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By Taran
Adarsh, June 27, 2008 - 12:10 IST
 A
film like THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC makes you
nostalgic. It takes you back to the light-hearted,
feel-good cinema made by directors of calibre like
Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee. The focus
was on narrating a simple story. A movie that put a
smile on your face even if you walked in with a
frown.
THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC does exactly that!
Strangely, for some reason, the film lacks the hype
associated with a biggie. Perhaps, the string of
flops the premiere production house [YRF] churned
out, indirectly, took a toll on this movie. But
THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC should reverse the trend.
A bit of MARY POPPINS. A dash of THE SOUND OF MUSIC.
A sprinkle of ENCHANTED. THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC may
not be the most original script, but the sweet and
tender moments in this enterprise elevate it to a
watchable status.
That Kunal Kohli is a fine storyteller has already
been proved [HUM TUM and FANAA were accomplished
works]. Now watch him handle a simple, uncomplicated
story with dexterity and you'd agree, Kunal has only
matured with time.
To put a long story short, THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC
is a simple story, well told. It's one of those
films you'd enjoy watching with your family, without
feeling embarrassed or red-faced. It's sure to put a
smile on your face when you exit the auditorium,
which, frankly, is a rarity these days!
 Ranbeer
[Saif Ali Khan], a leading industrialist, is a
loner, not by choice, but because he lost everyone
he ever loved. He is now faced with a peculiar and
uncomfortable situation. In a rare and landmark
court verdict, he is to look after four orphan
children. The orphans hate him and want revenge from
him. The children do not want to live with a man
they hate; he too cannot face them or look them in
the eye for certain reasons. Their life together is
very unhappy.
One day, the kids pray to God for help and He does
help them. He sends his most mischievous, childlike,
lovable angel to the rescue, with a mission to bring
Ranbeer and the kids together. Geeta [Rani Mukerji]
comes bicycling down a rainbow… and bursts into
Ranbeer's house as the self-proclaimed new nanny.
And then starts the roller coaster ride of fun,
emotions, magic and love. An angel who doesn't know
what love is. A man who always lost love. Four
orphans who need love.
Kunal Kohli opens the cards at the very outset. The
car accident and the subsequent court judgment set
the story in motion. But the first half isn't
without its share of flaws. The pranks played by the
kids to harass Saif fall flat. They're anything but
funny most of the times. Ameesha's character is
another sore point. Actually, the film could've done
without this irritating character.
However, Rani's entry in the story adds magic to the
goings-on. Her interaction with the kids and how she
eventually wins them over is enjoyable. The kids, of
course, are the actual heroes of this enterprise,
but more on that later.
It's the second hour that takes the film to a
different level. How Saif bonds with each of them
and the turning point, an incident that makes the
kids see Saif differently, is simply excellent.
Ditto for the finale, which may seem Bollywoodish,
but you don't mind it.
 Kunal
Kohli has worked with the best of stars [Aamir, Saif,
Hrithik, Kajol, Kareena, Rani], but the real test is
to extract performances from four unknown kids and
that's where he deserves brownie points. It's easy
to handle grown-ups, but kids can be really tough.
Also, Kunal doesn't [thankfully] make the
proceedings melodramatic with rona-dhona thrown in
to make it a perfect 'family film'. The emotions are
subtle, but nonetheless move you.
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is a letdown, barring
just one track, 'Pyaar Ke Liye'. Sudeep Chatterjee's
cinematography is perfect. The effects are eye
catching at times.
Saif fits into the sauve millionaire part [Richie
Rich - the poor little rich guy?] very well. And the
best part is, he never 'acts'. He's a complete
natural! It's a pleasure to watch Rani in a role
that does justice to her talent. She's lovable. But
why is she sporting the same outfit throughout?
Ameesha doesn't work, mainly because her role looks
like an add-on. And what is she wearing throughout
the movie? But she sizzles in the 'Lazy Lamhe'
track.
The four kids are adorable. Each of them is
terrific, but the one who's bound to walk away with
taalis is the cute Sikh kid called Iqbal. Watch him
break into the 'Main Nikla Gadi Leke' song from
GADAR; it's bound to bring the house down. Rishi
Kapoor is likable in a cameo. Taraana is okay.
On the whole, THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC is a simple
story told very effectively and efficiently. At the
box-office, it may be a slow starter, but should
gradually gather momentum with a strong word of
mouth. Business at multiplexes will be the best.
Go watch it, it's a treat for your entire family!
Rating * * * 1/2
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