Barfi! (2012)

Director: Anurag Basu
Story: Anurag Basu
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana D'Cruz
Music: Pritam
Time: 150 minutes
Bottom-line: Demands patience, but the end result is worth it

Barfi! was India’s submission to the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film of 2012. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D'Cruz in the lead roles. Although there was controversy about this film, as many scenes were copied from other Hollywood films, Barfi! has a charm of its own, and fairly enough ‘original’ material to give a nice family drama.

Ranbir Kapoor as Barfi

The story is told in three timelines – 1972, 1978 and the present day. The film begins in the present, where an old Barfi (Ranbir Kapoor) is seriously ill, and is close to death. Shruti (Ileana) comes to meet him, and so does Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra), an autistic girl. Shruti begins narrating the story of Barfi. 1972, Darjeeling – Barfi meets Shruti, and falls in love immediately. She reciprocates, but her mother forbids her to pursue him. Soon, Shruti moves away to Kolkata. At the same time, Barfi’s tries to kidnap his childhood friend, Jhilmil, hoping to get some money. As the film progresses, we see how the lives of the three characters turn out, until the present day scenario.

Priyanka Chopra as Jhilmil

The story is told in a non-linear narrative, and this is the first Indian film I have seen to make use of this technique in a fairly proper manner. And by that, I mean that the non-linear narrative helps to provide some twists, but it doesn’t really enhance the story. And in many places, due to this, just when you think the film is about to get over, a new sequence begins (which at times, is really irritating!). The story starts out in a simple way, but then gets way too complicated at times. But in the end, there don’t seem to be any loopholes, and it was a clean (albeit long) film.

Ranbir Kapoor has done a superb job; and I consider this his best role so far, perhaps second to his role as Harpreet Singh in Rocket Singh. Priyanka Chopra is almost unrecognisable (in terms of appearance) in the film, but she too, has given a remarkable performance. Ileana D’Cruz has a comparatively smaller role, but she has done well. Ranbir Kapoor, in many scenes, has copied the ‘classic’ moves of Charlie Chaplin. The director said that this was a ‘tribute’ to the legend, but I didn’t think so; seemed to me like a clear case of copying than paying a tribute.

Ileana D'Cruz as Shruti

Pritam’s score was excellent, as were the songs. I particularly liked the ones ‘Aashiyan’ and ‘Phir le Aaya Dil’. So, while Barfi! excels in acting, screenplay and music, the story occasionally drags. But still, the film is well worth a watch if you haven’t seen any of Chaplin’s films, for if you have, you might feel that Ranbir shouldn’t have copied Chaplin. But, with all its positives, Barfi! is a fun ride!

My Rating: 3.5/5