Priyadarshan is a brand. Although the accomplished storyteller has tackled various genres in the past, somehow, the very mention of his name on billboards conjures images of a film that promises loads of laughter.

Priyan’s new endeavor, CHUP CHUP KE, also follows the same route that his earlier films embarked upon. Sure, the film is a laugh-riot, in the first hour at least. But a strong and gripping drama, so vital to balance the proceedings, keeps you equally riveted in the post-interval portions.

CHUP CHUP KE works, and works big time primarily because Priyan balances the two extremes — comedy and drama — with gusto. Of course, there’s no denying that the comic portions leave a stronger impact, but the emotional quotient in the penultimate 30 minutes of the enterprise also takes the film to an all-time high.

A remake of the Malayalam movie PUNJABI HOUSE [1998; Dileep, Mohini] and Telugu movie MAA BALAJI [1999; Naveen, Maheshwari], CHUP CHUP KE is a comedy of errors that has the power to keep you thoroughly entertained from start to end. In short, CHUP CHUP KE is as invigorating and revitalizing as an ice-cold, fresh watermelon juice in scorching heat.

Jeetu [Shahid Kapoor] is a small-town guy who is constantly in debt and dodging creditors and moneylenders. His father [Anupam Kher], a retired school teacher, and his fiancée Pooja [Sushma Reddy] are made to suffer the consequences of his instability and his debts. Pooja’s father [Manoj Joshi] also feels that Jeetu is not worthy of Pooja and encourages her to marry someone else, which she doesn’t agree to.

Jeetu tries to commit suicide by jumping in the sea, so that his family gets to claim his insurance and pay off his debts. But Jeetu is found entangled in fishing nets by a pair of fishermen, Gundya [Paresh Rawal] and Bandya [Rajpal Yadav], at an altogether new destination: Kolkata.

Gundya owes money to Prabhat Singh [Om Puri], a shrewd Gujarati businessman. On discovering Jeetu caught like a mermaid in their nets, Gundya and Bandya discover a note in Jeetu’s pocket that leads them to assume that he is a millionaire. Later, Gundya keeps Jeetu and Bandya at Prabhat Singh’s palatial home in exchange for the money that he owes.

All this while, Jeetu pretends to be deaf-mute. Complications develop when Prabhat Singh’s niece Shruti [Kareena Kapoor] also turns out to be mute, not deaf. Her over-protective elder brother, Mangal [Suniel Shetty], has fixed her marriage to an affluent businessman in Gujarat.

Jeetu’s secret is revealed one night when Shruti and her cousin Meenakshi [Neha Dhupia] discover him singing. They agree to keep his secret, in return he is asked to play a part in getting a greedy bridegroom to cancel his marriage to Shruti. For this, he has to pretend to be Shruti’s lover.

Mangal, Shruti’s brother, gets to know of the romance. He forces Jeetu to marry Shruti. But there are complications. Jeetu’s family gets to know that he is alive and the family wants him back. Jeetu finds himself at crossroads. On one hand is Shruti and on the other, Pooja.

Making people laugh in a dark auditorium is not everyone’s cup of tea. But Priyan has mastered the art beautifully. Check out the sequences soon after Shahid and Rajpal Yadav are appointed to do the odd jobs at Om Puri’s home and you’d agree, there’re very few storytellers who can make you laugh at the right points.

In fact, the entire first hour can be best described in one word: Howlarious. And you ought to put your hands together for Rajpal Yadav for contributing enormously in making the first half thoroughly entertaining. It’s not that Shahid, Paresh or Om Puri don’t contribute. It’s just that Rajpal is lucky enough to get those sequences and he also carries them off brilliantly.

The post-interval portions do a complete somersault. If you expect the second hour to be outrageously funny, you’re mistaken. The second hour gets into an altogether different lane, which talks of relationships and emotions. The families, especially Shahid’s, re-enter the picture at this juncture and the focus is on parivaar and rishte.

