Vidya all the way

With an amazing assembly of talent and a story that is surely off beat, with the likes of Vidya Balan giving the project a clear signal to go ahead and most importantly only 120 minutes you are assured of a good cinematic experience. Add to this the local flavour of Moghulpura where the story happens and surely the Hyderabadi has enough -- or so you would believe till the actual 120 minutes labour out before you. There is something amiss in what is otherwise a film of honesty that clearly eschews the usual formula and also steers clear from the large doses of violence that are but an excuse for a tale.

At one level it is about gender and a parent in Moghulpura unwilling and unable to overcome the career choice of his daughter Bilquis (Vidya). Our protagonist chooses to be the blundering detective with no official training or support of any kind. Leave alone clientele of any worth she does not get support at home from the disapproving dad (Rajendra Gupta), aunt Kausar Khalla (Tanvi Azmi) and sibling Noor (Benaf Dadachanji). The role suffers a serious problem of development with the maker unsure as to whether the gal is committed to being Jane Marple or one out of Blanding’s Castle content to blackmail an erring Wooster. Soon a huge offer comes her way when Khan (Kiran Kumar) requires her to trace two girls and a guy form the crowded area of Moghuplura. First the enthusiasm of the assignments gets the better of her judgment but when two of the searched persons disappear, it becomes a matter of concern. Add to this the taunt from the local goon Laal (Arjan Bajwa) who is wooing Afreen (Anupriya Goenka) and Bobby begins to see things in perspective. It is here that the film gets serious and unfortunately also looses steam in the narration. The script simply refuses to take off and sometimes touches an all-time low and warrants compare with the Raj Kapoor-Rajendra Kumar buffoonery of ‘Do Jasoos’. The script simply does not take off and when it does it falls all too fast. At half time while you have a pleasant time, you know nothing has happened and the script has to only improve. It does not. It is structured to move from one standard happening to another and even the search for the Biryani is laboured.

What pulls the film and makes you sit through it without complaining is the uniformly high level of performances. The support cast has Kiran Kumar for instance giving us a very subdued performance and reminding the viewer (and contemporary filmmakers) of his talent. Supriya Pathak as Bobby’s endearing Mom is warm and very special as only she can be. What a difference from what she was in ‘Ram Leela’! Then there is Tanvi Azmi who does not require a long role to leave her impact. Ali Fazal as Tasawwur has a very poorly etched role and is the romantic lead required to join screen space with Vidya. He has a great sense of timing. Not only does he have an uncanny screen semblance to the very talented and rarely seen Shreyas Talpade, he also carries the packet of promise. He belongs to that school of talent that is willing to take acting beyond the six packs flaunt. Finally the film surely and truly belongs to Vidya Balan. Without an iota of doubt the film would be nothing without her.

She breathes a kind of energy and life to the role that only she arguably can. She reiterates the quality she is made up of. From the buffoonery to the flippant, from the warm to the emotional she ensures she does not go wrong anywhere, anytime. If only she gave the weighing machine a passing consideration, this ‘Bobby Jassos’ would also have been pleasant for the eye-- something a viewer would believe is a hidden consideration of the ticket cost.

Bobby Jasoos

Cast : Vidya Balan, Ali Fazal and Supriya Pathak

Music: : Shantanu Moitra

Direction : Samar Shaikh

Rating : **1/2