Wish-y washy

Aao Wish Karein
Director: Glenn Baretto
Cast: Aftab Shivdasani, Aamna Sharif, Johny Lever
Rating: **
U/A

It's very hard to refute that Aao Wish Karein is more than inspired by the Tom Hanks' movie Big. However, unlike Big, which held appeal for adults and children, this film will clearly only appeal to audience members below the age of 10.

Perhaps if the child actor playing 13-year-old Mickey, who wishes he were suddenly grown up so that he could win over the town beauty Mitika, was cuter viewers of all ages might have been lured into his fairy tale world.

So then it is up to Aftab Shivdasani as the suddenly grown up Mickey to take you along on his romantic adventure, which he attempts to do with enthusiasm - both as producer and lead actor. If only the performance had been less over the top. But it's hard to remember constantly that the tall, bulky actor is meant to be a child. After all, do 13 year olds feel so strongly about love and romance and don't they miss their parents more?

Aamna Sharif as the ideal woman is mostly depicted as smiling and sweet girl as visualised by Mickey. As a ballet teacher she's most unconvincing and she should instantly sack her costume designer and make up artists.

That leaves Johny Lever - refreshing in the character role of a guardian angel Hitchcock (in a look inspired by Johnny Depp in Pirates?). Also on the upside are the cinematography, locations and a couple of the songs (a few could have been dispensed with) though the styling of the film and lead actors is often too old world - frills, plaids, frocks, etc.

There are a few moments but director Glenn Baretto fails to know when to cut a scene and the script spells out every detail, hampered by mediocre dialogues. The moments are few and far between. All in all one wishes there had been more originality in the story and a little more fun in the telling.