Masand: 'Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap' a lazy film

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Prakash Raj, Hema Malini, Raveena Tandon

Director: Puri Jagannadh

'Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap' is positioned as the ultimate wet-dream for Amitabh Bachchan fans. Indeed it's a loving showcase for the almost 69-year-old actor who gets to demonstrate to the world that he can still sing and dance and beat up the bad guys in style. (Not that we needed any convincing). The film's director, Puri Jagannadh admits in the closing credits that the film's been made by a fan, and is meant especially for fans of the evergreen superstar. Discerning viewers, more than likely, will wish the film had a little more to offer in terms of an engaging plot and interesting characters, in addition to the unabashed Bachchan-worship.

The story of this film is merely incidental. All you need to know is that Bachchan stars as Viju, a veteran Mumbai sharpshooter who returns to the city after a hiatus in Paris, and seeks employment in a gangster's team. The plot is padded with such supporting characters as an ex-wife, an obsessive admirer, an inquisitive landlady, a menacing gangster, and a young cop. Each of them gets a fair share of screen-time, especially the cop (played by Sonu Sood) and the bad guy (played by Prakash Raj); but make no mistake, they're side players in a one-man show.

Dressed outrageously, in mostly white suits and floral shirts, accessorised with multi-colored scarves and a pair of watches, Bachchan parodies some of his older films, the characters he played in them, and the lines he made famous. It's a joy to watch him when he's in on the joke, but when the film takes a turn for the serious, you realise exactly how silly the whole enterprise is. It is to the actor's credit alone that he keeps you in your seat even as the film's nonsensical plot unfolds at a lazy pace.

'Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap' gets tiresome after a point, and the problem here is overkill. There is just so much fun you can have watching the Big B beat up men half his age. Raveena Tandon is goofy as his long-time admirer, but the laughs wear thin when she flutters her eyelashes and practically drools over him for the fourth time in an hour. In contrast, the understated romantic track with Hema Malini is what the word 'chemistry' was invented to describe.

Amitabh Bachchan, the star, deserves a better tribute than Bbuddah. If you're an unconditional fan though, you'll make your peace with this one. I'm going with two out of five for director Puri Jagannadh's 'Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap'. It's an inoffensive but lazy film that barely scratches the surface of this big, bright shining star.

Rating: 2 / 5

Write your review and win prizes

Winners:

Divyasha, Bhubaneswar

Mahesh, Hyderabad.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)