After seeing Ranbir’s Chaplinesque antics in the promos and remembering writer-director Anurag Basu’s uneven track record (Saaya, Gangster, Murder, Kites…), I was not really sure if I wanted to see Barfi in the theatre. I had decided to wait for the first reactions to pour in and then to take my chance. But as it turned out, thanks to my family’s insistence, I ended up watching the film first day, first show. But no regrets, in fact, it proved to be one of the most enjoyable movie experiences.
Barfi (joining the ranks of Kahaani, Paan Singh Tomar and Vicky Donor) emerged as one of 2012’s most engaging films.
What’s the plot?
Set in Darjeeling of the 70s, Barfi tells a story of a deaf-mute guy (Ranbir Kapoor), who was originally named Murphy after the famous radio-brand but ended up being called Barfi, as that’s the closest sound to his name, he could make while introducing himself! Raised by his doting father (Akash Khurana), Barfi is a free-spirited, charming, happy-go-lucky guy who often unintentionally ends up on the wrong side of the law, or rather on the wrong side of a bald, cynical police officer (Saurabh Shukla).
It is love at first sight for young Barfi when he sees Shruti, a mesmerizing beauty (Ileana D’Cruz), who has come to Darjeeling with her family. The just-out –of-college girl is enjoying her last few days of singlehood prior to her already fixed ‘love’-marriage. She initially looks at Barfi’s romantic overtures with amused indifference but graciously agrees to be his friend. Barfi’s infectious, innocent joie-the-vivre attitude soon makes her fall for him and she starts wavering about her impending marriage. Will she gather enough courage to take Barfi as her partner for life?
And then, there is a third angle to this equation, Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra), a severely autistic girl, who is a rich heiress and the daughter of Barfi’s father’s boss. Aversive to most human interactions, she shares an old bond of kinship with Barfi.
With the destiny playing its own tricks, where will these three star-crossed lives finally lead?
What’s hot?
From the moment it begins with a wacky Picture Shuru Ho Gayi Picture Shuru song, Barfi captures your attention and starts making you smile. If Anurag Basu’s story combines innocence, fun, romance and resilience in ample measures, then his sure-footed direction with its back-and-forth narrative keeps you intrigued till the end. He keeps the cinematic tone light-hearted throughout and still regularly comes up with memorable scenes with emotional punch.
Pritam’s compositions perfectly fit the situations and enhance their cinematic impact.
As the constantly chasing cop, Saurabh Shukla is excellent as usual. Priyanka has worked hard to get her autistic girl act right. Debutante Ileana D’Cruz looks stunning and delivers a measured performance. Even Akash Khurana and Rupa Ganguly leave their mark in parental roles. But among all these fine performances, it is Ranbir who wins you over totally with his title role. With sounds and words out of equation, he relies totally on his expressive face, emotive eyes and energetic body language to portray the nuances of his character and he does so well that when you walk out of the theatre, you almost forget that he hasn’t uttered a single dialogue in the film.
While seeing the promos, his Chaplinesque movements may seem a tad overdone but while watching the film you realize that they are not. In fact, in my opinion, Ranbir has managed to embody the Chaplin-spirit much better than his grandpa Raj Kapoor ever managed to do!
With Barfi, Ranbir has certainly proved one thing. He is Bollywood’s best young actor by a mile. His performance in the film will be remembered for a long, long time to come.
What’s not?
Till intermission, Barfi is almost perfect, almost close to being a masterpiece. But then Basu lets the narrative stagnate and the film drags for a while. Of course, he manages to pull it back just in time. But that one dull phase in the beginning of the second half is a tiny blot in the whole scheme of things.
Verdict
Anurag Basu has created a wonderfully intricate and heartwarming love-story, where the worlds of the normal and the differently abled people collide. Ranbir’s bravura performance and impressive supportive acts have added their magic.
Barfi is a must-see film.