However, the second hour is not without its share of deficiencies. The romantic track between Shahid and Kareena could’ve been developed far more convincingly. It looks too sudden, frankly. Also, the song and dance routine cuts short an interesting story. But, thankfully, the story resumes yet again towards the climax and the concluding reels compensate for the slackness.

CHUP CHUP KE is amongst Priyan’s finest efforts. His choice of the story is perfect, but the reason he scores brownie points is because he successfully juxtaposes the light moments with dramatic portions. Himesh Reshammiya’s music is pleasant. ‘Ghoomar’ and ‘Dil Vich Lagya’ are two songs that gel well with the mood and setting.

Tirru’s cinematography is up to the mark. The usage of white color throughout the film gives each frame that certain freshness. Dialogues [Neeraj Vora] play to the gallery. A few one-liners are truly hilarious, especially the ones delivered by Rajpal Yadav.

Shahid is in complete form this time. The youngster was always considered a dependable actor, but after watching him in CHUP CHUP KE, you realize that he has grown tremendously over the passage of time. He stands tall against veterans like Paresh, Rajpal and Om Puri all through the enterprise — and that’s no small achievement. Besides, he dances with passion in the songs.

Kareena looks a million bucks despite no make-up look all through. But there’s more to the actor than gorgeous looks. She emotes through her eyes, so vital for a character that has no lines to deliver.

Like every Priyan film, the film also has an assorted mix of character actors, but they’re no props. But the one who stands out is without doubt Rajpal Yadav. He actually carries the entire first hour on his shoulders, stealing the show from one and all. Yet another milestone in this supremely talented actor’s repertoire.

Suniel Shetty is excellent. His last few films didn’t really offer him roles that would make him sit up and deliver, but he sinks his teeth in the role and tackles the no-nonsense bade bhaiya part with élan. Paresh Rawal, sporting a funny hairdo, is flawless yet again. His interaction with Om Puri at the start of the film is remarkable, especially the pahelwaan fight. Om Puri is superb. The character demands that he scream his lungs out and he does that with conviction.

Neha Dhupia is effective, getting substantial footage this time. A few more roles like the one in CHUP CHUP KE will only rejuvenate her career. Sushma Reddy is quite good, but she needs to take care of her makeup. Anupam Kher is just right. Shakti Kapoor is equally hilarious. His scenes with Rajpal Yadav are sure to bring the house down. Manoj Joshi is brilliant in the scene when he confronts Anupam Kher in the pre-climax. Asrani is fair.

On the whole, CHUP CHUP KE is yet another enjoyable joyride from Priyadarshan. While the comedy in the first hour will bring the house down, the emotional quotient in the second hour is sure to pull your heart’s strings. At the box-office, CHUP CHUP KE has all it takes to join the ranks of HUNGAMA, HULCHUL, GARAM MASALA and MALAMAAL WEEKLY. A complete family entertainer…Must watch!

In a career spanning almost two decades, right from their debut Hindi film AGNEEKAAL to their last release AITRAAZ, director duo Abbas-Mustan have handled thrillers proficiently. The mystery element worked extremely well in films like KHILADI, BAAZIGAR and HUMRAAZ.

The baazigar of thrillers now present yet another whodunit, 36 CHINA TOWN. Naturally, the expectations run high, also because the combo — producer Subhash Ghai and director duo Abbas-Mustan — made a noteworthy impact in their first outing together, AITRAAZ.

Like Abbas-Mustan’s previous outings, 36 CHINA TOWN bears a glossy look from scene A to Z, but for any whodunit to strike a chord, it ought to keep the viewer on the edge of the seat, making him/her chew the nails till the penultimate reel. Also, if the identity of the killer catches you by surprise no sooner the mystery is solved, it’s a clear sign of victory. But if it doesn’t, the makers ought to realize that they’ve missed the bus.

Unfortunately, 36 CHINA TOWN doesn’t get the grammar of whodunit right.

