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Hindi cinema has never been short of movies which abound in humor. In fact, there's a barrage of funny films these days. Whether it's the gentle humor that keeps us smiling constantly [on the lines of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee's films] or the incisive and sharp wit of TERE BIN LADEN, DO DOONI CHAAR and PHAS GAYE RE OBAMA or the boisterous laughathons attempted by David Dhawan, Anees Bazmee and Priyadarshan, we've enjoyed our share of laughs. But I genuinely feel that the comedy scene in Bollywood is slowly, but perceptibly changing, veering more towards realism and this is exactly what we get to watch in Madhur Bhandarkar's new outing DIL TOH BACCHA HAI JI.
Okay, okay, so we associate Madhur with somber/serious cinema, tackling issues that concern us, right from CHANDNI BAR to JAIL. By now famous for his socially relevant, hard-hitting films that take potshots at the upper crust, Madhur changes tracks with this one. DIL TOH BACCHA HAI JI is a light entertainer at heart, but there's something about the landed gentry in this one as well. It exposes the dual lives they lead.
Without beating around the bush, let me pronounce that I was skeptical about Madhur's abilities when it came to handling light films. Oh yes, he has a terrific sense of humor in real life. On reel, he's synonymous with hard-hitting movies, isn't it? So what prompted this National Award winning film-maker to enter a new terrain - humor? I am sure, it has something to do with discovering newer horizons and taking on unexplored territories. So does the gamble work? Are Madhur's claims - of following Hrishi-da's footsteps with this one - mere hollow words or does he deliver?
Much like Madhur's earlier films, DIL TOH BACCHA HAI JI is about real people, situations and problems. Except that the emotion isn't sorrow and the theme isn't dark this time. Irrespective of how his films are received, the one thing Madhur is known for is the unconventional story he wants the viewers to absorb. DIL TOH BACCHA HAI JI isn't about three couples and how they discover love, it's about how these three guys who find love, but… let's leave it at that! Else, the twist in the tale will be in public domain.