THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC
Post ‘Fana’, Kunal Kohli improves as a maker.
by Vishal Verma

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Yash Raj Films
Genre: Drama – Musical.
Target Audience: Family.      
Producer: Aditya Chopra & Kunal Kohli
Director: Kunal Kohli
Star Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukherjee. Rishi Kapoor
Introducing - Baby Shriya Sharma, Ayushi Burman, Rachit Sidana, & Akshat Chopra. Also has Sharat Saxena, Razzak Khan. Mahesh Thakur & Amisha Patel in a special appearance. & Taranna Raja Kapoor.
Lyricist: Prasoon Joshi
Music Director: Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani & Loy Mendonca
Background Music: Sandeep Chowta
Cinematography: Sudeep Chatterjee
Choreography: Geeta Kapoor, Mallu, Pappu & Vaibhavi Merchant
Action: Shyam Kaushal
Art: Malini Sharma, Priya Raghunath & Aparna Raina
Editor: Amitabh Shukla
Story, Screenplay & Dialogues: Kunal Kohli & Rohena Gera
Sound: Dileep Subramaniam
Costume: Manish Malhotra, Mamta Anand & Mandira Shukla
Publicity Designs: Fayyaz Badruddin ( Yash Raj Films Design Cell)
PR: Yash Raj Films In house PR department.

Technical Analysis
After the debacle of ‘Tashan’ ( both critical & public), Yash Raj’s hopes of creating the box-office magic with its next offering - a musical drama with an added spice of fantasy by Kunal Kohli ( Hum Tum – both critical & box-office acclaim), Fana ( Critical Turkey, Box-office hit) unfortunately lacks the required emotional quotient needed in a flick involving kids & targeted at family audience. 

Though Kunal Kohli improves himself as a maker after the critically rejected ‘Fana’ & thus maintains some grip in the film till the first half, which has a list of inspirations from Bollywoods best namely Dulal Guha’s Dushmun - Starring Rajesh Khanna, Mumtaz & Meena Kumari),  Gulzar’s take on the academy award winner musical – Sound of music titled Parichay – Starring Jeetendra & Jaya Bachchan. And if that was not enough, for the angel thingie, Kunal gets inspired from none other then the lovely beauty of 1964 academy award winner ‘Mary Poppins’ directed by Robert Stevenson.

Nothing wrong in getting inspired from the best of world cinema. But what goes wrong with Kunal kohli’s magic.

Why the rabbit doesn’t comes out from the hat once again for Yash Raj Films who has maintained their reputation of outstanding producers with yet another display of excellent production values in this flick.
It’s not the plot or the idea; it’s the subplot and the screenplay which is the culprit.

The story of a top businessman Ranbeer Talwar (Saif Ali Khan – good), a loner, who unknowingly by accident make 4 children orphan and has to face very peculiar and uncomfortable situation.
In a rare and landmark court verdict, he is to look after 4 orphan children. The orphans hate him and want revenge from him.

One day they pray to God for help and he does help them. He sends his most mischievous, childlike, lovable angel to the rescue, with a mission to bring Ranbeer and the kids together.

Geeta (Rani Mukerji – good) comes bicycling down a rainbow… and bursts into Ranbeer's house as the self-proclaimed new nanny.

Later, in order to add something original, theirs is a romance between Saif and Rani & the angel turns into a human being for love.

The originals ‘Dushman’ & Parichay scored cause they were high on emotional quotient, melodious music, & great performance. Numbers from these films are still being played & heard. Whereas in TPTM, only ‘Socha Na Tha’ creats some impact and has the appeal.

Shankar Ehsaan Loy fails to give justice to the subject and you hardly take home any number.
In TPTM, the emotional quotient is missing, why the kids are shown as mischievous brats is hard to understand.

The writers and directors fail to create any tension between the kids and Saif, considering the fact that Saif is responsible for the death of the kids parents & there is hardly any argument, confrontation, (except the dinner scene) between them.

It turns out to be all about getting the kids to behave.
There are other questions were the audience will find it hard to get the apt. answer.   
Why Rishi Kapoor as the god on earth.
What was the need of Amisha in a bikini singing a song in this genre of a film?
Why Amisha wants to leave Saif suddenly after just singing a song in a swimming pool.
Why was Amisha needed first of all?
Saif falling for the angel is understandable but why the angel is in love.
Was it necessary to add the romance angle?
All this factors hamper the prospects of the improved attempt by Kunal considering ‘Fana’, the brilliant special effects backed by good performances from Saif, Rani and the bacha party.

Promotion
The movie has been fairly promoted and from the date of release, the main cast and crew of the film will visit schools and colleges, and give gifts to the target audience as a promotional strategy.
Different idea may be profitable for the film

Media awareness by the Yash Raj in house PR department by Monica Bhattacharya has been fair.

Business analysis
Surprisingly, the opening is below expectations considering it beingn a Yash Raj film & even after the innovative initiative of the school college visit by the main cast and crew will not be of any substantial gain. Due to the lack of emotional quotient in the film. 

The post vacation release along with unpopular music will also hamper its stake at the box –office.
At the most, it may achieve average success in North Indian pockets and in Hindi belt.
It has not much to offer for the overseas audience either.    

The previous Rani & Saif’s ‘ Tara Rum Pum’ from the same banner was higher in emotional quotient then this but it failed to click at the box-office.

Rani’s 3 year long wait for a hit will only get longer.

It will also had its effect on the career graph of Saif for the year, as unfortunately this would be his second failure at the box-office after ‘Tashan’ from the same banner.