Suspense fares like TEESRI MANZIL, JEWEL THIEF, MERA SAAYA and BEES SAAL BAAD or, for that matter, even Abbas-Mustan’s BAAZIGAR worked because [i] The writing was foolproof, [ii] the suspense quotient was intriguing and [ii] the climax was the highpoint. 36 CHINA TOWN fails on all the three counts!

To cut a long story short, 36 CHINA TOWN only cements the fact that gloss can never substitute for a spellbinding story. If the foundation [script] itself is shaky, none of the support systems [star power, music, exotic locales] can salvage the show.

Sonia [Isha Koppikar] is the owner of a casino in Goa. A successful entrepreneur, the only love in her life is her son. When the toddler suddenly goes missing, the lady is distraught and distressed. She offers a huge reward [Rs. 25 lacs] to anyone who can trace her son.

Raj [Shahid Kapoor] and Priya [Kareena Kapoor], two strangers from different backgrounds, accidentally spot the child and decide to split the reward money given by Sonia. But when they finally reach Sonia’s mansion late at night, they find her murdered!

Raj and Priya panic and escape from the mansion. In the confusion that follows, Priya forgets her suitcase in the mansion. Soon, they are the chief suspects in the murder. The cop [Akshaye Khanna] realizes that this isn’t an open-and-shut case, since a number of new suspects show up while the investigations are on.

The suspects include two couples [Johny Lever-Tanaaz / Paresh Rawal-Payal Rohatgi], a playboy [Upen Patel], a drunkard [Raj Zutshi] and the domestic help [Dinyar Contractor, Roshan Tirandaaz]. Who’s the murderer? And what is the motive?

36 CHINA TOWN has too many things crammed in those 2.30 hours. Or, perhaps, the writer [Shyam Goel] wanted to play safe and decided to add every ingredient available on the shelf. The pre-release promotions give an indication that 36 CHINA TOWN is a whodunit, but it comes across as a regular masala movie, with emphasis on songs, romance and comedy.

36 CHINA TOWN begins with a playboy wooing girls of all shapes and sizes and breaking into a song [filmed on Upen], which is immediately followed by another song [Shahid's intro with Tanushree Dutta]. That makes it two songs in the first twenty minutes itself. No sooner do the songs end, it’s time to make way for some light moments [Paresh, Johny, Payal, Tanaaz], followed by a dream song [Shahid, Kareena] and some romantic moments. In between, a pivotal character is murdered and minutes before the intermission, the focus is back on the murder.

Post-interval, you expect the writer to divert our attention to the murder mystery alone. The viewer is keen to know the suspects, the actual murderer and the motive behind the murder. But in the second hour too, the writer doesn’t want you to think of murder alone. So there’s loads of comedy [Johny Lever and the suitcase portion], comedy during the cross-examination [Paresh-Payal-Upen track] and a dream song in the prison cell [Shahid-Kareena].

Clearly, 36 CHINA TOWN is letdown by a sloppy script. In fact, one wonders how the supremely talented directors actually okayed such sub-standard writing in the first place. The biggest flaw is, without doubt, the climax of the film. The identity of the killer is such an anti-climax. What were the directors and writer thinking when they came up with such a thanda end? Seems like the end was penned by some kindergarten kids!

Abbas-Mustan’s direction is handicapped by an apology of a script. Even otherwise, the film lacks the by-now-famous stamp of the duo, especially in dramatic scenes. Himesh Reshammiya’s music is the only saving grace. ‘Aashiqui Meri’, ‘24 x 7′ and ‘Badi Dilchaspi Hai’ are foot-tapping and what acts as an icing is that each track has been filmed exquisitely.

Cinematography [Ravi Yadav] is wonderful. Dialogues [Anurag Prapanna] are poor. Editing [Hussain Burmawala] is slick. The edit of both the versions of ‘Aashiqui Meri’ track is commendable.

