REVIEW: Zor Lagaa Ke...Haiya!

Due to too many unnecessary subplots, a brilliant thought becomes 'just another film'

The first that came to my mind while watching Girish Girija Joshi's Zor Lagaa Ke...Haiya is the fact that thankfully, unlike most 'children’s films' made in India, this one actually had kids as the 'heroes'. There was no Hanuman, Lord Shri Krishna or even a Krissh to help them out.

Having said that, let me also add that Zor Lagaa Ke... is no Harry Potter. It's not even a Spy Kids for that matter. It is a moralistic tale after all. The film somewhat reminded me of the good ol' didactic docu-features on Doordarshan… maybe just a bit glossier.

The film deals with illegal cutting of trees in cities such as Mumbai. There's a stereotypical bad man, a builder played by Gulshan Grover who is after one tree he wants to get cut. And the heroes, the ones who finally save the tree from this wicked builder are a bunch of kids and an old beggar played by Mithun Chakraborty.

It's quite endearing to watch the kids and the beggar work up one naughty trick after the other to save their tree. The exaggerated mannerisms of the villain Gulshan Grover and his side kick played by Mahesh Manjrekar also gives the film a fairytale-like appeal.

In fact, as far as performances are concerned, the actors put together a perfect show. Gulshan Grover and Mahesh Manjrekar look and behave exactly like a villain in a children's film should. They exaggerate. They scream. They shout. They roll their eyes comically. And live up to the proper Cruela De'Vil image.

Mithun Chakraborty as the beggar Raavan is great. One realises exactly why this Dalaal actor had already bagged three National Awards. It was definitely not for his disco, and he proves it in the film.

The children are sweet and though their act looks a little put on, its fun watching them on screen. Ashwin Chitale as the poor construction worker's son is perhaps the sweetest kid of the lot. He depicts the trials and tribulations of being a poor kid with big dreams to the 'T'.

Even the dialogues are well thought of. The kids for instance don't talk about childish tales and fantasies only. They present their childlike view of adult matters which is both sweet and very very real. I mean c'mon, how many times have you really come across a 10-yr-old talking about Alice and the Chesire cat? Chances are they will talk more about Paris Hilton and her pet chihuahua. The kids in the film, do exactly that.

Even the way the story is presented is quite different and appealing. Whenever the kids face a problem, they transform themselves into fictional dream characters to find a solution. While in one sequence they become Superman, Batman, Spiderman and Catwoman; at another instance, they become RGV's Sarkar, Mona Darling and such filmi characters.

But someone somewhere probably wanted to turn this didactic children's film to a multiplex masala entertainer…and there goes all the charm!

Unnecessary subplots, and songs that could very well have been done without takes away from the charm of this story which could have turned out to be a fun watch if not exactly a money-spinner. For example, Riya Sen in a promotional music video is good. But introducing her in bits and parts into the film for no apparent reason except to increase the glam quotient by a decimal degree is unnecessary and unforgivable. Also, Seema Biswas as the construction worker was kind of a waste considering she has only about one and a half scenes in the entire film which could have been done without as well.

Thus what could have been a charming film ends up being a mish-mash of nothing. The good performances are surely noticed. But too many unnecessary threads spoil the fun of this kiddie flick.

VERDICT: Kids may like it. You may want to take them to this one on a Sunday afternoon.

RATING: 2.5/5