Sujoy Ghosh’s Aladin was an anticipated film for the special effects that have gone into it—an entire fantasy town, genies vaporizing into life, magical human leaps and contortions. The film has all of that. Although the work can’t be compared with the best in this genre—the Harry Potter films, for example—the work is very competent; the best we have seen in a Hindi film so far.
But Aladin’s charm lies in its story and characters. It’s not an original, but a mish-mash of the classic tale of Aladin and the magic lamp, and Harry Potter. Aladin Chatterjee (Riteish Deshmukh), a shy, simple fellow who just wants to be liked, lives alone in an antiquated house in Khwaish town after the death of his parents and grandfather. The boys in the town bully him because of his name. When Jasmine, (Jacqueline Fernandez), a beautiful girl, joins the college, Aladin is enraptured. Once, while being bullied by the other boys into rubbing a lamp, Genius, the genie (Amitabh Bachchan) appears. Aladin’s life changes for the better, but only until Ring Master, an evil wizard, comes looking for the lamp Aladin possesses.
The story is not new, but making it Indian and contemporary is a challenge. Despite the fantasy, most scenes ring true. The humour is of the classic fairy-tale variety—you can’t help but chuckle when Aladin’s guitar turns into a multicoloured toad or when his face turns into a donkey’s.
A role where Bachchan plays a benevolent protector with a rough exterior never works against him. In parts, his histrionics are loud, but overall he carries it off with great ease. Deshmukh holds up to Bachchan; he is best in the comic scenes where he is the laughing stock. Refreshingly enough, Dutt fits into the part of the villain, and he is better here than in most of the roles we have seen him in recently.
Aladin is for everyone. But most of all, it’s a movie you want to take your children to.
Source: ibnlive.com