Akshaye is, as always, proficient. His is the only performance that stands out. Kareena doesn’t really get any scope. Shahid tends to go over the top. He needs to control his facial expressions. Upen Patel makes a fine debut. He seems confident.

Paresh Rawal and Johny Lever contribute to some good comedy. Isha Koppikar is wasted. Payal Rohatgi and Tanaaz are mere props. Vivek Shauq, Raj Zutshi, Viveck Vaswani, Dinyar Contractor and Roshan Tirandaaz are gap-fillers. As for Priyanka Chopra’s surprise appearance, it’s insignificant and seems forced.

On the whole, 36 CHINA TOWN is high on hype, but low on substance. Disappointing!

This is a film about the conflict between those who adhere strongly to traditional Indian values and a breed of young Indians that have sprung up, wanting to get rich fast by any means.

Shridhan Vardhan (Jawed Sheikh) is the embodiment of traditional Indian values. An Industrial magnate, he steps out of his business to become a social crusader. Shridhan Vardhan, or ‘Guruji’ as he is now called, has one obsession: the upliftment of the tribals in the Sahyadrris.

Gaurav Gupta (Ajay Devgan), on the other hand, is a man who has sold his soul to wealth. He dreams of usurping the Vardhan Empire. But what Gupta has not reckoned with is the steely determination of Guruji.

There is a weak link that he can exploit…Guruji’s only son, Jaidev Vardhan (Shahid Kapur), a fresh graduate, unspoilt, vulnerable and ripe for Gupta’s scheming manipulations. Striking up an acquaintance with the unsuspecting Jaidev, he proposes that they work together on an image build-up for Vardhan Industries.

Gupta plans a huge advertising campaign to be shot in Singapore. A large unit of models and crew are taken to Singapore . For Jaidev it’s a whole new experience as he falls in love with one of the models (Bipasha Basu). Jaidev is completely mesmerized by the charming, smooth and suave Gupta , who introduces Jaidev to the world of wealth …and Jaidev begins to slip.

Whether Jaidev will stick to the values that he has been imbibed with or go astray is what the film is all about.

You watch movies week after week. Some stories remain etched in your memory. Some evaporate minutes after they’ve been narrated. Besides, there’s a strong possibility that the tale the storyteller has chosen to narrate may appeal to him more than it would to the listener. That’s precisely the problem with SHIKHAR.

John M. Matthan’s second outing, SHIKHAR, after the refreshing and interesting SARFAROSH [Naseeruddin Shah, Aamir Khan, Sonali Bendre] is not even half as motivating and fascinating as his debut vehicle. The culprit here, like in most Bollywood films, is the screenplay.

What adds to the problem is that the subject material isn’t the type that would catch the fancy of an average cinegoer. To make matters worse, Matthan and his co-writer Abbas Tyrewala try so hard to strike the fine balance between commercial and serious cinema that the outcome is neither here, nor there.

There’s no denying that Matthan had an interesting story on hand. The story of an overtly ambitious man wanting to realize his dreams at any cost catches your attention the moment curtains go up and the reels unfold. But the film runs out of gas after a strong 30 minutes. Worse, it loses its balance in the post-interval portions, with the last 35-40 minutes making the goings-on look like a complete farce. It’s like a person wanting the aircraft to land, to reach the destination pronto, but all that the pilot keeps doing is go round and round in the sky, not wanting to touch ground. Exasperating, isn’t it?

To cut a long story short, SHIKHAR could’ve been an entertaining cum thought-provoking film, but what you get is not what you expect. Definitely not from a high-calibre director like Matthan and an ensemble star cast. Sad, Matthan has missed the bus this time around!

Gaurav Gupta aka GG [Ajay Devgan] started with nothing and now believes that only money can fuel his ambitions. On the other hand, Guruji [Javed Sheikh], a leading industrialist turned philanthropist, believes that wealth means nothing if not used for society. Caught in the tussle between the two is Guruji’s son Jaidev [Shahid Kapoor], who, while respecting his father’s philosophy, falls hook, line and sinker for GG’s manipulations.

