Review: A Family Affair

Yes, it needs someone to be brazenly fearless to make a film of this kind. It has no pretentions of a story and much less of class in telling a statement on the living space between two young persons in a fast-changing social order. Many still believe that marriage is the only justification for living together and some known stars and public persons notwithstanding, living together is perceived as living in sin. It would have been a wonderful exercise if the film- maker was out their breaking the stereotype.

On the other hand, he deals with them in as archaic a manner as main stream cinema does. He has everything going for him. Wonderful locales, foot tapping music, actors with zeal & enthusiasm and a tale that needs to be told. Yet he fails miserably because he converts his comfort zone as the area of work and budges not a little.

I have always believed that a story is not the basis of a good film. Notice how an Anubhav or an Aavishkar is told with brilliance without too much of a story to be proud of. An incident is enough to keep the viewer engrossed if told with grit, determination or even commitment. Here the commitment is only to the box office and the result is a film that could end up blaming demonetisation for the poor foot falls.

For over two hours we have Dharam (Ranveer) and Shyra (Vaani Kapoor) hoping in and out of bed, smooching and talking sex and denying the fact that they are in love or that one does not necessarily lead to the other. The huge conflict of purpose comes when after selling the idea for the entire length of the film, they do not buy it and walk to the altar in utter crass loud cinematic style.

They meet and end up in a one night stand. This couple instead of saying I love you choose to say I dare you and any which way and at the drop of a hat land up in bed, strip before an ogling camera and believe the viewer is satiated with ogling. Aditya sure has a very poor opinion of his audience.

The film starts with couple of all ages- kids to octogenarians smooching to glory and the titles fall in place. Even before you wonder where Imran Hashmi has gone missing, you have Ranveer and Vaani displaying their undergarments with pride and the high tone sets up the nature of the content.

The film has some real good music (Vishal Shekar and also some amazing background score by Mickey McCleary if they have done the master tuning for the dance at the marriage) Kaname Onoyama cans the film in the backdrop of a wonderful Paris without losing out on the characters and the situations.

Add to this a spirited but inconsistent performance from Vaani and an energy filled appearance from Ranveer and you realise that nobody fails you more than Aditya.

This is actually an Annes Bazmi film starring Akshay and Katrina has went into making into the wrong hands. Ranveer will have to tone down his energy levels. He is getting too loud and presumptuous. A few films released over the last few weeks are worth a revisit in compare.

Befikre
Cast: Ranveer Singh and Vaani Kapoor
Direction : Aditya Chopra
Genre : Rom-com
Plus Points: Cinematorgraphy, music and a few one-liners
Minus Points: Aimless and self contradictoryrt

- L Ravichander