November 13th 2009 Posted in
Aamna Sharif,
Aao Wish Karein,
FIR,
John,
LOC,
Movies Review,
Riteish Deshmukh,
Sridevi,
bollywood,
salman,
salman khan
Every kid imagines what it would be like to be an adult. He wishes he could grow up quicker. Of course, once he grows up, a small part of him wishes he could go back to his childhood days. Quite an irony, isn’t it?
There’s a line in AAO WISH KAREIN that goes, ‘If you want to be a part of a fairy tale, it’s important that you believe in it [fairy tale].’ The statement is applicable for everyone desirous of watching AAO WISH KAREIN.
In terms of concept, AAO WISH KAREIN bears a striking resemblance to the Tom Hanks starrer BIG [1988]. A decade-and-a-half ago, the Salman Khan - Sridevi starrer CHANDRAMUKHI also tackled a similar theme. In that respect, the concept isn’t alien at all.
It’s not sacrilegious if a film bears an uncanny resemblance to another film [it could be a coincidence], but films like these need to be well-structured and most importantly, supported by incredible actors who can make you believe in fairy tales. Also, the makers ought to take a stand at the very outset: Should it be targeted at kids or youth? You just cannot sit on the fence. In this case, you don’t know if AAO WISH KAREIN is aimed at the kids or is it a breezy romantic flick, targeted at the youth.
All said, AAO WISH KAREIN has some endearing moments, but not enough to salvage it.
12-year-old Mickey’s life was almost like a fairy tale: A beautiful family, best buddy Bonnie and his angel on earth - Mitika [Aamna Sharif]. One fateful day, Mickey’s fairy tale is shattered into a million pieces. He realizes he’s an adopted child and his 23-year-old angel Mitika too calls him a kid. A heart-broken Mickey sits all by himself until Hitchcock [Johny Lever] appears.
Mickey hopes for a miracle to happen. He wishes to become big. To his astonishment, he wakes up next morning and realizes that his wish has been granted. He has indeed turned big. But was this miracle a blessing or a curse in disguise?
The choice of the subject is perfect. But there’s an inherent flaw in the story and that is, the 12-year-old kid seems to be in love with the pretty woman, but the moment his wish his granted and he transforms into a grown up man overnight, he continues to behave like a kid. Romance, therefore, just doesn’t exist and even if it does, it’s far from exciting.
Ideally, the writing would’ve worked had the kid-turned-grown up behaved like a grown up.
The culmination to the story is well penned, but, again, it might not work in entirety. The writers could’ve run their imagination wild, given the fact that they were writing a fairy tale, instead of taking the safe route here.
Director Glen Barretto has handled a few individualistic scenes well, especially the ones between Aftab and Johny Lever. Music is soothing to the ears, but the non-promotion or lack of popularity will make the effort go unnoticed. At the same time, there are too many songs in the second hour, which weren’t required frankly. Keshav Prakash’s cinematography is top notch. The locales of Himachal Pradesh and Goa are well captured on celluloid by the DoP.
Aftab pitches in a sincere performance. He looks the character. Aamna is easy on the eyes, although the role doesn’t demand histrionics. Johny Lever is first-rate. Rati Agnihotri is good. Yatin Karyekar is alright. The kids are full of energy. Riteish Deshmukh makes a brief appearance towards the end.
On the whole, AAO WISH KAREIN is engaging in parts, but how one wishes the film would grab your attention in entirety. The wish of striking a chord and hence, succeeding at the box-office won’t come true for this reason.
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