Tere Bin Laden Movie Review: A Whacko Movie that makes sense!!!

What exactly was Abhishek Sharma the writer and director of Tere Bin Laden(TBL from here on) smoking while conceptualizing the movie? Well this was the first question that came to my mind while I saw the first look and promos and read about the movie. The concept not only made me think aloud and smile, it also made me wonder what the trigger to conceive such a concept was. So needless to say this was a movie that I eagerly anticipated. But then something happened that kind of dampened my spirits a little. I got to know that TBL was scheduled for release on the 16th of July, 2010. A day that was also going to see the release ofInception, Udaan & Lamhaa- movies which for various reasons of their own were already making waves.

So I was at once even more curious as to whether Walkwater Media, the producers of TBL and Boney Kapoor’s BSK Network and Entertainment Pvt.Ltd, the distributors across India ( and who hold all the rights for the movie except the overseas rights ) were doing the right thing by choosing to release the movie this way. Well more on that later my friends. TBL begins with Ali Haasan, a reporter trying to shift from Pakistan to the U.S and very nearly getting successful in his effort. But a freak incident on board the flight ends up with Ali getting deported back to Pakistan. After that no matter however hard he tries to get his visa approved (watch out for some wonderful getups attempted) he is unable to get through the hurdle.

The story shifts to a period 7 years later and we now see Ali working as a reporter for Danka T.V, a small non descript T.V channel in Karachi run by a boss Majeed ( Piyush Mishra ), who is forever trying to make the life of his employees miserable. Giving Ali company is his cameraman-friend, Gul (played by a cheerful Nikhil Ratnaparkhi) and we get to see the boring life of Ali and Gul. Boring? Yes indeed boring as Ali still dreams of moving to the U.S and decides to take the help of Lashker- e- Amreeka, an outfit that aims to help people relocate to the U.S by hook or crook.

In one of the ‘blockbuster assignments’ given by Majeed, Ali and Gul are made to cover a rooster crowing/croaking contest. That’s where they chance upon Noora (Pradhuman Singh ) , a poultry farmer who bears an uncanny resemblance to Osama Bin Laden. In his quest to raise money for his gateway to the U.S Ali decides to make use of Noora without realizing the implications of his plan. What follows then is a mad cap adventure filled with plenty of laugh aloud moments throughout the film.

While the entire concept in itself needs to be lauded what is also important to note that this is a movie completely based in Pakistan and is telling a local story based in that country. For those who may think what’s so great about the whole deal let me remind you that most of our films are either based in India or it’s an Indian story based in some overseas location. How often do we get to see an Indian movie about a story belonging to another Nation and coming across impressively as well? This very fact itself makes me respect Abhishek Sharma all the more.

Also praiseworthy is the way Karachi/Pakistan has got recreated in our own Hyderabad. Yes at times the production values appear low and that’s evident in a lot of scenes. But rather than distracting us they actually add on to the mad cap masti that’s being played on in front of us. Santosh Thundiyil’s camera work is impressive be it while taking us through the eyes of the T.V cameras or even otherwise. And how can I not talk about the music of the film.The songs by Shankar-Ehsan-Loy and Dhruv Dhalla are completely in sync with the temperament of the film. With songs like ‘Ullu Da Pattha’, ‘I Love Amreeka’ etc you realize that the movie is certainly a fun ride all the way.

Talking about the cast then it’s mandatory to mention that Ali Zafar completely lives out the role of Ali, the reporter. He is certainly an actor with potential and could soon become another singer- actor to gain prominence provided he chooses the right projects. Pradhuman Singh not only is a wonderful look-alike of Osama Bin Laden, he’s also a delight in the role of Noora, the poultry farmer in love with his chicken and eggs. TBL is a great example of the fact getting the casting right goes a long way in ensuring that the movie turns out well.

This is illustrated when we look at the supporting cast members, all of whom have done justice to their part. Nikhil Ratnaparkhi as Gul, the cameraman-friend of Ali, Piyush Mishra as Majeed- the owner of Danka T.V, Sugandha Gargas Zoya- the beautician/make up specialist, Chirag Vohra as Lateef- the punching bag of Majeed, Rahul Singh as the communist Radio announcer, Barry John as Ted are all very natural and lend credence to their characters.

With a running time of less than 100 minutes, this is one movie I guarantee that will not make you complain about the pace being sluggish at times . What is also interesting to note that is that considering the subject of the film there could have been some controversial elements thrown in, as it’s the case generally. So it’s definitely to the credit of Abhishek Sharma and the producers for completely being restrained and sticking completely to the original framework very clearly.

At the time of writing this post I’ve realized that in spite of stiff competition from films like Inception, Udaan and Lamhaa there is still a positive buzz getting generated for TBL. So while there is no big director, a major International film festival entry or a big star cast attached to TBL, the movie is still earnest in wanting to reach out to us and tell us the tale of Ali and the World around him. Go watch this and I hope you’ll come out of the theatre/multiplex with a smile on your face.

Originally published in PFC- http://passionforcinema.com/tere-bin-laden-movie-review-a-whacko-movie-that-makes-sense/