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Rating: 2 1/2 Stars
Rani's performance in the film is dull and lacks zing
Stories about nannies who enter the home and become a part of the family scenario have always been an intrinsic part of both Bollywood and Hollywood. In the '60s we had Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. Both these films were super hits. Then we had Gulzar deliver his own Indianised version of The Sound of Music in the film Parichay which was also liked by audiences. We can't blame directors who opt for this theme time and again as there's ample scope to come up with a fresh screenplay where the audience is reaching into their handbags for tissues and the producers are laughing their way to the bank. Being an avid fan of YRF, Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji, I must confess that I was really looking forward to this film. And Kunal Kohli has delivered two huge hits in the past; Hum Tum and Fanaa. The common factor in both these films is that Kohli's characters are real and believable. And after two blockbuster hits expectations from the Aditya Chopra-Kunal Kohli duo are bound to be high.
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But Thoda… indeed turned out to be the proverbial damp squib. The film begins on an interesting note. Ranbir Talwar (Saif) is forced to become the guardian to four children Vashisht, Iqbal, Aditi and Avantika. He's the corporate honcho who talks in millions but we aren't told how he makes his living. So, Ranbir and his girlfriend Mallika (Ameesha Patel) try to give these kids every material comfort imaginable. Too bad the kids aren't really interested. Then a portly Rishi Kapoor (who's playing god) decides to send an angel in the form of Rani Mukerji to bring a smile onto the children's faces. Before that we are subjected to an entire sequence in heaven with Rani Mukerji playing the angel. And Rani hasn't looked so terrible on the screen since the days of her debut films. The long permed jet-black hair, the flimsy white chiffon gowns which look more like nighties. Whoever designed her look for this sequence needs a swift kick…wherever it hurts most (and that happens to be Manish Malhotra). But coming back to lead performances in the film. The best one definitely would be Ameesha Patel. She plays Mallika the bimbette who has an obsession for the latest Prada handbags. She's there to get on your nerves and she succeeds admirably.
But Thoda… indeed turned out to be the proverbial damp squib. The film begins on an interesting note. Ranbir Talwar (Saif) is forced to become the guardian to four children Vashisht, Iqbal, Aditi and Avantika. He's the corporate honcho who talks in millions but we aren't told how he makes his living. So, Ranbir and his girlfriend Mallika (Ameesha Patel) try to give these kids every material comfort imaginable. Too bad the kids aren't really interested. Then a portly Rishi Kapoor (who's playing god) decides to send an angel in the form of Rani Mukerji to bring a smile onto the children's faces. Before that we are subjected to an entire sequence in heaven with Rani Mukerji playing the angel. And Rani hasn't looked so terrible on the screen since the days of her debut films. The long permed jet-black hair, the flimsy white chiffon gowns which look more like nighties. Whoever designed her look for this sequence needs a swift kick…wherever it hurts most (and that happens to be Manish Malhotra). But coming back to lead performances in the film. The best one definitely would be Ameesha Patel. She plays Mallika the bimbette who has an obsession for the latest Prada handbags. She's there to get on your nerves and she succeeds admirably..
her designer has failed her miserably. Surely it's possible to make somebody look hot and desirable without revealing layers of cellulite. Seems like most of the cost cutting in YRF is happening in the costume department. The outfits are getting skimpier irrespective of whether the situation demands it or not.