TA RA RUM PUM - CINDRELISING LIFE
- by Vishal Verma

Rating:- * * *

What is it?
Cindrella Man meets R.V. in the first half & later in the second half Guido meets R.V and all these three come together in the end happily to sing TA RA RUM PUM.

Got it, Never Mind. In simple words, director Siddharth Anand's ‘TA RA RUM PUM’ is the desi cocktail of last years Oscar nominee “Cindrella Man” directed by Ron Howard starring Russell Crowe & Renée Zellweger, & Roberto Benigni’s 1999 Oscar Winner “ Life is beautiful’.

The flair & promise shown in 'Salaam Namaste’ by Siddharth, somewhat gets dampen with ‘TA RA RUM PUM‘, as the plot becomes predictable in the end. But Hey, it never gets dried up either.

Siddharth is no Benigni or Howard, but certainly, he is a storyteller with some novelty. Never mind, he cares damn about the backdrop which is brilliant in the originals, he tells a simple story keeping the spirit very much alive. If the same plot was being set in some sort of a backdrop as in the originals, than the result would have been much more riveting.

What it’s all about?
This is the story of one man, his family and how they overcome the obstacles that life puts in their way, together. It is the story of human spirit and how it ultimately prevails.

Rajveer Singh (Saif Ali Khan) is a pit-crew worker in a racing team with a passion for driving who gets discovered by a team manager, Harry (Jaaved Jaaferi). The same day he unexpectedly meets a music student, Radhika (Rani Mukerji), & eventually falls for her instantly. He gets drafted into 'Speeding Saddles' – a failing race team and transforms from Rajveer Singh to “RV” the race car driver. While his racing career takes off instantly, his love life also blossoms after a whirlwind romance. A few months later, he is both a happily married man and one of the country's best racers. Fatherhood and greater success both follow and soon he is the Number 1 race car driver in the USA, as well as the proud father of two gifted kids Priya (Angelina Idnani) and Ranveer (Ali Haji).

But as a result of a bad racing accident, RV is hospitalized for a few months. When he tries to make a comeback, he realizes that he has lost his edge as the memory of the accident keeps haunting making him scared .Life now takes a turn for the worse and after a string of failures, he is forced to auction his house and move with his family to a run-down Bronx-style neighborhood.

However, RV and Radhika decide not to tell their children the truth and construct a skillful masquerade of a reality show where they have to live a poor life in order to win a fabulous grand prize. The family struggles to survive a life that they are not used to, using a mixture of fantasy and cheerfulness to pull through in the face of adversity. But an incident forces RV to reclaim the life that was taken away from him.

What to look out for?
Story of human spirit and how it ultimately prevails, heard about this many times but here Siddhart tells the simple story of a man and his family in a unique manner what makes the movie watchable, is the spirit and the feel which is maintained till the end. Though, it becomes predictable, the direction is slick and every emotion is well placed and balanced.

Splendid camerawork by Binod Pradhan, special mention has to be made for the special effects for the title track by Pankaj Khandpur & Sherry Bhadra. Race scenes are brilliantly picturised and action by Steve Kelso is worth mentioning. Editing by Ritesh Soni & Rameshvar S. Bhagat is slick without any jerks. Production values are excellent.

Talk about performances, well Saif as R.V. is riveting, the actor delivers yet another striking performance after Parineeta & Omkara. He brilliantly displays the trauma of a helpless father who is finding it hard to cope with his children demands. In a particular scene where he speeds up the cab to earn a few more dollars & eventually in the end fails to do so & burst into tears is simply superb.

Rani dons a new look thanks to Surily Goel. Rani is not only striking in her new look but also delivers a spirited performance, she covers her voice with her brilliant expressions and eyes.

A comedy was expected from Jaaved Jaffery, here too, he delivers some punches but his role is all together different and he does full justice to it.

The kids, especially Angelia Idnani, as the princess is cute & quite charming. Ali Haji as the champ too delivers a fine performance.

What Not?
The reason for Saif to refuse to drive a cab is unconvincing. Music is a let down. Much was expected from the Yash Raj banner who always have special ear to music. But, this time Yash Raj & Vishal Shekar disappoint in a big way. Only the number ‘Hey Shona’ gives some respite.

Overall, TA RA RUM PUM is an entertainer for the whole family. It’s perfect for the aged 7 or 70.
All the sensibilities are fed to quite an extent.

Business is bound to rise with word of mouth & will cater to loyal Yash Raj audiences, overseas & multiplexes.