While Guruji hopes that Jai will return to his roots, GG uses the glamorous Natasha [Bipasha Basu] to bewitch Jai and the unscrupulous politician Patil [Manoj Joshi] to exploit the adivasis into selling their lands. Madhavi [Amrita Rao] watches the man she loves being carried away to a world of wine, women and wealth. But Jaidev soon realizes his folly…

Although it’s a sheer coincidence, SHIKHAR reminds you of NAYA DAUR [Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala] in parts, while Ajay’s characterization bears an uncanny resemblance to the overtly ambitious Bachchan of TRISHUL. That apart, SHIKHAR is almost an original piece of work as far as the story idea is concerned.

The first half-an-hour of SHIKHAR unfurls with great fervor. Ajay’s crafty nature, his striking a deal with the corrupt politician, the transformation of Shahid from a simpleton to a drunkard/gambler, the scheming games Ajay and Bipasha play to trap Shahid…the viewer is as involved as the characters on screen.

But not all journeys have a smooth ending. The agriculture track in the narrative shows up time and again, after brief intervals, and that starts diluting the impact. Besides, Shahid suddenly develops immense faith in Ajay without Ajay doing much to win Shahid’s confidence. Both have diametrically opposite views when it comes to the outlook towards life, so there should’ve been at least a couple of sequences to justify Shahid following Ajay like a little lamb or obeying his orders after their initial introduction.

But these are minor issues, for the real problem lies in the post-interval portions mainly…

* The moment Ajay stands exposed — after the John Abraham sequence — he decides to take solace in liquor. Hello, shouldn’t he be shunning alcohol/realizing his folly and heading straight to his father?

* Then the entire sequence-n-song — starting with the goons attacking him to Amrita nursing him to normalcy — looks so weird. Isn’t Shahid the Chairman of a multi-crore company? So why is he being treated in a slum [yes, you've read that right!]? And he continues to stay in the slum, without taking medication from a doctor. Wonder, which era the writers of this film belong to!

* If at all the motive was to show that the billionaire [Shahid] has had a change of heart, it was pretty evident when Shahid realized that Ajay was out to usurp the land. Why increase the length of the film by another 15-20 minutes?

* The climax is long-drawn, tedious and a major letdown. The politician’s stooges burn the saplings to brainwash the Chief Minister and then the Chief Justice gives orders to arrest Ajay and Manoj Tyagi during that function… it seems like a complete compromise from the writing point of view. Either Tyrewala and Matthan must’ve suddenly realized that they need to hurry up or they were drained of ideas here.

* Even the handshake that Shahid offers to Ajay in the last scene is ridiculous. After knowing Ajay’s intentions, anyone in his right senses wouldn’t want to even step on his shadow. Perhaps, the intention was to portray Ajay grey, not complete black, giving him a goody-goody image towards the end. Chalo ab Ajay ko villain nahin banate, the writers must’ve thought in the final tally.

Matthan has shot the film competently, but as the writer of the film, along with Abbas Tyrewala, he ought to take the blame for letting go of an interesting idea. Viju Shah’s music is nothing to rave or rant about. ‘Fitna Dil’ is the only track that stands out. Cinematography [A.K. Bir] is first-rate. The locales of Bangkok give the film some glamorous visuals.

The performances in SHIKHAR are highly competent. Ajay Devgan excels in a negative role, although he is relegated to the backseat in the last 20 minutes. Shahid Kapoor is only improving with every film. He matches up to Ajay in almost all sequences. Bipasha Basu is just perfect. She’s not there for the glamour quotient only; her role has ample meat as well and she does justice to it. Amrita Rao is wasted. Javed Sheikh gives a good account of himself. Sushant Singh irritates. Farah is okay. Manoj Joshi tries to ape Sanjeev Kumar [at places], but in vain. Ash Chandler provides some light moments. John Abraham is hardly there for one scene.

