Barfi!

Written and directed by Anurag Basu would typically give you a “don’t know” feeling if and when you had considered what Barfi! would be like. Isn’t it? What with his previous debacle with Kites. One can never predict what our man is capable of. But with Ranbir Kapoor and the trailers, one would have expected a good fare.

The only worry in my mind was the 4.5 on 5 rating that India’s #1 tabloid had given the movie yesterday. That is something you can never trust. I was expecting a good story with a stellar performance from Ranbir and Priyanka. And that’s exactly what I got. Definitely not a 4.5 on 5. Closer to a 3.5 on 5 as a movie ergo 7 on 10 by my scale.

Add to that, the music from Pritam was also different – but then again it will probably be a matter of time before you are told that it was ripped off from the music of some exotic Central African country. Till such a time, I think we can enjoy the very classic 60s tunes made in a very jazzy fashion.

Murphy (Ranbir Kapoor) aka Barfi! is a twenty something (one can only assume) young man somewhere in 1972 in Darjeeling. A gorgeous tweenager, Shruti (Ileana D’Cruz) enters his life and Barfi! is floored out of his wits. He maybe a deaf mute but his eyes say a lot. And in a matter of a few hours, he proposes his love for Shruti. But, as luck would have it, Shruti is already spoken for by Ranjit a college senior and the engagement is three months away.

Simultaneously, a story is developing between Barfi! and Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra). Jhilmil and Barfi! grew up together. Jhilmil is autistic and responds to only her Daju who runs a home for special kids. When Barfi!’s father needs to be operated for a kidney failure and all attempts to raise money fail, our hero decides to play along with a kidnapping that’s gone wrong. He uses Jhilmil to get the 7K required for the surgery.

If I were to wear my critic’s hat then I thought a few things were really bad in the movie. To begin with, from the first frame itself, Ileana’s make up is atrocious to say the least. Ditto for the young cast who were required to look like they were 70+. And there were several over the top sequences. Lastly, it could have done with at least 30 minutes of scissors.

But on the good side, Anurag Basu manages to keep you glued to the screen for nearly 2.5 hours. Amidst all the tears (Cannot deny that I shed a tear or two), the story definitely touches you in the right places. The performances pretty much seal the deal. Probably the best performances of the year to date. Ranbir maybe in line for a back to back. Piggy Chops flirted with some overacting but was very good overall - may not bag the best actress thanks to Miss Balan but will run her really close.

Barfi! may not be the movie of the year but it will definitely be in the top 5 of the year to date. My top 5 in that order would be Gangs of Wasseypur, Vicky Donor, Paan Singh Tomar, Barfi! and Shanghai. Make it a part of your weekend for certain. And carry some tissue paper. You are bound to need it.

Watch the trailer on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZxrao3zou4