Chintu Ka Birthday
Cast: Vinay Pathak, Tillotama Shome, Seema Pahwa
Directors: Devanshu Singh, Satyanshu Singh
Rating: 3.5
Platform: Zee5
What comes to your mind when you think about a birthday party? A family get-together or a superhero-themed bash? We live in the 21st century and have easy access to things we want to do. But in recent days, we all have realised that no amount of money and technology can buy us comfort or luxurious when the hard time hits. And that's what makes 'Chintu Ka Birthday' an eye-opener.
This All India Bakchod (AIB) production on Zee5, revolves around a six-year-old boy, Chintu, who is keen to celebrate his birthday. While his parents, sister and grandmom are all engrossed in planning a perfect birthday for the Chintu, which he has been craving for more than a year, the story eventually unfolds with a loud thud.
Storyline:
Written and directed by Satyanshu and Devanshu Singh and produced by the men behind AIB, Chintu Ka Birthday is a story of a middle-class family, hailing from Bihar and settled in Baghdad, Iraq. It's a perfect example of being stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Trapped in Baghdad, amid the constant attacks and bombarding due to insurgency, a family is trying to celebrate the birthday of a little boy. Vinay Pathak as Madan Tiwary, who travelled to Iraq in order to sell water purifiers in the country and also had his family transferred there, is shown to be stuck in the capital of Iraq, at the times of Saddam's fall.
Though all the Indian families were brought back to India due to the US-Iraq war, Tiwary family got stuck there due to some flaws in the paperwork. Trapped amid the war zone, this family is an epitome of positivity which can be reflected through the brilliant screenplay.
Performances:
The movie has a strong cast with some quintessential actors such as Vinay Pathak as father Tillotama Shome (Sudha Tiwary) as a mother, Seema Pahwa as Nani in the main roles. While Vinay portrays the role of a doting father who is loving, caring towards his kids and family but the same time he's guilty to bring them to Iraq, Shome has aced the role of a perfect mother and a supporting wife who believes that one day, her husband will find a way to take them home. But for me, the show-stealers were the kids, Bisha Chaturvedi as Lakshmi and Vedant Chibber as Chintu.
Their characters have been beautifully written which is vividly obvious in the screen. Bisha, as an elder sister has, is calm, understanding and brilliant in her role, whereas Chintu manages to awestruck the audience with his innocence and dialogues such as 'Zabardast Birthday Banaenge' and 'Papa hum inko cake Nahi Khilaenge'. Seema Pahwa yet again outdid herself in her nagging grandmom avatar, making you miss her character from Kriti Sanon's Bareilly Ki Barfi.
Being trapped amid the difficulties, the way Vinay Pathak managed to keep his family of five together and safe is a treat for sore sight. How a Chintu's father rose to the occasion when the biggest occasion of the year is crashed by some uninvited guest in uniforms, who not just spoil their party but could even destroy their lives, shows that all superheroes don't require a cape.
Watch the trailer:
Takeaways from the movie:
Since we all are trapped our homes amid the lockdown and are winning over pity things, this movie will show you that how when you're with your family, you can turn around the negative events in your favour. Professional actors and even the kids have delivered a brilliant performance and did justice to the storyline. Being brought to you by one of the famous content creators AIB, who have been targeted in the past for adult content with abusive language, through this movie they have proved that they are capable of delivering a gripping story, that can be watched with family.
Setbacks from the movie:
The movie is set in 2004, when insurgency was at the peak in Iraq, with people losing their lives every day, but the movie has failed to emphasise on that part. Shot in India, with Iraq setting, it talked more about what's goes inside the house and we only got to hear the problems that people living in Iraq are facing.
Though the actors did a commendable job, it felt like they were restricted to their roles and there was no room for any surprises. Be it a relationship of a father of a son, or the sudden change of heart of the US soldier, everything seemed to be a little predictable.
Final Verdict:
Trying to fight the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus and facing the natural calamities every now and then, this movie will act as a sweet summer breeze for the viewers.
Chintu Ka Birthday will not only make you appreciate the little things in life but also makes you understand the real goodness that lies within us, which cannot be harmed or affected by any kind of human wars or insurgency. The story is fresh, catchy and will surely put your sorrows aside for a while.