On the whole, SHIKHAR disappoints big time. At the box-office, its survival seems remote.

Every moment was fun, frolic, music and masti for the tigers. Thanks to their loveable chachu Adi and the adorable Piya. All they could feel and say was “Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!” The tigers were always together, always terrific, always triumphant. And then something terrible happened and life wasn’t the same again. Was this really happening to Adi, or was this just as bad dream – home was broken – a family was shattered. The evil men had won, but will they get away? It was time for divine intervention. Lion hearted Yamraj transformed Aditya into an invincible force that could defeat all their foes. He had the power to rise, the power to win, the power to do justice.

BRAHMACHARI meets MR. INDIA meets HUM HAIN RAHI PYAR KE meets GHOST meets MEET JOE BLACK. That, in a nutshell, is Mahesh Manjrekar’s latest endeavor VAAH! LIFE HO TOH AISI, produced by Sangeeta Ahir.

Manjrekar’s repertoire includes serious films mainly. Intense films are his forte. But he steps into alien territory this time around. VAAH! LIFE HO TOH AISI is a fantasy. It transports you to a world of make-believe. Popularized the world over by comic books. But rarely attempted in Bollywood.

Though VAAH! LIFE HO TOH AISI borrows from several notable films, the one thing you realize at the conclusion of the screening is that it stands on its own feet. Besides, the marriage of content and special effects in most parts of the enterprise is an eye-opener. The C.G. visual effects are at par with international standards most of the times… But more on that later!

However, the film is not without its share of blemishes. It has its lows, especially in the post-interval portions [the screenplay could've been tighter, more riveting]. But despite the hiccups, VAAH! LIFE HO TOH AISI at least tries to offer something novel to an entertainment seeking moviegoer.

Most importantly, it plays best to the child inside all of us and is most effective when fitted into the family film niche. Members of the under-10 crowd are guaranteed to fall under its spell, but there’s enough meat in the narrative to enchant adults as well.

Aditya [Shahid Kapoor] lives with his grandmother [Suhasini Mulay], brother [Mohnish Bahl], sister-in-law [Ekta Bahl], sister and his brothers’ children. Neha [Amrita Rao] is the children’s tutor who lives in the same neighborhood. Both Aditya and Neha are in love and plan to get married.

Aditya gets his sister engaged to a person whose father demands Rs. 50 lacs as dowry. Aditya is left with no choice but mortgage his mansion since he is confident that a business deal will make him rich enough to repay the loan. But disaster strikes and Aditya meets with an accident. He dies in the operation theatre and finds himself in front of a well-dressed man who introduces himself as Yamraj [Sanjay Dutt].

Aditya pleads with Yamraj to let him return to earth to complete the pending jobs. But Yamraj sets two conditions: One, he can’t be seen or heard by anyone; two, Aditya has to sort all pending matters in one week itself. A deadline is set!

Aditya and a kid, Shakti [also dead on the same day as Aditya], return to earth and minutes after setting foot on the soil realize that a person called Fakira BPCM [Arshad Warsi] can see and listen to them. Fakira helps Aditya get super powers from Lord Hanuman and how Aditya goes about completing the unfinished task forms the crux of the story.

VAAH! LIFE HO TOH AISI is a fairy tale with a heart. You cannot and should not watch this film with a magnifying glass or look for logic in every scene simply because fairy tales are meant to be viewed that way. The interesting part of VAAH! LIFE HO TOH AISI is that the encounter of Yamraj and the mortal has been treated with variation. In the film, Yamraj wears designer outfits, sports a trendy hair style, drives a vintage car with the windshield doubling up as a computer screen, loves to consume alcohol and dances in pubs. That’s why VAAH! LIFE HO TOH AISI fits into the fantasy film bracket beautifully.

