Barfii – the sweetest movie ever

There are many forms of storytelling. Movies, for me, are one of the most difficult forms of storytelling. This is because it indulges all our faculties muting our minds and hence leaving almost nothing to imagination. That’s why a movie fails even if one department fails or it fails when the departments don’t synchronize. Barfii is one great movie which thrives on the synching of all these departments subliminally with performances that will stay with you for a long long time.

Anurag Basu comes out of a hiatus and brings out Barfii after doing some ad films and the notorious Kites whose fate is all too well known. The director who made Life at a Metro is back in action with a tale that brings forth a range of emotions keeping the smile on your face intact throughout the length of the movie.
The first thing that strikes you twenty minutes into the movie is the desire to go to your smart phone and check if the director is really Anurag Basu or was it your mistake because you seemed to have walked into a movie that is most likely sought from the pages of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali book of stories. The movie is a bit like Black minus the over-the-top emotional turmoil. The movie borrows from Bhansali’s Guzaarish as well but to call it an inspiration sought from Guzaarish is selling the movie too short.

The movie’s plot is pretty simple. It is about a deaf and dumb guy who manages to fall in love not once but twice and how that story progresses with the background of 1970s and the times of Murphy Radio. Darjeeling and Calcutta are shown through Basu’s artistic eyes and both places have never looked so beautiful. The music lent by Pritam is soothing and comes as much needed in a movie where the dialogues are, not so surprisingly, minimal.

Ranbir Kapoor is the star of the show. His comic portrayal cements his place amongst the greats in Indian cinema. He manages to look funny, stupid, gullible, smart, naughty, sweet and caring all at once. His Mr. Bean + Charlie Chaplin impression paid off. Not so far behind is an actor who has made herself a name to reckon in what has been a man’s world largely. If you have to pick a female lead for a meaty character role you have to choose between Vidya Balan and Priyanka Chopra or maybe risk a Kareena Kapoor. Priyanka Chopra’s portrayal of an autistic patient is mind blowing. It is heartening to see an actor do such an unglamorous role and pull it off with so much gusto. Ileana D’Cruz is the third wheel of the movie. She comes with a sleuth of South Indian movies in her kitty. She manages to look pretty and appropriate.

The movie deals largely in communication via eyes and body language. You would know that the director has done substantial research when you watch the movie. The main characters with all their shortcomings never ask for your pity. They show you that life can be laughed away however tough it might be. One look at them and you’d know life can’t get any tougher than that. Barfii is a sweet that shouldn’t be taken as a whole and swallowed. Eat it bit by bit and every bite will feel new and you will cherish it.