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By Taran
Adarsh, May 25, 2007 - 13:08 IST
 Hindi movies are getting more and more real. Till
sometime back, certain themes were kept locked inside
the almirah, but delicate and sensitive issues and
relationships are slowly stepping out of the closet.
On celluloid.
R. Balki's CHEENI KUM talks of two consenting adults
wanting to spend the rest of their lives together. But
there's a hitch… The groom-to-be is elder than the
prospective father-in-law. This relationship is highly
objectionable to the bride's father!
Contrary to general perception, CHEENI KUM is not
similar to RGV's NISHABD. Like NISHABD, CHEENI KUM
looks at the relationship between a much older man and
a young woman, fit to be his daughter. But, unlike
NISHABD, CHEENI KUM stresses on humor to drive home
the point. Also, the culmination -- so vital in a film
of this genre -- is not difficult to gulp since the
sequence of events that lead to the climax are
believable.
On the flip side, CHEENI KUM tends to get verbose,
talk heavy at times. Besides, the first hour tends to
stagnate. It only sprints towards the second hour when
Amitabh pops up the question. More on that later!
In a nutshell, a film like CHEENI KUM signifies the
winds of change in Bollywood. An effort like this is
sure to find its share of bouquets and brickbats. The
elite wouldn't mind the film, the commoners might.
The boy is actually a 64-year-old man, Buddhadev Gupta
[Amitabh Bachchan]. The girl is a 34-year-old woman,
Nina Verma [Tabu].
Buddhadev is the chef cum owner of London's top Indian
restaurant. He lives with his 85-year-old mother [Zohra
Sehgal] and his only friend and confidante is his
9-year-old neighbor -- Sexy [Swini Khara]. Buddhadev
is an arrogant, egoistic, pompous man with a singular
passion in life -- cooking. A confirmed bachelor who
has never been in love. Until Nina walks into his
restaurant and life.
 Nina is a beautiful, charming, Indian woman. Cool,
calm, quiet, always smiling, but independent and
strong willed. Two extremes, in age, character and
attitude, meet and against all odds fall in love. They
decide to get married. And, like any Indian man,
Buddhadev respectfully comes to ask Nina's father,
Omprakash Verma [Paresh Rawal], living in Delhi, for
her hand.
But there's just one problem… Nina's father is 58
years old, 6 years younger than Buddhadev, his would
be son-in-law.
Let's get into the analyzing mode and find out what
works and what doesn't… The sequences between Amitabh
and Tabu at the restaurant are involving. The
relationship that Amitabh shares with his mother does
raise eyebrows, since it's not conventional.
Nonetheless, it's amusing. The moments between Amitabh
and the child bring to fore another aspect of the
protagonist's personality, which is welcome.
What doesn't? A number of sequences have been
stretched for no reason. They tend to get repetitive.
As someone who's watching the story from the sides,
you want it to proceed in some direction, but there's
not much movement in the first half. It takes its own
sweet time to reach its destination. Besides, since
the film is set in London and the setting is urban,
the humor depicted in CHEENI KUM is directed at the
elite. That, in turn, robs the film of universal
acceptance.
Director Balki shows a flair for light entertainers
and the execution of certain sequences is commendable.
The portions between Amitabh and Paresh [before
Amitabh asks for Tabu's hand] as also the climax [Amitabh's
monologue] prove Balki's competence as a storyteller.
But at the same time, the writing leaves something to
be desired. There are times when boredom sets in.
P.C. Sreeram's cinematography is splendid.
Ilaiyaraaja's musical score is soothing. The title
track is soft on your ear drums. Chandan Arora's
editing could've been sharper. Ideally, a few
repetitive moments can be done away with.
 Amitabh Bachchan proves his supremacy yet again.
Playing an arrogant chef, the actor is natural all
through, but his performance in the finale makes the
character all the more believable. Tabu stands on her
feet despite a formidable co-star's domineering
presence. She's excellent. Paresh Rawal is only adding
to his credibility with every film. Zohra Sehgal is
adorable. Swini Khara is supremely confident.
On the whole, CHEENI KUM is absorbing in parts. A
lackluster first half gets a boost with a much
energetic second half and that elevates the film to
the watchable level. At the box-office, CHEENI KUM is
targeted at the multiplexes mainly. Clever promos and
feel-good vibes should ensure a positive run at the
multiplexes.
Rating:- * * *
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