MATURE STORY WITH SUBTLE MESSAGE - PHIR MILENGE
??I was scared because I was ignorant, ?? whispered Abhishek Bachchan and echoed the sentiments of thousands of people when dealing with HIV Positive cases. Revathy?s PHIR MILENGE not only differentiates between HIV +ve and AIDS; it strongly advocates that the society has no right to condemn people suffering from the dreaded disease. These people also have a moral right to live and lead their lives as they with so, when the society targets and shuns them, it kills them before they actually die, comes across strongly from the movie. This is what we have to change.
Picking up a subject, which is still a taboo in our country, even though we have the highest number of cases in the world, Revathy has taken a positive step. And credit goes to the lead actors who worked with her and came out with flying colours with their sensitive performances. Tamanna (Shilpa Shetty) is the creative head of TJ Associates, a successful ad agency. A hard working girl, her personal life is her professional life. Wedded to her job, Tamanna is at the forefront of every big campaign; she is the one who is the brains behind every award that the company receives.
Tamanna is working on a major campaign when it becomes imperative for her to attend a college reunion after ten years - the main reason being that Rohit Manchanda (Salman Khan), the boy who holds a special place in her heart will also be present at the reunion. Assuring her boss TJ Subramanium that she will take care of the campaign, Tamanna is off the college. On coming face to face with Rohit, Tamanna?s dormant feeling resurface and both are drawn towards each other. Confessing her love for him, and finding that it is being reciprocated, both spend a night together. Promising her that he will return, Rohit writes his phone number on her arm before she leaves. The number gets obliterated and Tamanna now has no means to contact Rohit.
She gets back to work and works hard on the BSA Campaign, which the company is about to lose. The company approves her designs and when she is to make the final presentation she is informed that her sister has met with an accident. Handling over the papers to her colleague and asking him to take care of the initial presentation, Tamanna rushes to the hospital, where she is informed that her sister is all right but because she has been given blood, it will have to replaced as it is the policy of the hospital. Tamanna gives her blood. And is devastated when the doctor later informs her that she is HIV +ve.
She mops around in the house, neglects her official work and tells TJ about her condition. Then there is a frantic effort to contact Rohit, but all in vain. No one seems to have his number and all efforts to get in touch with him are in vain. No one seems to have his number and all efforts to get in touch with him are in vain. One fine day she realizes that this is not helping her or her sister. And so she gets back to work, only to find that TJ Associates no longer need her services. Her termination letter is handed over to her citing incompetence and negligence towards her duties.
This is the second major blow and she decides to fight it out in court. Here also she meets with failure. No lawyer, including Tarun Anand (Abhishek Bachchan) is ready to touch her with a barge role the minute she cites that she is HIV +VE. Frustrated with the system, this determined lady wants to fight her won case. Tarun sports her in the court many times and impressed with her grit, he offers his services to her. After all, he confesses to his senior, it is because he wanted to fight the prejudiced system and help people, like Tamanna that he had chosen his profession.
Then begins the long and at times frustrated journey of standing the court, answering queries where the facts are twisted to suit the lawyers. Tamanna loses the case in the lower court. And does not want to appeal, because by that time Rohit is back in town. He is in the last stages. When she meets him, he is apologetic because he had no clue about his having AIDS.
It is only when he went back to New York and found him self falling sick frequently, does this fact come to light. But as his disease is already advanced, he has to be admitted and so there was no way he could get in touch with Tamanna. When he knows that his time has come, he returns to India.
Tarun is frustrated at the way the system operates. His senior explains to him, ??You have lost the case; the case has not lost you. Go on, go and appeal in the High Court for the judge has not mentioned that she was sacked for her incompetence. Work on that angle.?? Tarun files the case and even as Rohit is breathing his last with Tamanna beside him, Tarun makes a moving speech and goes on to win the case.
Tamanna forms her own company. And leads her life the way she want to, this absolving the myth that HIV affected people are but a door step away from death. Revathy with her perceptiveness has brought to light the difference in being HIV +ve and having AIDS. In subtle nuances she, through her characters has tried to convey a message that such people should be given a chance to lead their own lives.
If people come forward with their malaise, the society starts shunning them with the result that people do not want to reveal that they are suffering from the disease and inadvertently this might become the reason for its widespread - which could have been avoided otherwise. Under her able baton, all the three characters have performed brilliantly.
In fact Shilpa shetty around whom the movie revolves has given the best performance of her career. from being the confident creative head, enjoying life to a defeated but not out lass who wants to fight for her right, from a girl who revels in the fact that she has found her love at last to a devasted soul when she comes to know that she has been affected with the disease. Shilpa has risen above herself and given a performance which will be remembered for years.
Salman khan has a short role, he gives a restrained performance - the only hitch is that he mumbles so one has to really strain to hear what is saying. Thankfully he doesn?t have too many dialogues in the movie.
THE HIGHTLIGHT OF THE MOVIE IS ??ABHISHEK BACHCHAN?? AND HIS SUPERB PERFORMANCE. With each movie, he is getting better and better. His gawkiness has all but disappeared, he comes across as a mature actor; his moving speech in the High Court drawns applause and without a shade of doubt moves him up a notch in the acting arena.
There is no dramatic outbursts, no preaching lectures, no one goes overboard. Most of the feelings are conveyed by just one look. Watch Shilpa Shetty in the courtroom where she meets her boss TJ, who cannot look her in the eye.
However one fact rankless. Revathy has not delved into the aspect that there are effective treatments for HIV/AIDS patients.
And that by observing certain precautions, an infected person can lead a healthy, normal life for years. Also the speech by Abhishek Bachchan is in English. If Revathy had wanted everyone to heed to the message, Hindi should have been more effective.
Music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy is mellifluous; the cinematography with superb camera work complements the overall production. Inspite of the many awards received, PHIR MILENGE will enjoy a good run at the box office for it will appeal only to a selected audience.
HATS OFF TO REVATHY WHO BRINGS ALIVE ON THE SCREEN A MATURE STORY WITH A SUBTLE MESSAGE.
Review submitted by - NIRAJ.