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Luckily, Bachaana is a film that doesn't need saving

Luckily, Bachaana is a film that doesn't need saving

It's fun, light and full of action. As long as you don't expect much depth you'll walk away entertained
Updated 26 Feb, 2016

Bachaana is an old-school Cary Grant type of romantic comedy: fast-paced and full of great one-liners.

The plot is somewhat predictable but that's secondary – Bachaana is all about the chase. The film tells the story of an Indian girl, Alia, who finds herself on the run from drug dealers and Vicky, the Pakistani taxi driver who helps her.

Starring Sanam Saeed and Mohib Mirza and set in Mauritius, Bachaana is a mélange of action-packed chases, gorgeous scenery and palpable chemistry between the two co-stars.

One of the biggest talking points prior to the film’s release was its tagline “Larki Larki hoti hai”, apparently indicating a chauvinistic stance that a girl needs a man to save her. In actual fact, the film features a gloriously spunky heroine who is both athletic and intelligent.

She sails through a jump that Vicky executes in slow-motion, action hero style and she does as much saving as being saved. Vicky is heroic by turns but he is by no means a cardboard cut-out action man, nor is Alia a languishing weakling.

The cross-border romance element meanwhile is treated with a light touch, depicted mainly through a series of jokes. This is not a movie that delves into angst or unnecessary drama.

In terms of the relationship between Alia and Vicky, she moves from refusing to talk to him because he's Pakistani to grudgingly employing him to trusting him implicitly fairly quickly. However, having a guy help you dodge bullets probably has that effect!

The plot does have its faults: there are instances where plausibility is sacrificed in the name of convenience but that is often par for the course in films where action is the core focus. I hesitate to say more because I don't want to give away what few plot twists there are. Suffice to say you have to suspend disbelief at some points and avoid asking questions like “Is Mauritius that small? How do the villains keep finding them?”

Despite flaws in the storyline, this is a film that will charm you. Alia and Vicky are both plausible, well-depicted characters and their travels around the island are full of romance and humour.

One of Bachaana’s biggest strengths is that it doesn’t degenerate into Bollywood-style farce aimed at the lowest common denominator. There are no ridiculous characters added for ‘comic effect’ – the humour blends seamlessly into the action with the emphasis on verbal comedy rather than slapstick.


Sanam Saeed and Mohib Mirza prove they can handle comedy well. Mirza particularly excels with his droll expressions


Mohib Mirza and Sanam Saeed’s strong performances make the film, particularly as the remaining characters are peripheral at best. Sanam Saeed has shown her acting prowess in a range of drama serials, unafraid to tackle controversial and negative roles. Bachaana sees her in a much more light-hearted avatar and shows she combines acting ability with great comic timing. Her portrayal of Alia is spot-on from the beginning, depicting her pluck and vulnerability equally well.

Mohib Mirza has also shown great versatility in recent years, from his position as the presenter of Pakistan Idol to a more serious role last year in Dukhtar. He is very good as the reluctant hero Vicky, an engaging mix of bravado, comic patter and ardour. While he handles the action sequences well, he particularly excels with his droll expressions. The scene where Alia makes him ask a woman about the extent of her relationship with Adeel Hashmi’s character is hilarious. Adeel Hashmi also deserves an honorable mention for managing to ooze menace despite having minimal dialogue.


Another reason the film succeeds is its relatively few song and dance numbers. Keeping these to a minimum kept the length of the movie down and the audience engaged.


Director Nasir Khan has done a good job. He is visually articulate and draws you into the story seamlessly. From the chase sequences to the romantic interludes, each scene is shot with style. Some of his cinematographic tricks were a tad precious and pat — linking scenes together with shots of an address on a piece of paper is overkill. But for the most part, his use of technique is more understated and slips under the radar, just as it should, creating that old-school atmosphere and subtly enhancing the movie. There are a LOT of chase scenes in the movie but it is to Khan’s credit that he manages to vary them enough to keep pace of the movie sharp.

Another reason the film feels crisp is the lack of songs breaking up the action. The soundtrack actually consists of only three numbers. Two of these, 'Yaari' and 'Bachaana,' are played as background music and only 'Koi Labda' gets the full-on Bollywood- style treatment. While the song itself is romantic, the stylized depiction actually slowed the pace of movie. Keeping song-and-dance numbers to a minimum kept the length of the movie down and the audience engaged.

