Cast & Crew :Ajay Devgn,Emraan Hashmi,Omi Vaidya,Tisca Chopra,Shazahn Padamsee,Shruti Haasan,Shraddha Das.Music : Pritam Chakraborty
Cinematography : Ravi Walia
Director :Madhur Bhandarkar
Producer :Madhur Bhandarkar,Kumar Mangat
Screenplay :Madhur Bhandarkar,Anil Pandey,Neeraj Udwani
Story: Madhur Bhandarkar,Anil Pandey,Neeraj Udwani
Editing by Devendra Murdeshwar
Distributed by : Bhandarkar Entertainment,Wide Frames Pictures
Released date :January 28, 2011 (2011-01-28)
Running time :116 minutes
Rating : 2.75 / 5
Dil toh Baccha HAi Ji Hindi Movie Review:
Known for making serious, hard hitting, socially relevant films like Chandni Bar, Fashion, Corporate, Jail and many more - director Madhur Bhandarkar, this time around, opts for a light hearted entertainer. His last such experiment (Aan Men at work) way back in 2004 was a box office disaster. Does Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji break the popular belief that Bhandarkar cannot handle non-serious subjects?
Story:
Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji is about Naren Ahuja (Ajay Devgan), Abhay (Emraan Hashmi) and Milind (Omi Vaidya). Naren, in his late 30s, works for a multinational company and has a crush on a girl named June (Shazhan Padamsee). To impress her, he goes through a complete image makeover. Nikhil, a playboy is slowly starting to realise he is falling in love with Nikki (Shruti Hassan) and Milind, a poet, is head over heels in love with Gunjan (Shraddha Das).
Artist Performance:
Ajay proves his adaptability and versatility yet again. Having impressed us adequately in the past, Ajay portrays a character that takes you back to a very popular actor of his times, Amol Palekar. Ajay underplays his part effortlessly. Emraan, popular also for his skirt chaser image on screen, plays an obsessive philanderer here and he's electrifying. In fact, he spices up the proceedings every time he appears on screen. The role assigned to him is an extension of what he's attempted in the past, yet he interprets it so differently. Omi Vaidya's character gets subdued initially, but it must be said that the earnestness with which he portrays his part makes him endearing. He's remarkable in the sequence when he breaks down while reading the letter. Shazahn looks like a doll and gets the character right. In fact, she adds so much freshness to the proceedings. Shraddha gives the right shades to her character. She's most convincing when she takes Omi for a ride initially. Shruti appears late in the film, but she leaves an impact nonetheless. Her scenes with Emraan are amusing. Tisca Chopra is superb, especially in the sequence when Emraan confesses that he's in love with someone else. Mukesh Tiwari is first-rate in a brief role. Aditya Raj Kapoor is fair. Rituparna Sengupta does well. Harward Rosemeyer leaves a mark in the funeral sequence.
Technical and Other Departments:
The screenplay writing is absorbing at most times. Having said that, I'd like to add that the writing could've been tighter at places. Shraddha's sudden exit leaves you mystified. Also, the film could've done with better names [read, eye candy] in the finale, when the three guys set out for Goa. The climax was already a highpoint and one definitely expected a better culmination. Also, the film could've been tightened in the editing suite. The expectations from its music are on the higher side, especially after the success of Pritam-Ajay-Emraan's last venture ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI. But the problem is that it does not offer much variety, unlike OUATIM. 'Abhi Kuch Dino Se' and 'Tere Bin' are my picks. Cinematography [Ravi Walia] is up to the mark. Sanjay Chhel's dialogue are witty and just perfect for this genre.
Analysis:
The film is about the extent to which the three different characters go, to get their love..Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji starts off well and the uniqueness that each character has in the film, works in its favour. Ajay Devgan's story is the pick of the three, mainly because of his acting. The scenes that Emraan shares with Tisca Chopra are short but refreshing. The pace dips in the second half and the film is a bit longer than it should have been.
Final View:
On the whole, DIL TOH BACCHA HAI JI is a feel good, light-hearted rom-com, a slice of life film which the populace and the regular lay person would relate to. Madhur Bhandarkar changes tracks from his trademark women-oriented movies on contemporary issues to a rom-com, which has the unmistakable Bhandarkar signature to it, and emerges triumphant in his new fangled endeavor. The film carries a tagline that reads 'Love grows… Men don't', which seems most appropriate after one has watched it. DIL TOH BACCHA HAI JI, with its bona fide characters and pertinent situations, promises to bring a smile to your face and cheer you up. I strongly recommended it!
