Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota
When an actor of the calibre of Naseeruddin Shah decides to
perch on the director's chair, you track the directorial debut with interest.
It's an instant reaction since Naseer is one of the finest actors in the country
who has been associated with qualitative projects since the past three decades.
In his very first outing, Naseer decides to narrate four parallel stories in
those 2.05 hours. Of course, several storytellers have made an effort to narrate
multiple stories in one film, notable among them being Mani Ratnam YUVA, RGV
DARNA MANA HAI, DARNA ZAROORI HAI, Khalid Mohamed SILSIILAY and Samar Khan KUCHH
MEETHA HO JAYE.
However, YUN HOTA TO KYA HOTA? WHAT IF? is the first Hindi film that makes an
effort to present the 9/11 tragedy that struck America and had repercussions the
world over. Although the penultimate portions of the film may appear similar to
UNITED 93 released in the U.S. in April this year, the fact remains that YUN
HOTA TO KYA HOTA? WHAT IF? is a genuinely different attempt as it packs in a lot
in those two hours, besides the devastating tragedy.
The vital question is, does Naseer's directorial debut make a solid impact as a
movie? Yes and no! YUN HOTA TO KYA HOTA? WHAT IF? works because three of the
four stories are interesting to watch, but the film runs out of steam towards
its climax. The ending looks so abrupt that you are taken aback when the end
titles start rolling.
The director has worked extremely hard on building the drama and the moment the
camera zooms to September 11 and stays focused on the date for a good 30-45
seconds, you expect a nail-biting, hair-raising culmination. But the film ends
in the next few minutes, making you wonder whether the director was in a hurry
to end the film or was a substantial footage scissored on the editing table.
Another aspect that goes against the film is that portions of the film have been
treated with a touch of realism and at times, the commercial aspect takes over.
Agreed, the stories are identifiable and the characters are those that we
encounter in our day-to-day life, but it's the treatment that has its
limitations.
Story 1: Tilottima Konkona Sensharma is married to Hemant Jimmy Shergill, who
she met through the Net. Their honeymoon is cut short because he has to return
to his job in the U.S. Tilottima is desperate to reach U.S., but has to face an
irate mother-in-law Carla Singh in the process. She manages a visa and heads for
L.A.
Story 2: Salim Irrfan Khan is the stockbroker son of a Godmother Saroj Khan.
He's besotted by the much older but sensuous Namrata Suhasini Mulay. Even as he
involuntarily gets involved in a killing Boman Irani, he discovers that she has
been cheating on him. Before the shattered man can gather his wits, his mother
forces him to pack his bags and flee the country before he's implicated.
Story 3: Rahul Ankur Khanna is a brilliant but poor student who's already got
admission into a prestigious university abroad. But he's hardly excited, nor
appears to be too keen on going because of a lack of funds and an incapacitated
father. Almost overnight, almost magically, all his problems get sorted out
thanks to a friend Ayesha Takia and he finds himself flying out to a brighter
future.
Story 4: Rajubhai Paresh Rawal is a small-time organizer of foreign shows. To be
a part of his show will cost an aspiring dancer/singer a few cool lakhs. Old
flame Tara Ratna Pathak Shah mortgages her house so that Rajubhai would include
her only daughter Shahana Goswami into his show. And so the seasoned and
hardened Rajubhai finds himself fathering a wide eyed, innocent girl on her
first trip abroad.
Tilottima, Salim, Rahul and Rajubhai from four disparate worlds, with distinct
hopes and diverse motives, encounter something drastic?
Of the four stories, the ones that stand out are the Jimmy-Konkona and
Paresh-Ratna tracks. The constant bickering of the mother-in-law Carla and her
dislike for the new bride Konkona is smartly depicted. The portion at the U.S.
Consulate -- Konkona's interview for a Tourist Visa -- is another noteworthy
twist in the tale. But the culmination to this story is unclear. Why doesn't
Konkona make a phone call to her husband, clarifying that she couldn't board the
ill-fated flight and that she's very much alive? Also, didn't the director feel
it's important to show that the newly-married couple has reunited? That's a
glaring loophole!
The Paresh-Ratna story is by far the best segment in the film. The simple story
appears straight out of life and that's one of the prime reasons why it strikes
a chord. With a drunkard-husband abusing her constantly, the trauma and hardship
that the woman Ratna goes through to raise funds to run her kitchen as also send
her daughter to the U.S. for a better future, is deftly depicted. The sequences
involving Paresh and Ratna are the highpoint of the enterprise. Also, the
sequence at the U.S. Consulate -- when Paresh and the girl break into a song to
convince the Officer Rajat Kapoor -- is expertly enacted.
The Irrfan-Suhasini chapter is alright, in terms of writing and also execution.
The twist in the tale -- when Irrfan catches Suhasini cheating on him -- holds
your attention. Resultantly, Irrfan walks out on her and flies to the U.S.
However, the man is still in love with the woman and makes calls to her. But how
and why does Suhasini have a change of heart? Why does she suddenly beg for
forgiveness when the fact remains that it was she who had closed the door on him
with her actions?
The weakest link in the film is the Ankur Khanna-Ayesha Takia-Sameer Sheikh-Imaad
Shah part. The story could've been interesting had the writer spelt out the true
feelings of the two main characters Ankur, Ayesha for one another. Is Ayesha in
love with Ankur? Or is she not? Is that one of the reasons why she sponsors his
travel to the U.S.? And why does Sameer constantly ridicule Mumbai/India?
Agreed, every city has its share of plusses and minusses, but to come down so
heavily on the city leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
Directorially, Naseer works best when he tackles drama. He has executed a number
of sequences with flourish, not making you feel even once that the film has been
helmed by a first-timer. But the rough edges do show as the script writer: Uttam
Gada leaves a few questions unanswered. There's no scope for music Viju Shah in
the film, yet the theme song has a haunting feel to it. Cinematography Hemant
Chaturvedi is consistent. The D.O.P. captures the bylanes of Mumbai with as much
flourish as Manhattan.
The film has an ensemble cast, but the characters you take home are in this
order: Paresh Rawal superb, Konkona Sen Sharma brilliant, Ratna Pathak Shah
first-rate, Jimmy Shergill efficient, Irrfan Khan competent, Carla Singh
proficient, Sameer Sheikh able and Saroj Khan a complete natural.
The remaining cast -- Ayesha Takia, Boman Irani, Rajat Kapoor, Ankur Khanna,
Karan Khanna, Shahana Goswami, Imaad Shah, Ravi Baswani, Suhasini Mulay and
Tinnu Anand -- are passable. Makrand Deshpande and Ranveer Shorey feature in
inconsequential roles.
On the whole, YUN HOTA TO KYA HOTA? WHAT IF? is a well-intentioned film, but the
sudden ending and the missing links in the script make things go awry. At the
box-office, the film caters to the multiplex crowd only, but even this segment
wouldn't feel completely satiated.
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