Yun Hota… a commendable debut!



Naseerudddin Shah’s first film as a director and considering his career expectations does invariably arise from this film. The film, as expected from a Naseeruddin Shah, is not a light entertainer.

The film is a drama. Four stories are set parallel, each dealing an individual dealing with his or her plight to get into the US for different causes. Tillotama (Konkona Sen Sharma) is eager to join her husband played by Jimmy Shergill in the states. Rahul (Ankur Khanna) is an MBBS and has got admission into a prestigious US university for its MS programme. Irfan Khan is running away from memories and the police for a murder, which he didn’t commit. Paresh Rawal is taking his ex flame’s daughter to the States to save her from a drunkard father. The first half is spent on introducing the plot and creating the drama. The story unfurls slowly henceforth but the end leaves every spellbound. It may be considered the first movie to present the 9/11 tragedy. The story does bring out more than that. But there are loopholes too like why does Tillotoma not make a phone call to her husband to inform him about the flight miss. Of course that would have taken away some brilliant editing effects to the end.

Acting is a highpoint of the movie. Paresh Rawal is as good as he gets with his character bringing a bit of comic relief every now and then. Irfan Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma give powerful performances. Ankur Khanna as a person who is being pulled by something from going to the US is good. Boman Irani in his capsule role leaves an impression and Ratna Pathak Shah puts a great performance so has Ayesha Takia with her sober expressions of love. However the true star of the film would be Imaad Shah, the son of Naseeruddin Shah. Imaad shows that his genes have caries the class of his father. Probably Suhasini Mule (Dil Chahta Hai fame) was a miscast as a love interest of Irfan Khan.

The cinematography is good but at times it does not contribute to the scene - One area that could have been improved. The lights were used effectively. The Background music is effective but there isn’t much scope for playback music, which is by Viju Shah. The title track, yet, stays with you after you leave the cinema.

On the whole Yun Hota To Kya Hota…What If? could be classified as a good film which, brings with it hope of better films from Naseeruddin Shah in the future – films which have some thing new.

©2006, Noyon Jyoti Parasara

Comments

Popular Posts