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Saturday, July 2, 2011

Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap Review

Amitabh Bachchan's Bbuddah Hoga Terra BaapBig B got what he 'wanted'. Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap , more or less, has a storyline coinciding with Pokiri/Wanted . Amitabh Bachchan reprises the hitman protagonist character. However, being the hero of the film, he can't be a baddie. So the contract-killer has concealed his heart of gold behind his assassin image. Then there is Prakash Raj – the same villain from Pokiri/Wanted who plays exactly the same character with his same set of expressions. The climax again is set in the same dingy den of the don. Even the action director and editing patterns are same.

ACP Karan Malhotra (Sonu Sood) is on the hit-list of the underworld headed by Kabir (Prakash Raj). Viju (Amitabh Bachchan) is a sharpshooter settled in Paris who comes to India. Here he stumbles upon his estranged wife (Hema Malini) and turns out that he is on an undercover mission.

Movie Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sonu Sood, Hema Malini, Prakash Raj, Raveena Tandon, Sonal Chauhan, Charmi Kaur, Makrand Deshpande, Rajeev Mehta
Banner: AB Corp, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures
Music: Vishal-Shekhar
Genre: Comedy, Action
Producer: Abhishek Bachchan
Director: Puri Jagannadh

Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap is clearly designed as a full-on masala film where the protagonist is an invincible hero who is always one step ahead of the villain. The film reminds of good ol' times when the viewer used to visualize himself in the hero and celebrate his success in the victory of the hero. The more triumphant the hero was, the better audience connect he had.

At another level, the film is also a celebration of the stardom of superstar Amitabh Bachchan. But on that note, it fails to tap the immense potential offered by Big B's unending charm over the decades. While there is a fleeting reference to one popular dialogue of Big B and a tacky tribute through a medley of Bachchan's popular songs, there is a lot more to Amitabh Bachchan that South filmmaker Poori Jagganadh fails to capture. The film leaves a lot to be desired in that department.

One could also blame the lousy dialogues for that, which lacks the desired punch. Lines are derived from management lessons and one gem of a line also declares that men die more often of heart-attack than woman because they have more heart than woman!!!

There is a silly background story on why Viju shifted base to Paris years ago and thankfully you are not subjected to any flashback footage on the same. Be warned to not expect any Baghban kind bonding between Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini as their chemistry is strictly functional. Also the romance track between Sonu Sood and Sonal Chauhan is least convincing and you never mind that it's rushed through the film. Characters of Raveena Tandon and Charmme are almost peripheral to the plot though comparatively more amusing.

The pacing is pretty fast and doesn't give you much time to take notice of the loose ends. The film has an unusual sense of humour, characteristic of South films, where you can find amusement even in the most unlikely situations. Like there is intentional comedy in the climactic action sequence. Or just after an emotional scene with Hema Malini, Bachchan gets into a flirtatious encounter with Raveena Tandon. And because the film doesn't take itself too seriously, even you don't mind taking things lightly.

Of course the film belongs to Amitabh Bachchan who plays his part with effortless ease. The flamboyance in his dressing, attitude, styling, dancing and action can garner mixed reactions. People who prefer him in more dignified roles that supposedly suit his age might shun his multicoloured image. Nevertheless Bachchan can still carry off the ostentatious avatar unlike any other actor his age. Never mind his occasionally perceptible paunch!

From the other members in the cast, Prakash Raj is repetitive. Sonu Sood and Sonal Chauhan are one-dimensional. Charmme is over-expressive yet charming in her half-baked character. Raveena Tandon looks as refreshing as she was in her heydays. Alas Hema Malini does not!

This is a tribute to Amitabh Bachchan by Amitabh Bachchan and for Amitabh Bachchan fans. Like the title of the film says, his charisma will never grow old. And so will formula films!