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Journalism of Courage
Khichdi The Movie ranks as a first for India its the only film so far based on characters from a television serial,a sitcom of the same name that was a revolution its time (a genuine comedy that too of the black variety that did not need canned laughter) and saw a few successful seasons.
Going from a 25-minute episode to under two hours on the big screen is a tough challenge for its writer-actor-director Aatish Kapadia to maintain the humour quotient,but probably because he has also done films and theatre,earlier Aatish gets more than pass marks. In fact,even his item song Chal Bhonsle market chal,is aptly insane audio-visually. Characteristically,Aatish also enacts the truly hilarious cameo of a singer at a memorial ceremony,spoofing songs like Beedi jalaile and Bheege honth tere into litanies in memory of the dead man!
But it is as a director that Aatish shows his command on the medium. While maintaining faithfully the sitcoms canon,he sees to it that there is never a dull moment in the narration,even when his lines have a low hilarity quotient. Deft touches like the huge portrait of a family at dinner with only everyones backs seen rather than faces or the three framed and garlanded photographs,one each of Mrs Parekh aka Babujis wife (not in the cast of either serial or film),Babuji (Anang Desai) despite being still alive,and the third with a huge question-mark,are surefire indicators that the entire family has a lot of spare room in the head where brains should be,except for the harangued Babuji and the smart kids (Kesar Majethia and Markand Soni complete natural delights).
The plotline is thin: Hansas (Supriya Pathak) and Himanshu (JD Majethia) s father expires (this is easily the funniest and most irreverent death scene in Hindi cinema) and Hansas father-in-law Babuji promises his dying friend that he will fulfil his last wish of getting Himanshu married. Himanshu meets Parminder (Kirti Kulhari) from the neighbouring Sikh family and they fall in love. The two families are ecstatic and thats the nub: Himanshu wants a classic love story with opposition,separation,tears and reunion!
How the addle-headed family sets on this mission and what the consequences are is what the rest of the film is about. To tribute Hindi cinema of course,there are a romantic-cum-item number,a murder,a court sequence and of course the near-marriage to the wrong man,but its all done with consistent irreverence,gags framed as natural lines delivered by nutty people and a barrel-full of irreverence. But of course the predominant flavours are complete madness and wackiness. The situations are insane and at least four to six sequences in the film elicit uncontrollable laughter. Indeed,those who have never watched the serial will have a great advantage as they will have never sampled such rib-tickling madness before!
The cast,as always,is splendid,especially Anang,Supriya,Nimisha Vakharia (as the dotty Jayashree) and Rajeev Mehta as Praful,Hansas absolutely vacuous husband who considers himself a genius. Among the cameos,Paresh Ganatra as the lawyer and Deven Bhojani are outstanding. JD and Kirti Kulhari enjoy themselves thoroughly.
Technically,the film is also faithful to the serial and special mention must be made of Raju Singhs background music and Hemal Kotharis editing. But we could have done without the narrative format of the kids telling the story. The additional episode of what happened when God visited them to distribute akal (common-sense) could have been cleverly interlinked with the main plot. But these are minor cribs,and that one milestone that says Chandigarh 200 km,Moscow 4340 km on an Indian road is almost a Disney-level touch and is singly enough to compensate for all shortcomings.
If you want to have a blast,go savour this mad recipe of mirth. And yes,JD and Aatish,we now await Sarabhai Vs. Sarabhai. You have whetted our appetite.
Rating: One star for the cast,and one each for JD and Aatish – and their work here.
