Director Bela Bhansali Sehgal manages perfect casting in her fun directorial debut Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi, writes Sukanya Verma.Most movies and news headlines would like us to believe problems are not problems unless they're written in bold, capital letters or accompanied by a dramatic background score. But in reality, even an out-of-work flush can put the most pacifist fella in a really foul mood.
And while that's not the objective of editor-turned-filmmaker Bela Bhansali Sehgal's Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi, it certainly makes for a welcome break from farcical exaggerations. What sets this delightful love story apart is that it's woven around two 40-plus Parsis, who neither face the hurdle of age nor community.
The collective purpose is to introduce an element of novelty in a fairly simple tale about two decent but lonely adults Farhad and Shirin (Boman Irani, Farah Khan) having a hard time getting together owing to disapproving parents, ailing parents or that good ol' troublemaker -- misunderstanding.
How they overcome the odds is pretty much the whole point. And Sehgal makes it with an easygoing vibe and a bunch of endearing characters with the family-friendly warmth and sensibilities of say, a Basu Chatterjee, a Hrishikesh Mukherjee or more recently a Rajkumar Hirani.
In the whimsical and concentrated universe of Pastakias and Fuggawalas, awkwardness is an unavoidable adversary and troubles are undersized but real. So there's Farhad's overprotective but well-meaning mommy (Daisy Irani) and her frequently amusing phone calls to her son. She's as much fun if not as sarcastic as Vicky Donor's Beeji (Kamlesh Gill). Farhad also lives with his affectionate grandmother (Shammiji) and does something possibly less awkward for a living -- a sweet 'n' sentimental lingerie salesman with a dream of starting the Underworld (it's a pun, get it?).
At 45, he rides a lime green sidecar scooter, is single and dying to mingle but seems to put off most eligible candidates with the mere mention of his profession until the feisty but friendly Shirin walks into his life, correction, store.
If only it wouldn't lead to so many dreary songs. Especially the post-interval Ramba mein Samba track is a fun gimmick (spoofing Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Hum Aapke Hai Kaun, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge) but entirely forced into the narrative, which despite its 112 minutes running time could do with a few more snip-snips. Even as Shirin and Farhad form the focal point of the story, their progress is boosted by the combined quirks and adorability of a distinctly Parsi backdrop. Except for the Bawa caricature overkill, not too many mainstream films (Pestonjee, Khatta Meetha, Little Zizou, Being Cyrus) venture into these parts. Strange, considering it has so much to offer in terms of lifestyle, wit and ideology.
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