After Hrs review: 'Barfi!'

Film: Barfi!
Director: Anurag Basu
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana D’Cruz
Rating: ****

Once in a while there comes a film that makes you laugh and cry at the same time. And makes you forget you are watching stars acting in a well-orchestrated story. The only thing you focus on are the people they are playing.

Who had thought a speech and hearing impaired hero and his autistic leading lady could feature in a heart-warming tale of love and longing? But Barfi! pulls this off without resorting to sugary sweet sentimentality. In fact, the movie goes a step further and gives you a hero whose story tugs at your heartstrings, not because he can’t hear or speak but because he loves the people in his life in a manner only he can – completely and selflessly. And along the way, he raises quite a few laughs with his Chaplinesque antics with a harried policeman, played effectively by the funny but understated Saurabh.

Barfi (Ranbir) is a care-free, small town guy who falls head-over-heels in love with Shruti (Ileana). She cannot marry him despite sharing a strong emotional bond with Barfi who quietly steps out of her life once he realises she can have a better and more secure life with her future husband.

Barfi then comes across his childhood friend, the autistic Jhilmil (Priyanka), who is staying for a few days with her rich but negligent parents. Unwittingly, Barfi ends up uprooting Jhilmil not just from her home but also from the institute that her parents had committed her to. What follows is a tender account of the lives of two special people who don’t let physical challenges come in the way of their love for each other.

Priyanka as the autistic Jhilmil is to watch out for. She brilliantly portrays love, longing, jealousy and possessiveness without uttering a single word. Going de-glam for a role is one thing but getting into the mind of an autistic person is just another.
Kudos to Anurag for bringing to fore characters that rarely inhabit Hindi cinema. A must watch, both for fans and Bollywood bashers.