Bobby Jasoos :: Movie Review

Bobby Jasoos is a delightful caper with a lot of heart, and you root for both the film and it's protagonist all the way till the interval & its after first half that the movie starts to loose its steam and ends up in a very ordinary way......Still, there are many fine things about Bobby Jasoos ::: A terrific lead performance, a great supporting cast, surprising attention to detail and Hyderabad in full glory. The old world charm of Hyderabad is ideal foil for the narrative. It is one of the lovely touches that give the film real texture. The authenticity of the setting, locations, and the flawlessly consistent diction of every major and minor character contribute in making the proceedings all the more engaging. Full credit to the makers for being able to integrate both these themes seamlessly into the story, and not making either suffer. But the charm of Bobby Jasoos lies in the fact that the director balances this primary track with the personal travails of Vidya's character. An aspiring female detective in Hyderabad has her work cut out to be taken seriously, and the often bumbling but ever optimistic Bobby wins clients and hearts with equal ease. 

STORY & SCREENPLAY                                                              ::          The screenplay as well as dialogues of the movie have been written by Sanyukta Chawla Shaikh who has done a good job by keeping the premise simple & entertaining. Bobby Jasoos makes a half decent attempt to attain the wholesome pace and the gritty thrill  And going by this film’s first half alone, it is semi successful. Throughout the first half, I was engrossed in the narrative. It was a jaunty tapestry of fun and mystery in equal measures. The pace was just about right and till interval the film seeps you in with terrific vigor. But with the second half wrapping up into a convoluted climax, the spry look begins to fade away with the agility of the story wearing out. As far as the story goes, Vidya plays Bilkis Ahmad, a Muslim girl in a patriarchal household in the Hyderabad town of Mogulpura, who dreams of becoming the top sleuth in her neighbourhood. She may remind you of a desi Nancy Drew — dressed in a salwar kameez, canvas shoes and a knapsack. She isn’t armed with a degree in investigation but banks on her quick wit, intelligence and her burning desire to succeed when it comes to solving cases. Enter the sinister-looking Anees Khan (Kiran Kumar) who throws money in her face to hunt down a couple of young women. In her rush to be taken seriously as a sleuth, she forgets to question her client’s motives. The money keeps getting better and her final case involves searching for a young man with a missing toe. She’s instructed sternly by Khan not to ask questions and just find the answers. As a viewer, I wish the movie had ended there since it was entertaining to watch an endearing Bobby in action. Unfortunately, no such luck. After the interval, the film sinks south as Bobby forgets to keep her end of the bargain and begins snooping around her rich client’s business. 

STARCAST                                                                                             ::                   Post Kahaani, it is clear that roles are now written with Vidya Balan in mind. Her spirited performance in the title role justifies this decision. Her effervescence rubs off on the proceedings and gives it an energy that drives the film. She is at her undeniably charming best but the story doesn’t live up to her caliber. The surprise package is Ali Fazal who plays Tasawur, an ambitious broadcast journalist who hires Bobby occasionally to thwart marriage proposals brought forward by his orthodox parents. I guess he has hardly ever grabbed for himself an eye grabbing part but in this film despite a very overshadowing presence of Balan, the guy shines. Rajendra Gupta [as Vidya's father] has given an impeccable performance & so has Supriya Pathak as her mother. Tanvi Azmi is absolutely wasted in the film and so is Zarina Wahab. Kiran Kumar has done a good job.  Arjan Bajwa is noticeable and looks good in his character.. Aakash Dahiya and Prasad Barve as Vidya's constant companions, leave a mark. 

TECHNICAL FINESSE                                                                        ::                   The soundtrack as well as background music has been composed by Shantanu Moitra. I will have no qualms in saying that the music compositions are very average with none of the songs making a soulful impact. The cinematographer of the movie is Vishal Sinha who has done his job to perfection. He has been able to capture the beautiful locales of Hyderabad with finesse. The movie has been edited by Hemal Kothari who has kept the runtime to 121 minutes. Samar Shaikh makes a stable debut as a director and as a first timer he must be complimented that his skills are quite etched contrary to the story he had picked up.   

CONCLUSION                                                                                     ::                Bobby Jasoos can be watched once for its interesting premise, some real funny & spirited moments and another flawless performance by Vidya Balan which drives energy unto this movie. 

ROHIT SHARMA.

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