Cheeni Kum (चीनी कम) (Hindi, 2007)

A good dish needs a delicate sense of proportion of its ingredients, and a meal needs the same sense of matching the dishes. So before I begin this review, let me tell you about one of the best meals I have ever had outside my home. It was at Tandoor, a Mughlai restaurant in Bangalore, India. We began with Jaljeera, which had just the right amount of salt and sugar and jeera, went on to have a kebab platter where all the kebabs were delicately done, melting in your mouth just as your teeth begin to feel the piece, and tantalising my taste-buds with just the right spices. Sheer bliss. Even though we were full, we did the mistake of ordering the main course which was the exact opposite - cold, bland and stale. Thankfully, we just left the main course as it is and proceeded to the fabulous deserts, thus leaving a good after-taste in our mouths and fond memories of the meal till date.

Now before you start thinking I have gone mad, let me tell you - that's exactly the review of Cheeni Kum. A wonderful concoction of light-hearted interplay of two interesting characters, portrayed beautifully by Amitabh and Tabu is what starts the movie and carries it through. Amitabh is a 64-year-young restaurant owner in London and Tabu is a 34-year-old software professional visiting the country. They start liking each other and decide to get married.

All is good up to this point. The courtship between an obviously mismatched couple is filmed amazingly well. Amitabh's relationship with his neighbour Swini Khara, a kid with cancer, is heart-winning. The second half of the movie is a drag, and this comes as a big surprise given that second half revolves around an actor of the calibre of Paresh Rawal, who play's Tabu's father in the movie and goes on a satyagraha to prevent his daughter from marrying an old man. Still, that small boring part does not reduce the overall enjoyment and you leave the movie with a good aftertaste.

Brilliant acting by Amitabh, Tabu and Swini. Paresh Rawal doesn't get scope to act. Imaginative, innovative screenplay that not only makes you laugh, it makes you smile as well.

Recommendation - Must see for those who like acting based light-hearted films.
Rating - ✔✔✔. Would have given 4 ticks if the satyagraha part was not there.