Zor lagaa ke haiya

“Zor Lagaa Ke Haila” is a cute and creative take on a serious environmental issue. Though it appears to be aimed at children, it also appeals to the child in every adult. This is mainly because of the bright, sparkling package, which makes the moral palatable without seeming too preachy.

The film revolves around five children who build a tree-house. A beggar, whom they nickname ‘Ravan’, gatecrashes into it. However, they soon befriend him. A villainous builder has plans to cut down their tree, but the children, with the help of the beggar, manage to save it in the end.

The story-line is interesting, but what makes the film stand out is the ambience. The viewer is called upon to suspend her disbelief, and appraise the movie as if she were a child. Hence, the devices of the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ extremes are brought out with great effect. The poor but ‘good’ beggar is pitted against the rich but ‘bad’ builder. From a child’s point of view, the larger-than-life characters and slapstick seem to work.

The children’s performance is refreshing, but Mithun Chakraborty and Gulshan Grover ham their roles badly. Mumbai also seems to have been prettified. The portrayal of some ill-effects of degradation could have helped to support the theme.

The movie also falters in the end. The last few scenes cross the line from believable child-fantasy into clichéd melodrama. Secondly, it was disappointing to see a creative movie using stock characters, such as the ‘fat’ boy, who is the butt of comic lines, and the ‘dumb, passive’ girl. Incidentally, she is also supposed to add romantic interest----a puzzling, worrisome trend in the portrayal of children’s gangs nowadays!

However, on the whole, Girish Girija Joshi’s debut is promising. Hopefully, the green message may even get across!