Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic: Thoda this thoda that
The latest film from Kunal Kohli fails to impress as it sticks to a big banner formula and in the process kills a reasonably good story line. TPTM turns to be annoying that in spite of some funny moments with four children it fails to do any magic.
The requested resource (/articles/136604_articleLandingDescription1.html) is not available Endless songs that break the narrative
Foreign locales
Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic (TPTM) suffers from all of the above and while I have nothing against the star cast, the rest of the stuff is tiresome. TPTM has a workable script even though it is said to have been borrowed from the old Rajesh Khanna starrer Dushman. I don’t mind the borrowing bit. If we borrow (without acknowledging the fact) from the rest of the world what is the harm from borrowing ideas from home grown stuff?
Kunal Kohli, like Karan Johar, seems addicted to throwing in thoda this and thoda that into a bowl along with the script, tossing it around, adding a bit of seasoning (songs) and hoping to come out with a box office winner. Thus, it is that TPTM turns out to be annoying movie that in spite of some funny moments with the four children fails to do any magic.
We have Saif living in a fabulously modern house overlooking a pool and a lake, but lest you think he is living overseas, the director gives you a night shot of the India Gate in New Delhi every five minutes to let you know that this is ‘apni Dilli’. The kids he is ordered to take care of are a milder version of the ‘Home Alone’ (Macaulay Culkin) brat and try the usual stunts to mess up Saif’s plans. Enter an angel in the form of Geeta (Rani Mukerji), who is sent by God himself (in this case a corpulent Rishi Kapoor) and the children soon turn sweet as candy and the scowling Saif learns to scowl a little less.
Each time the kids (good acting) get the movie rolling along nicely, along comes one song to disrupt the rhythm. Amisha Patel (as Saif’s eye candy) pushes the boundaries of how small a garment can get before it is legally notified as offensive and her ‘dumb chic’ act elicited laughter only from a few children.
That is my whole grouse with TPTM. Why could the director not keep one target audience in mind (children) while making the movie? What was the need for adding a ridiculously attired Amisha and a raunchy song to the film? He throws in some mangled Punjabi dialogues to get the Punjabis into the theatre, a raunchy song to get in the hormonally charged youngsters and some trite moral sermons to get in the parents (remember they are the ones who take the children to watch the films).
The big banner styling too is missing from the movie with Rani wearing some ridiculous Alice in Wonderland kind of ensemble throughout the movie. God and his angels look like they are doing a commercial for a detergent and Saif tries and gets through most of the movie minus his shirt. Admittedly, he is in fabulous shape for a guy pushing 40, but why so much skin in a movie whose main target audience are children? All in all, TPTM is a very banal and confused film from Kunal Kohli and team.
However, I happened to be seated in a row with lots of five to nine years old and they seemed to like the movie, so for their sake I will add that parents do take your children to see this movie but remember to take them out of the hall to buy popcorn when the ‘Lazy Lamhe’ song comes on.
- Some mangled phrases in Punjabi (they are not funny at all)
- Star cast
- Luxury houses of the kind only about one per cent of Indians live in
Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic (TPTM) suffers from all of the above and while I have nothing against the star cast, the rest of the stuff is tiresome. TPTM has a workable script even though it is said to have been borrowed from the old Rajesh Khanna starrer Dushman. I don’t mind the borrowing bit. If we borrow (without acknowledging the fact) from the rest of the world what is the harm from borrowing ideas from home grown stuff?
Kunal Kohli, like Karan Johar, seems addicted to throwing in thoda this and thoda that into a bowl along with the script, tossing it around, adding a bit of seasoning (songs) and hoping to come out with a box office winner. Thus, it is that TPTM turns out to be annoying movie that in spite of some funny moments with the four children fails to do any magic.
We have Saif living in a fabulously modern house overlooking a pool and a lake, but lest you think he is living overseas, the director gives you a night shot of the India Gate in New Delhi every five minutes to let you know that this is ‘apni Dilli’. The kids he is ordered to take care of are a milder version of the ‘Home Alone’ (Macaulay Culkin) brat and try the usual stunts to mess up Saif’s plans. Enter an angel in the form of Geeta (Rani Mukerji), who is sent by God himself (in this case a corpulent Rishi Kapoor) and the children soon turn sweet as candy and the scowling Saif learns to scowl a little less.
Each time the kids (good acting) get the movie rolling along nicely, along comes one song to disrupt the rhythm. Amisha Patel (as Saif’s eye candy) pushes the boundaries of how small a garment can get before it is legally notified as offensive and her ‘dumb chic’ act elicited laughter only from a few children.
That is my whole grouse with TPTM. Why could the director not keep one target audience in mind (children) while making the movie? What was the need for adding a ridiculously attired Amisha and a raunchy song to the film? He throws in some mangled Punjabi dialogues to get the Punjabis into the theatre, a raunchy song to get in the hormonally charged youngsters and some trite moral sermons to get in the parents (remember they are the ones who take the children to watch the films).
The big banner styling too is missing from the movie with Rani wearing some ridiculous Alice in Wonderland kind of ensemble throughout the movie. God and his angels look like they are doing a commercial for a detergent and Saif tries and gets through most of the movie minus his shirt. Admittedly, he is in fabulous shape for a guy pushing 40, but why so much skin in a movie whose main target audience are children? All in all, TPTM is a very banal and confused film from Kunal Kohli and team.
However, I happened to be seated in a row with lots of five to nine years old and they seemed to like the movie, so for their sake I will add that parents do take your children to see this movie but remember to take them out of the hall to buy popcorn when the ‘Lazy Lamhe’ song comes on.