Cheeni Kum
The blurbs say “sugar-free romance.” Don’t take it too seriously. After all the film comes from advertising guy (R. Balki), there is bound to be some amount of exaggeration. The film is most definitely sweet though not cloyingly so.
And at last there is a mature romance where the characters age is just a number, outside Yash Chopra’s banner (at least, till the time the veteran made films we got some delectable and sensitive films). The film has more weight and words than Nishabd, and while watching Cheeni Kum I had this huge urge of dragging Ram Gopal Verma to the theater and show him that this is how old man-young woman romance should be made!
The story is simple boy-meets-girl-in-foreign-land, falls in love, girl s father doesn t approve, boy goes to India to woo her father. If you think I am narrating DDLJ, think again! The boy here is 64, the girl 34 and the father only 58! There you are, Balki surely gives a wicked wink to Yash Raj Films, with his tongue firmly in his cheek.
Budha Dev Gupta (Amitabh Bachchan) is a hard-task-master chef running Spice 6, an authentic Indian restaurant in London (and not just a phoney one which thrive on simply putting up pictures of elephants and Taj Mahal), living with his brattish mother (Zohra Sehgal) and is friendly with a six-year old cancer patient, Sexy.
He is egoistic, pompous and full of himself only till the time Nina Verma (Tabu) walks in his restaurants and returns her ordered dish Hyderabadi zafrani pulao, stating it to be too sweet. It’s an affront Budha is not going to take lightly. Worse, the next day she cooks the dish the way it should be made and sends him back. Budha finally meets his match.
The first half moves forward in a delightful play of words (the one liners are straight after my heart!), where umbrellas and dialogues are exchanged rapidly, without really defining when the romance actually begins. It just happens pyaar kiya nahi jaata ho jaata hai! Here the comedy, involving a bunch of cooks (including a British waiter forced to learn tough Indian dishes’ names), is feather-light and amusing. The second half is about the problem about getting Nina’s father (Paresh Rawal) to agree to the match. Even though Nina is no Simran ( over my dead body booms the father when he learns about the impending marriage, so when are you kicking the bucket? asks Nina without batting an eyelid!) still she is not the one to run off just like that.
Few things which jarred – Delhi is shown not as beautifully as London is, plus Balki should have worked a bit on the geography too. Not all routes have to necessary pass through India Gate or North/South Blocks everytime (But I guess this is a minor grouse, and comes from me since I belong to Delhi). The motorbike mob that teases Tabu wasn’t really required, it doesn’t add to the story. Why does Balki re-inforce the superstition that if you are able to hold the Ashok Pillar (at Qutub Minar) with your arms back-stretched, your wish will be fulfilled? If it gets more tourists to the nearly-forgotten monument, I am not complaining. The climax scene is set again at Qutub Minar, where Amitabh gets into an illogical outburst that simply doesn’t match the tender tenor of the entire film. It’s like a shrill whistle blown in between a soulful symphony.
By the way is Balki the man behind Jeetey Raho campaign of ICICI Prudential I suspect so, because he sort of mentions it in the film!
Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu share a rare cerebral chemistry. Both are actors in their prime, and that helps the film in large doses. I wouldn t think of the movie with anyone else but the two. Paresh Rawal does his role well (well, that’s also expected, isn’t it?) and Zohra Sehgal is simply delightful. A special mention to the child star Swini Khara she is cute and lovable. Though I felt that sub-plot wasn’t too well handled, other than being a counter to Budha’s actual romance.
Illayaraja’s music is great and just the right ingredient for the film. I am in love with Jaane do na and Cheeni kum hai and Shreya Ghoshal is inching up on my favorites list!
I have left out a few points that I wanted to say, but this review here has covered those up brilliantly. Why repeat? Read it!
Overall – Must See!
Monday, 28. May 2007 8:48
Good Morning Saar!!!
Monday, 28. May 2007 8:56
Shukar Hai…finally I get to read a good review of Cheeni Kum….pata nahin kya hua hai….ppl din’t like AB lil pony, Tabu’s kurtas, they did not find the exchange of umbrella & raw witty one liners funny……I am all game for a second round of Cheeni Kum…..I just looooooved the movie….ofcourse I don’t get into technicalities like screenplay mein he kammi thi ya voh…Zohra Sehgal took my heart away….’gym jaa, gym jaa’ & her obsession for haate kaate wrestlers…too sweet na!
