Not so valiant

Casts: Karishma Tanna,Shama Sikander

Rating:1/2

The makers of SAB’s new kiddie show Baal Veer have no idea how smart today’s children are. If they had,then Baal Veer wouldn’t have been a boring,tacky show. A clichéd story — good fairy versus bad fairy,a struggle for power,prithvi ka vinaash and a boy blessed with superpowers (who eats a cardboard mango and desperately needs some exercise) out to save the world — lackluster special effects and absolutely substandard execution are some of the reasons why the show doesn’t rise above its ordinariness.

With superb Hollywood movies complete with dazzling special effects at the disposal of today’s children,the least the makers could do was pump up the production values of the show. Alas! If that was not enough,the costumes,the performances,the assorted characters of midgets and a bevy of fairies including dari dari pari (a pari who’s always scared),a bhari bhari pari (because her eyes are always filled with tears!!),a bhayankar pari (Shama Sikander trying to be evil in her outlandish purple costume,we like the head gear though),a firangi pari (with a blond wig,speaking with an irritating American-Hindi accent) only add to our woes. The lines are unintentionally funny and it’s a surprise that theactors are able to keep a straight face while delivering them.

The bad fairy has unleashed her negative powers and little children begin to behave abnormally. For instance,there is Montu who as stereotypes go is the fat bully who comes on the screen with a background score that goes ‘Monnnntu,Montuuuu’ and generally takes wicked pleasure in bullying everyone. All the fairies are worried and they want the good fairy (Karishma Tanna) to solve the problem. She sends Baal Veer (a chubby boy with superpowers) to rescue the children from the evil clutches. What saddens me is to see both Shama Sikander and Karishma Tanna struggling to give their act some semblance of respectability. Shows like these only prove that there is a serious dearth of good roles and well written shows.

Verdict: We would rather say that you read your favourite childhood fairy tale than watch this.