I am a fan of Fincher, Spielberg and Sorkin. I also happen to be a sucker for crisp and gorgeous looking films, with some great music. Katrina Kaif’s and Siddharth Malhotra’s ‘Baar Baar Dekho’ is one of the latter. As it happens, that’s the best compliment I can give this film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wiuj_GHlb64
Baar Baar Dekho, hereinafter known as BBD (A delicious barbeque joint in an alternate universe), is a story of a commitment-phobic guy who puts his career in Vedic mathematics (Which other than a brief mention, could well be a course teaching you how to tip cows) and a fellowship in Cambridge before his manic, shrill girlfriend.
So follows a ridiculous excuse of a film which although interesting on paper with elements taken from Groundhog Day, About Time, The Time Traveller’s Wife and the eternal A Christmas Carol, never translates on screen.
And that’s a shame. Primarily because, it begins well enough. The early montage of the budding romance is sweet without being saccharine. Unfortunately, kids grow out of their Hello Kitty shoes.
Cue Katrina Kaif and Siddharth Malhotra who although one of the better looking people in the business, have the acting range of a teaspoon. Kaif’s accent is still jarring and no matter how many sideburns, beards and greys Malhotra puts on his face, the expressions only vary from mildly confused to confused all the time.
Other characters such as Sarika and Ram Kapoor, fine actors in their own right, are wasted while Rohan Joshi is just there.
The music is great, yes (Esp that wedding song). But, as is standard with Bollywood fare, most of the songs are just there, serving no purpose other than extending the running time of the outrageous production. Some songs, such as the one where they are frolicking in Thailand is downright silly in terms of its place in the film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=356hZ_Glwno
Then there is the cinematography. Ravi K Chandran gives us some beautiful visuals and palettes and he elevates this fare from being an outright mess. Shame though that his picture-perfect visuals are destroyed by two walking pieces of cardboard.
Okay, I sense that I’m being very harsh. Maybe. But, for someone who admires well-done, charming romances, and films about time travel, Baar Baar Dekho is a disaster.
I get the idea behind the film and to be honest, it has promise but what follows on screen is an expensive commercial for ill-looking make-up, Skynet-less future and Katrina Kaif’s Abs. It makes no sense a lot of times and is made worse by characters we don’t even get to like.
The film instead of wanting to be a remuneration of life and what’s important makes the audience instead snore into their butter popcorn buckets.
Perhaps the only solace comes in the form of the raging ‘Kala Chasma’ towards the end of the film. Alas, by the time you get to enjoy the choreography and set design and yes, the music of the catchy song, it’s too little too late.
Baar Baar Dekho is a promising idea brought down by ridiculous filmmaking. Baar Baar Dekho? Ek Baar Bhi Mat Dekho.
Rating: 1/5
Other Recommendations:
http://edtimes.in/2016/08/rustom-worth-100-crore-club-ed-review/
http://edtimes.in/2016/08/harley-quinn-saved-suicide-squad-from-being-the-next-batmanvssuperman-ed-review/
