Bollywood Adda

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukherji, Amisha Patel

Director: Kunal Kohli

In director Kunal Kohli's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, four kids who have lost their parents in a road accident are packed off to live with the man responsible for their parents' death. Saif Ali Khan plays Ranbir Talwar the hard-nosed businessman who opens his home to the kids, but can't seem to reach out to them emotionally.

Meanwhile, the kids determined to seek revenge on Ranbir for orphaning them, decide to make his every waking moment a living hell. To help the kids deal with their grief, and to help Ranbir deal with the kids, God (played by Rishi Kapoor in an all-white ensemble, a French-beard and slicked-back hair) picks out his most spirited angel Geeta (Rani Mukherji, that is) and summons her to set things right in that house.

Thrilled to land this assignment, Geeta shows up at the Talwar residence as the kids' new nanny and with the help of a little love and a dash of magic, repairs the relationship between Ranbir and the kids, and brings them together as a family.

Simplistic in its premise and basic in its treatment, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic is what you could call a 'by-the-book' children's film. It's predictable every step of the way, but it's still an easy watch because the kids at the centre of this story are so endearing, they suck you into their story even though their story itself doesn't throw up any surprises.

The gags are old-fashioned, and the special effects rather ordinary, but despite the shortcomings the film works because it's never contrived. Sure it tends to get preachy at times, but Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic has its heart in the right place. And in this age of such mindless children's entertainment as violence-themed videogames and comedies filled with sexual innuendo, a simple good-natured morality tale is not such a bad thing after all.

What Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic could have done without, is that inappropriate Lazy Lamhe song with the camera lingering lovingly on Ameesha Patel's every curve.

Also the film overstays its welcome when it drudges on for a good 15 minutes after the kids have resolved their issues with Ranbir Talwar. The romantic track between Ranbir and Geeta seems obligatory at best, and it doesn't help that Saif and Rani have zero chemistry together.

Of the cast, Rishi Kapoor is wasted as the Lord up there, saddled with a role he can't seem to make head nor tail of, drifting through his lines mechanically. Heaven too, seems like an odd place, populated as it is by angels who behave more like witches, bickering and bitching each other out.

Surprise, surprise, Amisha Patel is spot-on as Ranbir's bimbo girlfriend, stealing every scene that she's in.

Meanwhile, Rani Mukherji as Geeta is surprisingly a little out of form. But that has more to do with her poorly written role than it does with Rani's at-best-satisfactory performance. It's a shame, the writers fail to exploit the actress' natural charm and invest some of that charm into her role.

Saif Ali Khan slips naturally into the role of the nostril-flaring Ranbir Talwar. Saif invests sincerity in his character, making him vulnerable and endearing.

But Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic is about the children, and the actors in those roles perform exceptionally. All four kids play their parts convincingly, and for a film about kids pestering the living daylights of a grown man, surprisingly you never once want to wring their necks.

Of the four child actors, I have to single out little Rachit Sidana who plays Sardar kid Iqbal – he is so adorable, so fragile, your heart goes out to him spontaneously.

Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic is not great cinema, but it's a completely watchable children's film. As a movie it's just about average, but bonus points for the kids who keep your interest alive throughout.

I'm going to be a little generous here, I'm going to go with three out of five for director Kunal Kohli's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. This one's strictly for the kids, it's an enjoyable one-time watch, you won't complain.

Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)