
cast: Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukherji, Javed Jaafferi
Director: Siddharth Anand
There8217;s enough in this for Yashraj Films to have come up with a sweet summer confection. And to that end, all endeavour is joined. Pre-marriage and kids, Rani wears tiny bustiers, tinier skirts and a ringletty wig the last is hideous, but who cares, it8217;s Rani. Saif8217;s let-tomorrow-take-care-of-itself-I-only-live-for-today hero is a novelty for Bollywood8217;s straight-laced men. The kids are not, thank the lord, too precious. There8217;s even a lovable shaggy dog. And Javed Jaaferi, as bonus.
But Tara Rum Pum8217;s fatal flaw, of looking and feeling exactly like a Yashraj film, works against it. It8217;s a luck of the draw: if you put your stamp on all films coming out of your studios, some of them will drown in sameness. As well as blatant lifting. A scene from Hollywood8217;s Cinderella Man is stolen almost exactly, when RV is made to beg for alms from bad bald Billy Bhatia, race car team owner. As well as the central 8220;it8217;s only a game8221; conceit from Roberto Benigni8217;s Life Is Beautiful, when RV and Radhika get to tell the kids that hey, the bad times are not for real, its only a reality show. Duh.
Siddharth Anand made the enjoyable Salaam Namaste, which advocated don8217;t-get-married-be happy, and a liberal display of red CK briefs. For cowardly Bollywood, which still does pre-marital sex gingerly, it had delicious shock value. Here the director, aided by producer Aditya Chopra who gives him a cartoon song full of cheery bears, goes for don8217;t-worry-be-happy. Even the family8217;s brief flirtation with being 8216;poor8217; has silver linings showing through the designer-grunge of their Bronx apartment: one morning the taps run dry, so what do they do? Put their swimming costumes on, and take a dunk in the neighbourhood fountain, singing a song, that8217;s what.
Everybody needs a plot, even Yashraj. Give us a break from New York, it8217;s so K Jo. Leave cogging to those who can8217;t do without it. And make new.
Take the kids, though. They can watch, while you attack the popcorn.