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Saturday, April 20, 2024
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BOLLYWOOD VICKY DONOR
EDITOR'S PICK
Rating: ****
When was the last time you saw a Bollywood comedy that made you chuckle and
smile for two hours? When was the last time you saw a funny film that you wished
wouldn`t end? When the last time you saw a film where every actor in a big or
small role simply sparkled on screen?
Vicky Donor is original and thoroughly engaging. It makes you feel
blessed and blissed.
How good it feels to watch a director pick up a pertinent issue and convert it
into a perky precocious and endearing rom-com which is less rom and, ahem, a
whole lot of cum. Indeed Vicky Donor is suffused with delectable
plus points, not the least of them being debutant Ayushmann Khurana who seems to
be born to play Vicky the…er donor.
Ayushmann-God bless his spontaneity-has formidable competition in the acting
department from Kamlesh Gill and Dolly Ahluwalia who play his grandmom and mom,
and from the redoubtable Anu Kapoor who as the sperm doctor, adds so much to his
role and to the film you wonder why he isn`t seen more often in our films.
Each character is written with a keenness for details that go a long way in
giving them a life beyond the camera.
Delhi, done to death in film after film, re-awakens in Vicky Donor.
Kamaljeet Negi`s cinematography makes no overt attempt to explore the city
through the topography. Sircar`s splendid direction takes us into the heart of
Delhi. The people, their homes and specially their spoken language come alive in
ways that cinema has ceased to offer in recent times.
I`d give the film the thumbs-up for the sheer exuberance joy and conversational
authenticity expressed in the spoken words. Writer Juhi Chaturvedi is a prized
find.
And cherish this film`s ability to turn the subject of sperm donation into a
joyous celebration of life. There are no dull moments in the narration. No
character walks by in Sircar`s Delhi just for the heck of it. There are no
incidental characters. Even the guy on the road who calls out the leading lady`s
name on Vicky`s behalf is there because he belongs to the film`s perfect-fitted
jigsaw design depicting domesticity and adversity in the competitive city.
Never in living memory have I seen a film where every character comes alive as
an individual. If Dr Malpani(Anu Kapoor) is quite a character, so is his
assistant Chaman(Bupesh Pandya) and his nurse Lata(K.V Rajni). If Ayushman`s
Vicky is a scenestealer, so is his romantic lead, the lovely Yami Gautam who as
an independent working girl from a Bengali family brings a disarming grace to
her character.
Vicky Donor is a precious and important work of art. It negotiates
an unusual theme with the least amount of fuss and the maximum warmth and vigour.
The scenes are woven with seamless serenity into one another. Like life, the
film is not only about laughter. The heartbreaking moment where Ayushmann holds
his sleeping mother`s hand defines the undercurrent of somberness that life in
Delhi constantly secretes.
Scratch the surface, and the pain under the bravura display of flamboyance and
gaiety comes to the surface.
Vicky Donor gets that urbane mix of the light-hearted jaunty mood at
the top and the agony beneath, with pitch-perfect accuracy. The very act of
attempting a film on a sticky subject like sperm donation suggests a dry
staccato treatment. Pulling away from the pitfalls of pontification and
self-importance, Vicky Donor simply takes us on a carefree joyride
where the blend of pain and pleasure is never forced into the narrative. It just
happens.
In a film industry saturated with slapstick double-meaning comedy, Shoojit
Sircar has conceived a comedy on sex which is a not a sex comedy. No small
achievement this.
Large-hearted and generously endowed with moments that you take away with you
from the film even as John Abraham comes on screen for an irrelevant song and
dance item, Vicky Donor is the surprise entertainer of the year. It
is the warmest, funniest most sensible and sparkling comedy in a very long time.
In Shoojit Sircar`s vision every single actor shines with a glorious
naturalness. Ayushmann is effortlessly the discovery of the year.
As for the film, in Anu Kapoor words, there are impatient sperms, angry sperms,
stupid sperms. Seen in those terms this film is quite a fertile piece of work
which says a lot more about life than we expect from it.
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana says he is honoured to promote an initiative to make Chandigarh honk-free.Shashank Anand, Superintendent of Police (Traffic and Security), had tweeted to Ayushmann last month if he could promote the campaign in his hometown."Hi Ayushmannji - it would be our honour if you could promote the Make Chandigarh Honk Free campaign in your hometown. Hoping for a positive response," Anand had tweeted. Read More
Ranveer Singh is most energetic performer: Ayushmann KhurranaActor Ayushmann Khurrana has said that Ranveer Singh is the most energetic performer.Ayushmann on Tuesday graced the unveiling of 'Man's World' magazine's latest edition.When asked about the most stylish and experimental actor in terms of fashion in Industry, Ayushmann said, "Ranveer Singh is the most energetic actor around. And that reflects in his clothes and styling as well, only he can carry that because of his energy.Read More
