Waqt - The Race Against Time:
a well-made family entertainer

Rating:- ***1/2

At a time when Bollywood is going through a precarious phase, with the industry searching for that elusive formula to magnetize the audiences back to cinema halls, comes WAQT - THE RACE AGAINST TIME.

Although the film doesn't boast of an altogether different story, yet it works.

The film tells the story of a man, Ishwar (Amitabh Bachchan) who has little time on hand and his son, who refuses to shoulder responsibilities.

Ishwar, the owner of a toy manufacturing company, is extremely generous and large-hearted.

Aditya is in love with Pooja [Priyanka Chopra], the daughter of Nattubhai [Boman Irani].The two get married without even showing their parents the courtesy of taking their consent. Never mind. Ishwar hopes that the marriage will make Aditya a more responsible man, but he is disappointed.

One thing leads to another and Ishwar throws Aditya out of the house. Naturally, the latter is shocked. However, after the initial hiccups, Aditya takes it upon himself to take care of his pregnant wife. But how? He starts working as a stuntman and, at the same time, prepares for a star-search contest.

Adapted from the Gujarati play 'Aavjo Vhala Fari Malishu', the film is targeted at the family audiences. But behind all the entertainment packaged in this enterprise, there lies a strong social message - discipline your kids, make them more responsible and dutiful and don't pamper them to the extent of spoiling their lives. That's precisely the film's USP!

Shah and writer Aatish Kapadia concentrate on light moments in the initial reels. But when you are just about to conclude that the film is one of those routine baap-beta stories, the director and writer do an about-turn in the post-interval portion. The second half is more dramatic, more engaging and, more importantly, has a series of deftly executed sequences that look straight out of life.

The verbal confrontations between Amitabh and Akshay, as also the developments that force Akshay to grow up, are simply brilliant. The dog chase and the taandav dance in the pre-climax are awe-inspiring as well. On the flip side, the screenplay could've been tighter for a better impact. Slight trimming would only speed up the proceedings and enhance the impact.

The director has extracted wonderful performances from the entire cast, mainly from Bachchan, Akshay and Shefali Shah - the three key players in the story.

Story-screenplay-dialogue writer Aatish Kapadia has presented a simple story, but garnished it with enough engaging moments.

Anu Malik's music goes well with the mood of the film. The Holi track, 'Do Me A Favour, Let's Play Holi, 'Miraksam' and 'Subah Hogi' [breath-taking locales of Morocco] are the best tracks in the film. 'Chhup Ja Chhup Ja' is very imaginatively filmed.

Cinematography [Santosh Thundiyil] is first-rate. The film looks visually rich, indoors and outdoors both. The sets [Omung Kumar] give the film an opulent look. The dog chase [executed by Abbas Ali Moghul] is outstanding.

On the whole, the film is a well-made family entertainer that makes you laugh and cry, thanks to the strong emotional quotient in the film.