102 NOT OUT

  • 12 May - 18 May, 2018
  • Omair Alavi
  • Reviews

In the era of action films and romantic flicks, to make a film that takes you down the memory lane, emotionally challenges you and above all, tells you things about life that you didn’t know, that is a real challenge. Umesh Shukla (Oh My God) bounces back after the failure of All Is Well and delivers a classic film that not only gets his confidence back on track but also reunites Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor after 27 years. Not since the disastrous Ajooba had the two actors worked together despite experimenting with career-defining roles; and even growing into old men from leading men who wowed heroines easily.

The film revolves around the life and times of one Dattatraya Vakharia (Amitabh Bachchan) who might be 102 years old but has a mind of a 26-year-old. His son Babulal (Rishi Kapoor) is a 75-year-old widower who believes that he has lived his life fully. After Dattatraya threatens to send Babu to an old-age home, so that he can live his life peacefully without any negative influence around, Babu decides to fight back. He agrees to his dad’s conditions that transform his life and makes him a different person. Is Dattatraya able to mould his son the way he wants to or does Babu end up in old age home, watch the film to find out!

Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor have delivered countless hits separately and many even together with Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb, Coolie and Kabhi Kabhie being the notable ones. Although Amitabh played young-to-old to Rishi’s young in the latter, they had never played father-son until now. Big B’s take as the 102-year-old man reminds you that he is still a force to reckon with and no matter how old he gets, he will keep experimenting as an actor. Rishi Kapoor is 65 compared to Amitabh Bachchan’s 75 in reality but here he does look like his son, thanks to excellent makeup. There is neither a leading lady in the film (no female presence at all!) nor songs that are lip-synced except for when Amitabh’s daddy version tries to cheer his son up. The songs in the background are well done and complement the story and don’t seem out of sync at any given time.

The film’s highlight is its strong script that keeps you intrigued as to what will happen next. In a film that hardly has more than three characters in a frame, to keep the audience engrossed is something only a master storyteller would be able to do. Saumya Joshi scripts the film and takes you back into the days of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Co. which is no small achievement. The writer and the director both do a commendable job, considering both the lead actors have worked with the best in the business. The way they take forward the story, change its genre and make the audience smile and cry has only been done by Rajkumar Hirani in recent years. This film may not be as good as the Vidhu Vinod Chopra productions but it fits in the same category without any doubt.

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