THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC Review

A film like THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC makes you nostalgic. It takes youback to the light-hearted, feel-good cinema made by directors ofcalibre like Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee. The focus was onnarrating a simple story. A movie that put a smile on your face even ifyou walked in with a frown.

THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC does exactly that!

Strangely, for some reason, the film lacks the hype associated with abiggie. Perhaps, the string of flops the premiere production house[YRF] churned out, indirectly, took a toll on this movie. But THODAPYAAR THODA MAGIC should reverse the trend.

A bit of MARY POPPINS. A dash of THE SOUND OF MUSIC. A sprinkle ofENCHANTED. THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC may not be the most original script,but the sweet and tender moments in this enterprise elevate it to awatchable status.

That Kunal Kohli is a fine storyteller has already been proved [HUM TUMand FANAA were accomplished works]. Now watch him handle a simple,uncomplicated story with dexterity and you'd agree, Kunal has onlymatured 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 yourfamily, without feeling embarrassed or red-faced. It's sure to put asmile on your face when you exit the auditorium, which, frankly, is ararity these days!

Ranbeer [Saif Ali Khan], a leading industrialist, is a loner, not bychoice, but because he lost everyone he ever loved. He is now facedwith a peculiar and uncomfortable situation. In a rare and landmarkcourt verdict, he is to look after four orphan children. The orphanshate him and want revenge from him. The children do not want to livewith a man they hate; he too cannot face them or look them in the eyefor certain reasons. Their life together is very unhappy.

One day, the kids pray to God for help and He does help them. He sendshis most mischievous, childlike, lovable angel to the rescue, with amission to bring Ranbeer and the kids together. Geeta [Rani Mukerji]comes bicycling down a rainbow… and bursts into Ranbeer's house as theself-proclaimed new nanny.

And then starts the roller coaster ride of fun, emotions, magic andlove. An angel who doesn't know what love is. A man who always lostlove. Four orphans who need love.

Kunal Kohli opens the cards at the very outset. The car accident andthe subsequent court judgment set the story in motion. But the firsthalf isn't without its share of flaws. The pranks played by the kids toharass Saif fall flat. They're anything but funny most of the times.Ameesha's character is another sore point. Actually, the film could'vedone without this irritating character.

However, Rani's entry in the story adds magic to the goings-on. Herinteraction with the kids and how she eventually wins them over isenjoyable. The kids, of course, are the actual heroes of thisenterprise, but more on that later.

It's the second hour that takes the film to a different level. How Saifbonds with each of them and the turning point, an incident that makesthe kids see Saif differently, is simply excellent. Ditto for thefinale, 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 performancesfrom 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, 'PyaarKe Liye'. Sudeep Chatterjee's cinematography is perfect. The effectsare eye catching at times.

Saif fits into the sauve millionaire part [Richie Rich - the poorlittle 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 thatdoes justice to her talent. She's lovable. But why is she sporting thesame outfit throughout? Ameesha doesn't work, mainly because her rolelooks like an add-on. And what is she wearing throughout the movie? Butshe 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 taalisis the cute Sikh kid called Iqbal. Watch him break into the 'Main NiklaGadi Leke' song from GADAR; it's bound to bring the house down. RishiKapoor is likable in a cameo. Taraana is okay.

On the whole, THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC is a simple story told veryeffectively and efficiently. At the box-office, it may be a slowstarter, but should gradually gather momentum with a strong word ofmouth. Business at multiplexes will be the best.

Go watch it, it's a treat for your entire family!

Rating : 3.5/5