Will stop now…cuz I can like go on n on n on On CK…I am terribly high on it right now
Monday, 28. May 2007 9:38
Mehak – Most reviews I read have praised the film. One such is in the link given.
The one-liners toh film ki jaan thi! They were witty, sarcastic, saucy and scintillating! I am surprised someone didnt like them.
LOL, yeah Zohra Sehgal was too cute. And her culinary skills, ROFL…amazing texture in the film – a chef’s – and one who is so exacting – has a mother who is a bad cook! Or, does he only perceive her as a bad cook? Or, does he become a chef to prove sth, considering he is not the one to take things lightly….amazing layers there!
Monday, 28. May 2007 10:27
I think Buddha teases his mother for her cooking..just for the sake of it..I mean the relationship they share….otherwise mann he mann maa ke haath ka khana pasand karta hai…tabhi toh roz raat ko ghar he khata hai…
Monday, 28. May 2007 14:50
Hi friend! Do check this out if you have time! It increases your Techno rank and PageRank too! And it works! Hope to see your name in the stars too! Please advise! More power! The link is at http://anitokid.blogspot.com/2007/05/viralink-will-increase-your-page-rank.html
Tuesday, 29. May 2007 11:41
Mujhey dekhni hai though I think promos are handled badly. One lineres look terrific!
Wednesday, 30. May 2007 3:36
hmm its on my list! Promos se interesting lagti hai and now that I have read a good review..maybe I will watch it! Just waiting for it to come out on one of the online movie channels
aaj kal koi film theater main nahi dekhi maine
Wednesday, 30. May 2007 12:36
Though I cautiously stayed away from Nishabd, I thought I would watch that movie.
Thursday, 31. May 2007 10:26
Mehak – And there you give one more layer to it
Anitokid – Will do it shortly
Manish – Do watch it , I am very curious to learn your views on it!
Kaushi – Yep its interesting. Your views awaited (once you watch it)
Praney – You did wisely in staying away from Nishabd. But this film is way too different from Nishabd. Do watch it!
Wednesday, 6. June 2007 11:36
Errr… I would want to very much differ with the general opinion. I did find the movie a bit amusing and of course the romance was very sweet. But it was, in general, very kiddish. Minimal characters, cliched character development (A Gandhian resding in New Delhi, wake up!), and that ponytail…? That Sexy character again… Overgrown kid.. Talked too much.. How much genuinity and reality that RGV had put in Nishabd was all unwound in this juvenile piece of something. For example, compare the reaction of Revathy in Nishabd and that of Paresh in this when they know of the relationship… The difference is quite obvious… But the two did a real good job.. Both AB and Tabu… And of course the maestro with PC sreeram pulled it away as usual.. The camera angles and the lighting is simply amazing..
Thursday, 7. June 2007 6:57
Sirpy – A warm welcome to the blog
Hope you be regular here …
Ummm….where cliches are concerned didn’t Nishabd suffer from same – minimal characters ( I guess even less than Cheeni Kum) staying in some far off no-man’s land, not related to normal world…and a character development, hardly! A girl from broken family trying to find a father figure (help! mother of all cliches! why couldnt she be a normal girl?)
Friday, 8. June 2007 11:08
I simply loved this movie…and trust me…I usually am ever ready to find huge faults in the commercial hindi movies…
I won’t say that CK was without its faults but certain aspects of the movie made me look beyond them…for instance…Tabu….she played her character with a wonderful ease…and Zohra Sehgal…with her delightful act won my heart!
Paresh Rawal…yes, he could have been given a stronger role…because seriously…the part where he goes on a fast ….is a bit too much… but then…that’s okay.
What I actually loved in this movie was the beautiful chemistry between Bacchan and Tabu.
In all, an entertainer…not to be taken seriously.
Tuesday, 12. June 2007 18:50
Great Review and analysis. Now I want to watch this movie..
Thanks for posting on http://www.bestofindya.com.
Vote for this this review on BestOfIndya
Tuesday, 12. June 2007 18:53
Aindrila – Good you liked it
Actually, i hv read really mixed reviews of the film. Those who loved it , loved it a lot; those who hated it, have …well, hated it a lot too 
Indya – Thanks!
Monday, 27. August 2007 3:31
Nice website for movie reviews…Bookmarked!