Postman-turned-toymaker-turned entrepreneur spoils his son silly. He suddenly discovers that he has lung cancer and decides to reform spoilt richie-richie rich. So what does he do? Does he have a man-to-man talk with his kiddo and tell him ‘Son, it’s time for you to step into my shoes?’ Nah! He simply throws him outta the house with his very much pregnant daughter-in-law. Son hates papa dearest for this but sheds copious tears when he gets to know the truth. Move over Baghban, here comes Waqt: A Race Against Time. Time for the hankies to come out. Sniff! Sniff!
Waqt: A Race Against Time is a no brainer. Right from the word go. How on earth could a postman-turned toymaker (Amitabh Bachchan) beat the Ambanis and the Tata-Birlas combined? Why on earth would a father, so close to his son (Akshay Kumar) never ever confide to him his ailment? How on earth can a man suffering from lung cancer look so fresh and healthy all through the film except the climax? How on earth could a very much pregnant daughter-in-law (Priyanka Chopra) do an acrobatic jig (Do me a favour, let’s play Holi)? How on earth did the patriarch and his grandchild plan a simultaneous entry-exit? There are so many pertinent questions? Yet this Kabhi-Khushi-Kabhi-Gham-meets-Baghban wannabe works big time (don’t trust me the watch the serpentine queues outside the cinema halls and wet hankies within)! Why? Simply because despite all its glaring, inane illogicalities it somewhere strikes a cord with its audience.
This Vipul Shah directed soppy opera is a throwback to the times of the Southern sissies of Jeetendra, Jaya Pradha and Moushmi Chatterjee (remember all the Sanjog’s , Pyaasa Saawans, Thodi Si Bewafais etc). The director has his plot neatly divided – there is a laughter track (Amitabh, Boman Irani and Rajpal Yadav get the house down with their antics) and there is the weepie track (every one weeps, so does the audience).
The lead characters are sincere in their portrayals. Amitabh Bachchan is getting repetitive. But I think he put in a semblance of dignity to an awfully designed and directed climax. Akshay Kumar is earnest as ever. Priyanka Chopra wears full length clothes in a miniscule role. And please could someone ask her to drop those giggles away forever. Shefali Shah does a good job as the mother. Annu Malik’s music … gosh … must I even write about it?
As a final verdict, Waqt: A Race Against Timeis not great cinema. It is not even good cinema. It is not even cinema to quite a few people I know. But it is definitely ‘something’ that works.
Please do RRC this review. I’ve come back after a long hiatus.