Actually, VAAH! LIFE HO TOH AISI starts off in a routine manner. The initial 20 minutes are as ordinary as ordinary can be. But there’s a surprise in store, and a pleasant one at that. The moment Shahid meets with an accident and the screen is filled with clouds and a vintage car, you realize that the story has just begun.

Sanju’s entry as also the entire conversation between Sanju, Shahid and Shakti in the clouds is one of the most interesting aspects of the enterprise. The depiction of hell in the course of the conversation, right till the car arriving at the gates of heaven, is a novel experience for an average Indian moviegoer. The immediate sequence, when Shahid and Shakti return to earth, is another well executed sequence. Ditto for the entire Arshad Warsi track, right till the Hanuman Chalisa devotional song, takes the film to an all-time high. The first hour is well spent, you feel strongly.

But it’s the second hour that loosens up. No doubt, there are several interesting sequences, but the rapid flow of songs [one in Egypt and the other in the pub] seem forced in the narrative. Besides, from the screenplay point of view, the writer should’ve ensured that the post-interval portions are laced with as many punches as the first hour. The punches here are of ordinary variety. For instance, the long conversation between Sanju and Shahid soon after the intermission can easily be reduced. Even the Egypt song, although visually breath-taking, can be trimmed or deleted for a stronger impact.

The story gathers momentum yet again during the last 20 minutes, when Shahid settles the score with the gang of mischief makers [Prem Chopra, Sharat Saxena, Rajat Bedi, Sagar]. The entire 10-minute sequence is sure to send the kids in a frenzy; they’ll simply love this part, especially the Sharat Saxena portion. Even the end [we wouldn't like to reveal it since that will take the charm away] is a well-thought culmination.

After attempting a series of serious films, director Mahesh Manjrekar proves his versatility in a fantasy film with VAAH! LIFE HO TOH AISI. It may not rank amongst Manjrekar’s finest attempts, but the storyteller travels a path not many film-makers in Bollywood have dared to charter in the past.

The effects [Prime Focus] are topnotch; in fact this is one category that deserves distinction marks. The clouds, Sanju’s intro at the hospital when Shahid is dying, the depiction of hell and the gates of heaven, even the general effects are top class. Cinematography [Vijay Arora] is sparkling. Dialogues are wonderful, especially the lines delivered by Sanju and of course, Arshad Warsi. Himesh Reshammiya’s music is mediocre, save the Hanuman Chalisa devotional track and ‘Teri Yaad Yaad’.

Production values are grand. Producer Sangeeta Ahir has spent lavishly and it shows in every frame of the film. She has left no stone unturned to give the film the look it deserves.

Manjrekar has always presented Sanju in roles that remain etched in public memory for a long time. VAAH! LIFE HO TOH AISI is no exception. Playing the lovable, kind-hearted Yamraj, the actor is in terrific form all through. Right from the introduction to the penultimate sequence, the actor gives the film that extra sheen that stays in your mind even after the show has concluded.

Shahid Kapoor is sincere, enacting his part with utmost conviction. Arshad Warsi is outstanding as the desi Whoopi Goldberg. The sad part is that you miss his presence in the second half. One only wishes there was more of this gifted actor. Amrita Rao does a decent job.

Prem Chopra is first-rate, especially in portions when he starts rattling ‘India is my country’ lines. Sharat Saxena leaves a mark in a small role. Suhasini Mulay is proficient. Sagar is efficient. Rajat Bedi is okay. Amongst kids, Adil [Shahid's companion in the film], Darshil [the youngest kid who loves to eat], Parth and Ishaan stand out. Well-known child artists Shweta [MAKDEE, IQBAL] and Tanvi [PITAAH] are relegated to the backseat.

On the whole, VAAH! LIFE HO TOH AISI is a fairy tale with a heart. A film that aims at entertaining, it serves its purpose competently, with the marriage of content and special effects as its trump card. At the box-office, releasing the film during the Christmas vacations is a step in the right direction. The kids — its target audience — should embrace it with open arms.