Story

A touching movie in a whole different way that you ought not miss; that is how I would like to out Barfi. The movie could be stretched a bit, plot may seem a bit roundabout at times but the movie never bores you or makes you want to get out of the seat for a loo break.

Murphy or Burfi's (Ranbir Kapoor) is narrated to the audience via several voices. Initially the movie shows the love story between Ileana D Cruz, as Shruti, and Barfi. As a college student Shruti falls in love with a guy in her college and moves to Darjeeling for after getting engaged. But in Darjeeling she finds her new love in the adorably pixillated character of Barfi, the deaf-and-dumb youth in the hill station. The disability however doesn't stop his mischeif in the town. Unmanageable to the policemen and his father, Barfi manages to tickle your funny bones.

Barfi and autistic girl Jhilmil played by Priyanka Chopra also share a different level of romance in the movie. Jhilmil seeks freedom after she had been confined to the walls of her room for being autistic. Her parents eying the property of the grandfather which would be bequeathed to Jhilmil, bring her back from the special home. She could be great trouble to her parents but Barfi learns to control her with his genuine care and love.

The story gets convoluted as it moves to Calcutta, and then boggles you with a bank robbery and the much awaited ending of a novel triangle of love which is more sweet than bitter is better watched on the screen.

Analysis :

Needless to mention, attempting a movie that would hit the 100 crore mark with disabled lead characters is an audacious move in itself and Anurag Basu had performed the feat the best anyone could. Script and story are pretty sound without mistakes that you can make out unless you are nitpicky. Characters are also well built and and so lovably performed by the actors that you would miss them after the movie.

I'm probably crabbing when I say pleasant movie could have been perfect if the plot was a little simpler with the kidnapping scene considering the narrative and not so straight-forward theme of the movie; but maybe that is just me. Another small flaw is that Jhilmil's love for Barfi is well explained but not the other way around. What attracts him to Jhilmil? Like most movies today, the length could be a bit long but not much of a complaint. Dialogues are just apt for the and not drab or flamboyant.

Coming to the role of the creator, except for the few flaws mentioned which are also nit-picky issues, Anrag Basu did a wonderful job with the movie. I might not have said the same if the movie had a different director. Thoroughly entertaining. Ravi Verma cinematography is commendable with the vibrant feel to the movie which could have been dull otherwise.

Pritam's music does a good job but feels ingenuous as it reminds you of In The Mood For Love very often. No complaints on Akiv Ali’s editing.

Performance :

Ranbir Kapoor knows no limits when it comes to learning from experiences, he delivers in Barfi too. With a character given no dialogues at all; Barfi, my friends, doesn't count as a dialogue, it is definitely hard to come out with flying colors. A tough challenge for actors is to impress with just expressions but it is a walk in the park for Ranbir. Though the action of Ranbir appears to be influenced by Charlie Chaplin, especially due to the lack of speech, the personal touch of flair from Ranbir makes it humorous. Well done. Priyanka Chopra, as expected, performs extremely well as Jhilmil. At times you would never realize she was not autistic in real life too. Ileana D Cruz does well for a debut and her acting is more than fine, but her character appears to be incomplete. Saurabh Shukla is a master at his role playing the enraged and irritated policeman behind Barfi for his lifetime in the movie. Bhola Raj Sapkota and Akash Khurana are adorable as Barfi’s friend and father respectively.

Final Word: Barfi is a movie that leaves a lasting impression in your mind with the adorable and warm characters, a different romance and love. The emotional scenes brings you to the verge of shedding a teardrop or two. A must watch, recommended by us.