Shaad Ali Sehgal, who reunites with his ‘Saathiya’ heroine
Rani Mukherjee once again. The film also stars Amitabh and Abhishek
Bachchan for the first time together on the big screen, not to mention
a special item number by Aishwarya Rai… no wonder its one of the
most awaited flicks of the year!
Rakesh
(Abhishek Bachchan) might live in a small Uttar Pradesh town, but the
ambitious youngster wants to live a rich and successful life in the
city. There’s little support at home because his parents fail to
understand Rakesh’s dreams. Therefore he decides to leave town
and try his luck in the city.
Vimmi (Rani
Mukerji) is desperately seeking fame and fortune. She lives in a small
town called Pankinagar and spends her days looking at posters of Aishwarya
Rai, Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford, dreaming of joining their ranks
in the near future. However her parents want Vimmi to settle down and
get married. In desperation, she finally decides to run-away from home
and turn her dreams into reality, starting with a Miss India contest!
Fate brings
these two souls together. They initially struggle to survive in the
city, but desperate times call for desperate measures! They decide to
travel around from city to city, conning unsuspecting victims and making
heaps of money at the same time. However instead of committing the crimes
under their own names, Rakesh and Vimmi use the alias Bunty and Babli.
Their capers
are hugely successful and the pair become notorious in the media. However
policeman Dasharath Singh (Amitabh Bachchan) is assigned the task of
catching the two villains and he’s determined to put them behind
bars straight away.
The storyline
of Bunty and Babli is fun stuff. However please don’t expect realistic
cinema because there are parts of the film that seem far-fetched and
impracticable – the crimes seem way too easy and the couple never
consider the consequences either. Luckily the narrative generally moves
at a steady pace, although there are moments in the second half where
the story slows before the climax and at least one song could be deleted.
Abhishek
Bachchan handles the various shades of his character well – whether
it’s the comedy or the dramatic scenes. He seems very comfortable
with the character and successfully brings it to life. Rani Mukerji
also gives a nice, carefree performance, although her initial crying
scenes are a little annoying and over-the-top. The chemistry between
Abhishek and Rani is definitely strong, which was essential for their
roles. It’s fun watching them in their various outfits and disguises.
Amitabh Bachchan is okay. It’s not a special appearance but a supporting
role, because he’s there for most the second half. The role doesn’t
offer the scope to leave a lasting impression though and the performance
is not amazing stuff. His rap song at the end of the film is not good.
Aishwarya Rai looks completely stunning in her fun song-and-dance number.
She lights up the screen during her appearance.
After Saathiya,
director Shaad Ali Sehgal does impresses to an extent with Bunty Aur
Babli. It’s commendable he tried something completely different
to his first film. The film has a polished look, entertains the viewer
and works quite well. However it’s clearly missing the ‘wow’
factor.
Reviewed
by: Robeel Haq
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