Bachaana is the latest addition to Pakistani films' renaissance and it has a lot to recommend it.

Visually stunning, Bachaana combines spirited stars, running gags and playful banter for an entertaining experience. Roll with flaws in the plot and enjoy the ride. Bachaana is an excellent choice for either date night or for a family movie night. It may not be a film that touches your soul, but it is a light-hearted action comedy with a fabulous feel-good factor.

Verdict: 7.5/10

Comments

yarana Feb 26, 2016 03:35pm
I can not wait to see this movie
Recommend
Umair Feb 26, 2016 04:41pm
Finally the wait is over!
Recommend
syed Feb 26, 2016 04:48pm
Highly impressed with the latest Pakistani movies.Quantum leap from movies made in Lahore in the past.Recently watched another very good movie Ho Man Jahaan.
Recommend
Jay Feb 26, 2016 04:51pm
Where have I heard this story before?
Recommend
Anupam Feb 26, 2016 05:05pm
Copy of Bajrangi. Stop copying India. No one will ever watch this in India.
Recommend
Aamer Feb 26, 2016 05:16pm
@Anupam No its a different movie, dont compare it with that Bajrangi Bhai jan
Recommend
SA Chandio Feb 26, 2016 05:20pm
How come this movie is not being released in US !! last time we watched all movie, jpna,bin roye even Ho Mann jahan and those movies did pretty good amount of business in North America .
Recommend
Aamer Feb 26, 2016 05:31pm
Why arnt they releasing this movie in the UK??????
Recommend
Madhusudan Feb 26, 2016 06:00pm
Pakistanis should watch Aligarh
Recommend
nurul huda Feb 26, 2016 06:04pm
Typical masala movie, Such kind of movie is made very rarely in pakistan, so audience will like it if they keep in mind the improving of pakistani film industry instead of comparing bollywood masala. 7-8 yrs back i was watching south indian movie for the first time and i was very impressed to see the scale of the movies as they are regional films. After watching few more movies, comparing between bollywood and south movies automatically in my mind and slowly i started ignored because when you compare these industries, there is huge difference between scale of the movies and realistic matter. Fortunately, there is no that difference between these two giant film industries. Therefore, if you watch towards perception of pakistani movie then you would love. With all due respect, now a days indian critics give such movie very low rating maximum 2.5/5.
Recommend
tipu Feb 26, 2016 06:30pm
@nurul huda These movies are not being made get Indian ratings my friend.These are made to revive pakistan film industry which once was booming,
Recommend
nurul huda Feb 26, 2016 07:22pm
@tipu dude, hope you didn't get the point. what you said is the same point what i mentioned. Subject: revival of pakistani film industry, right?
Recommend
Sanjiv Datt Feb 26, 2016 09:29pm
@nurul huda. clueless comment.
Recommend
SARMAD KHARAL Feb 27, 2016 12:05am
I hope this movie will be a great addition to the revival of industry . Pakistan Film industry should try to differentiate itself from the shadow of Bollywood and develop its own identity. Our Film makers should take aspiration from Hollywood in term script writing , direction style and graphics Pakistani Music has its own identity since Ameer Khusro ;therefore, they must used this exceptional tool to empower Film industry
Recommend
Ali Feb 27, 2016 12:40am
Just watched it..its nice and recommended. 8.5/10 for me.
Recommend
Jibboo Feb 27, 2016 12:53pm
Our expectations have become so low, that very insipid, run-of-the-mill, highly predictable "damsel in distress" kind of stuff is to be considered nice?
Recommend
BNS Feb 27, 2016 06:55pm
From the review the movie looked interesting. Would definitely watch it. We just need aesthetically pleasant, fun and entertaining movie even if it is slightly unrealistic or exaggerating. We are ok without very serious drama, we get enough of that in real life. However, music has to be good.
Recommend
henna khan Feb 28, 2016 10:38pm
saw 2nd show on friday. jam packed and full paisa wasool. pays every sec of ur time loved mirzaz proformance beyond it all
Recommend
KaKa Feb 29, 2016 09:39am
Way to go with this movie...keep up the good work HUM. Sanam seems little raw but she is get better with time.
Recommend
khuram Feb 29, 2016 02:10pm
lighthearted comedy with wonderful acting by the lead and good direction. Plot was fine, overall its a good package, perfect for the families.
Recommend