Anurag Basu has learnt his lesson well. Excessive usage of Spanish was the problem in ’Kites’ and so were the sub titles. Barfi! doesn’t have too many dialogues but the Communication through sign language is Spot On throughout the course of the film.
The film entertains with its Charlie Chapline, Laurel Hardy brand of extraordinary humour, poignant situations and an unconventional-yet-touching romance. The narrative flow slows down at times but the over all impact is magnificent
The scenic magnificence of Darjeeling is a Character in itself and Ravi Varma’s crafty camerawork augments the visual delight by many folds. The color tones change deftly as per the demands of the back-n-forth narrative and the cine watching experience is seamless. The film starts with a song exhorting you to get ready for ’the picture’ and the mood is set for the joyous trip ahead.
Apart from Ranbir, Priyanka and Ileana, the actor who emerges triumphant is Saurabh Shukla. Most of the funny situations are created whenever Ranbir and Shukla are in each other’s vicinity. The kids will love their Tom and Jerry shenanigans.
Barfi! touches an instant chord with its simplistic and an uncomplicated approach towards human relationships. There’s a spurt of in-film advertising of brands like Avon Cycles, Prestige Pressure Cooker, Murphy Radio, Rupa, Canon etc but since they don’t abruptly hamper the story flow, you’d ignore it. It is difficult to comprehend Barfi! without Ranbir Kapoor playing the lead part. Kapoor has Become the character. The manner in which this young actor is pushing the envelope of excellence is simply outstanding. He proposes with gusto, gets ’floored’ on being kissed, loves without any hesitation, forgives as if nothing happened, cares for others for he understands what it means to suffer, mischief is his other name for fun is a way of life and most importantly Barfi finds Love in life which is meant for a rare few. Ranbir displays an amazingly wide gamut of emotions with a master’s ease and the complete control over the body language is highly commendable. While most of the actors prefer taking the safer way out, this Kapoor scion pushes himself consistently.
Pritam’s music is a big highlight of Barfi!. All the songs are superb but my personal favourites will be ’Aala Barfi’, ’Main Kya Karoon’ and ’Aashiyan’. Lyrics by Swanand Kirkire, Ashish Pandit, Sayeed Qadri and Neelesh Mishra are poetic and carry depth. The background score is another character in the film. When there are lesser number of dialogues, the background score is vital in conveying the message and Pritam is at his very best.
Priyanka Chopra is the surprise package of the film. She pulls up a restrained and an uncluttered performance. I am sure very few actresses in today’s times would have dared to take up such a challenging and non glamorous role as this. Ileana D Cruz has a straight forward role but she adds spark with her charm and grace. Akiv Ali’s editing chops are apt and simple. There’s never a dull moment in the film though you will need to have some patience with the laidback narrative as pumping-up-the-pace would have spoilt the purpose.
After this film, Anurag Basu’s name will be etched amongst the finest directors that Indian cinema can boast of today. The film holds a wide appeal not only for an Indian audience but the sky is open beyond language-n-cultural boundaries, for Barfi! is a universal story of love, hope and celebrating life under all circumstances and situations. Watch it!