Attempting a kiddie film is an arduous task. Inspired by Ghost, Mahesh Manjrekar attempts a film that’s targeted at the kids.
And though vaah Life Ho To Aisi may not match up to its international inspiration, there’s no denying that it does have its moments.Besides, the film is a novel experience for those who haven’t watched Ghost, by far the best on this genre.
The movie tells the tale of Aditya (Shahid Kapur). He lives in a big house with his grandmother, sister, brother and many children who are his nephews and nieces. He is in love with Piya (Amrita Rao), the children’s tutor.
Aditya has many responsibilities on his shoulders. He takes care of his ailing grandma, has to get his sister married and has to arrange for the big sum of dowry.
He has his plans to pull it all through. But before he could fulfill his responsibilities, he meets with an accident and dies in hospital.
From the haze of clouds emerges the modern, tech-savvy, suited booted Yamaraj (Sanjay Dutt), the God of death. As Lord Yama himself declares while riding with the deceased in his vintage car to the gates of heaven, ‘times have changed’ even in the other world.
Aditya pleads with Yamaraj to let him return to earth to fulfill the unfinished tasks. The lord of death becomes emotional and decides to give the young man a chance. The only hitch is that back on earth, none would be able to see or hear Aditya, nor would he be able to touch anything. Added to that is the deadline of just a few days granted to Aditya for his return from the earthly sojourn.
When Aditya returns to earth, along with a young kid named Shakti, he finds that his family and the people he cared for are in trouble. Unable to help them, he seeks divine intervention from Fakira BPCM (Arshad Warsi), a self-styled guru who can see and hear spirits.
Fakira invokes lord Hanuman and grants Aditya and Shakti superpowers. The two then set out to teach the baddies a lesson. In the meantime, Yamaraj enjoys earthly pleasures.
What makes vaah Life Ho To Aisi watchable are the characters that the kids would relate to instantly.the adventures , the villian and their devious plans, the tussle - the goings-on unfold at a fast pace.The story actually gathers momentum when Shahid and Eshan land in earth just before intermission and its one joyride.
Any loose ends? Yes, the blatant in-film advertising should’ve been woven intelligently in the narrative. The products are crudely placed in the story, so much so that the entire exercise puts you off completely.
Mahesh Manjrekar’s direction is creditable. More than anything else, he has had the guts to opt for a theme not many directors would venture into and spend a fortune on not just the sets, but also on a technology that’s quite expensive
This film relies heavily on technique and the outcome is quite okay. A couple of gimmicks are cute. Himesh Reshammiya’s music is functional. ’teri yaad’ is the pick of the lot. Cinematography is alright.
Shahid gives his all to this role and seems comfortable in light scenes.Sanju does exceptionally well. Amrita is wasted.Prem Chopra is just about okay. Arshad is competent.
vaah Life Ho To Aisi caters to the kids mainly.