My Taste of Barfi

The movie starts unusually with the cop chasing the hero, which is an interesting comical start leaving the audience to think what the back story is. The director, Anurag Basu, has caught his audience within that moment and holds them till the end with his remarkable directing skills by taking the audience on a roller-coaster ride from past to present, happy to sad moments side-by-side.

The cast starring Ranbir Kapoor (Murphy/Barfi), Priyanka Chopra (Jilmil) and the debutant Ileana D’Cruz (Shruti) have done justice to their role. The music by Pritam and the playback singing of Mohit Chauhan, too, have added very well to the movie’s silent parts. Not to forget the setting of the movie that’s shot so beautifully,  in the landscapes of Darjeeling and parts of Kolkata, has moved the audience away from the pandemonium and chaos of city life, keeping it simple juxtaposing the simple lives of the characters.

This romantic-comedy movie has tickled the audience’s funny bone right from the beginning until the end. There have been “Awww” moments when Barfi is betrayed by Shruti, when she chooses to get married to an aristocratic Bengali man than to marry a physically-impaired, Barfi. Series of troubles follow after this rejection like, his father losing the job, death of his father, the only family member and struggling for money. However, his happiness outshines most of his trouble and eventually finds his happiness and love with Jilmil, an autistic girl. This unusual love-story between them awes the audience.

The movie seems to portray how Barfi and Jilmil, rejected, misunderstood and isolated by society have finally found solace with each other and have rightly understood other’s need and affection. It also seems to show how falling in love for such people is not impossible. Somehow, the movie seems to critique the “normal” people’s attitude that fail to understand people like Jilmil and Barfi and are mostly kept aloof in asylum or are rejected like Barfi.

What strikes me the most is the on-going comedy, in spite of the tragic moments. Basu has rightly inculcated Chaplinesque moments that does away with the tragedy of their life. Through the use of comedy all throughout, the movie ridicules the reality and also, it is not at all left heavy on the audience.  These are the moments that have definitely touched the audience. Ranbir’s outstanding imitation of Chaplin has marked the epitome of his acting career. Also, Priyanka’s acting of an autistic girl and de-glamourized side of the diva too has added quintessence to her acting career. Both the characters have touched the audience’s hearts.

The movie is embraced by most of the audience, and I too, couldn’t stop humming on to Barfi’s tune. Such was a sweet taste of Barfi!