Cheeni Kum: Good Fun

Adman turned director R Balki has written and directed- Cheeni Kum- a sweet love story between a 64 year old chef and a 34 year old lady. Buddha (Amitabh Bachchan) runs an Indian restaurant in London and is a chronic bachelor who lives with his nagging mother (Zohra Sehgal, aptly cast). Buddha is very particular about the quality and taste of his dishes and takes immense pride in the popularity of his restaurant. It is the same pride that gets hurt when Neena Varma (Tabu) returns Hyderabadi Zafrani Pulao saying its sweet. Buddha's hurted ego makes him challenge Neena to put on her apron and cook the Pulao for him- a challenge that she silently accepts and succeeds in fulfilling. From here, starts a lovely relationship between Buddha and Neena which finally ends up in they falling in love with each other. Opposition comes in the form of Neena's father (Paresh Rawal) who cannot agree to his daughter getting married to a man 4 years older than him and how the duo manage to get his consent is what the rest of the movie is all about. Cheeni Kum works because of its cheesy one liners. R Balki has come up with a story idea that many would dare not touch and has woven a light screenplay replete with repartees around it. Cheeni Kum raises poignant questions like whether or not a 60 year old man can get married to a much younger girl, whether or not men can have sexual fantasies at that age, is everyone above 50 supposed to turn to spirituality to keep themselves occupied etc. However, at no stage, the film becomes preachy thanks to the fresh and entertaining approach to the story by the debutant director. Balki is competely supported by P C Sreeram, the very able cinematographer. Editing is largely crisp though the last reels could have been trimmed down a bit. Art direction is tacky when it comes to recreating the London restaurant in the Mumbai studio but never does it compromise on aesthetic appeal. Maestro Ilayaraaja rehashes his old tunes but they completely complement the story and the situations. Special mention should be made about the make up and costumes of both Amitabh and Tabu. It is refreshing to see Amitabh Bachchan playing something entirely different and it is to his credit that he carries off Buddha with a rare panache and confidence which actors even half his age fail to exhibit in their films. Matching him step by step is Tabu who looks like a dream and performs like another. Her portrayal of Neena is a clear departure from the serious, brooding roles that one has seen her play. Her comic timing is impeccable and her chemistry with Amitabh is sparkling. It is high time Tabu's talent is exploited in commercial cinema too. The script however loses a lot of its steam towards its last quarter. When the scene shifts to Delhi and when we are introduced to Paresh Rawal who plays Tabu's father, we expect the film to get more exciting. Instead, Paresh's character suffers from weak characterization and the "satyagraha" concept introduced by the director just does not work towards the end. On the whole, Cheeni Kum belongs to the "feel good" category which also pulls of quite a few laughs, thanks to its cheesy one liners.