Review: 'Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji' is mostly juvenile comedy

Film: Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji (A)
Director: Madhur Bhandarkar
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Omi Vaidya, Tisca Chopra, Shruti Haasan, Shraddha Das, Shazahn Padamsee
Rating: **

You might have been looking forward to watching Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji as it is Madhur Bhandarkar's first comedy venture and the filmmaker has claimed that while it is a funny movie, it is just as real as, say, Chandni Bar (2001) or Page 3 (2005). But we agree only partially.

A voice-over by one of Hindi cinema's funny men Paresh Rawal introduces us to the three protagonists: in-a-mid-life-crisis Naren Ahuja (Devgn), idealistic poet-lover Milind Kelkar (Vaidya), and playboy Abhay ‘Abby’ (Hashmi).

Milind and Abby end up as paying guests of Naren. All three men are at interesting points in their lives, with 38-year-old Naren falling helplessly for 21-year-old intern and bimbette June Pinto (Padamsee), Milind in love with ungrateful, opportunist radio jockey Gungun Sarkar (Das), and Abby deeply involved with ex-Miss India and desperate housewife Anushka Narang (Chopra).

Naren and Milind are unable to express their feelings to their respective love interests, while Abby’s life is jolted by NRI social worker Nikki (Haasan), step-daughter of Anushka. Abby is finally in love. But will these men end up with the women they desire?

A romantic comedy should ideally have a good deal of romance and at least a few lucid funny moments to make it an interesting watch. While DTBHJ has an impressive star cast harping on (and cheering) their love interests in every second frame, there is a serious need for humour in the film. Moreover, the wafer-thin plot hardly moves, so there is not much to look forward to either.

Ahead of the film's release, Bhandarkar looked like a man with the mission of shaking off his ‘serious filmmaker’ image and making the world laugh. But with DTBHJ he seems to have tried so hard to make his characters and their lines funny that they all fall flat. The film may have got an ‘adults only’ certificate from the censors, but the humour remains forced and shamefully juvenile.

If not for accomplished actors like Devgn and Hashmi (last seen together in Milan Luthria’s Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai), the film would have looked like one big ham. Though Devgn is not up to the mark you normally expect him to be at, Hashmi is lovable and gets to mouth some good dialogues. Vaidya (Chatur Ramalingam of 3 Idiots fame, if you couldn't remember) has his accent intact. This time he even speaks a bit of Marathi to show that he has been working hard. Some of his poems are unintentionally funny.

DTBHJ is definitely male-centric, very contemporary and relevant, but the girls are not bacchis who can be shortchanged.

Chopra, the best of the female leads, is cast perfectly. Das is bearable while Shruti is so fake that she offers only disappointment. Padamsee looks cute. If only good looks could cover up for bad acting. Her theatre background does not help much and she hams her way as the bubbly June Pinto. Moreover, you just cannot come to terms with June’s relationship with boss Naren.

Unimaginative, corny and cheap dialoguebaazi ruin Bhandarkar’s comic baby. Most of his jokes require explanations, thus ceasing to be funny.

Bhandarkar’s ability as a director cannot be questioned. He has proved himself time and again, but the writing (comedy here) needs a lot of work. Judging by DTBHJ, being funny is not Bhandarkar’s forte. If this is his idea of comedy, perhaps he should stay secure in his comfort zone of serious cinema.

A visit to the theatre may well not be worth it. A television premiere might be a better option.

Note: Madhurji, please take time to let the comedy baccha in you grow up a little. Until then we will be happy with the Traffic Signals and Chandni Bars.