Not only is this delightfully sumptuous movie low on sugar, it also adds no calories, meaning this should be on everyone’s wish list! Take a good deal of Amitabh Bachchan, add a dash of Tabu, stir in a little Zora Sehgal and season with some Paresh Rawal. What you get is Cheeni Kum. And do not forget the garnish, but that we will discuss later.
Rating: 
The best part of the movie is its unpretentiousness – it never claims to be a rib tickling or gut busting type of movie. On the contrary, even the promotions only exhibit the dry wit and veiled sarcasm that make you chuckle. A very mature film, everything about it is understated, but tasteful.
The movie is about an unusual relationship of a romantic nature that develops between a 32 year old woman and a man twice her age. Buddhadev (Amitabh Bachchan) is a chef who prides his restaurant as being the house of finest Indian cuisine in London . Like most men his age, the 64 year old man is quite full of himself and rarely listens to anyone else. He also enjoys it when everyone jumps at the mere mention of his name and he has great difficulty in apologizing. Understandably, he has no friends, apart from a young nine year old neighbor named sexy (Swini Khanna). What a wonderfully appropriate name for a child, but we might as well not mind as the significance of the name is gravely overshadowed by the knowledge that the girl is suffering from blood cancer. One day it so happens that the chef’s kitchen gets a returned order and angered by this, Buddhadev has an argument with the unappreciative customer – Neena (Tabu). Later on, he realizes that it was his fault and this sparks off a mutual attraction between the two. Soon, they decide to marry. The only hitch is that Neena’s father (Paresh Rawal) is dead against it.
The movie is a progression of the relationship and the various stages that Buddhadev has to pass through. The main crux is that as the chances for his relationship begin to look better, the child’s health deteriorates. The climax shows the father of the bride accepting the situation and the child passing away. A rather emotional ending, but a beautiful one nonetheless.
Acting – well everyone has done a great job and considering the caliber of all those involved, it is no surprise. But the star of the show is undoubtedly Mr. Bachchan who has given an exemplary performance. He has captured the essence of the dictatorial chef to the tee and has given a beautiful performance. The only true competition that he has is from the little bundle of talent – Swini Khanna – the garnish we were talking about. This child is custom made for the camera because even at this tender age she is able to emote so easily. Actors three times her age have trouble doing this and she is already a pro.
R Balakrishnan has done exceptionally well with this movie and gets everyone to give a good performance. For a debut, one could not hope for a better film. But then again, he is the one who made it all happen.
Recommendation? Great if you are starved for a good movie.
Rating:
© hamaraphotos.com
This one I want to see. More so coz of Tabu and Paresh than Big B 😛
Big B went down my scale of adoration after some of the movies he did recently. 🙁
cute movie. everybody watch it. Paresh is superb in comedy and AB ka to kya kehena.
Pathetic movie with a pathetic story line. Looks like AB has decided to make all the old men of this country sex starved, by starring in movies like Nishabd and this one. No sensible gal would fall for a 65 year old man and no father will let his daughter marry such an old man.
For the sake of making “different” movies, these people are spoiling the Indian values. I read on some other site that this movie is of the similar lines on movies of Hrishikesh Mukherkjee. Hrishida would have died 1000 deaths after seeing that such a crap movies are compared to his classics like Golmal.
This movie has notthing to do with sex. Its a comedy and fun entertainment. This should be compared with films like nishabd where they showed AB as a drooling old man over a teenager. I recommend this movie.
Hi this is madhu and I hope that everyone is fine. According to me this is a wonderful movie. mm….. not only wonderful but you can say so much-excellent,good,verygood,fantastic,fabulous,marvellous,etc. in acting everyone was superb and especially our king amibachch. But i feel that this was the only movie that touched my heart and i enjoyed the most. the jokes were really good. ssss… ahh.. i have forgotten something that is about the wongoodsuprebmarvellous music which was marvellous. Atlast i enjoyed the movie. so well i think that this is enough to make you all eager to see the movie. so i wish that definitely this movie will be hit and should win an award. i recommend the movie
The movie did not not have a good review in CNN IBN but I have booked the tickets in INOX CHENNAI and went to the movie with a negative feeling ,also the review was not good from mumbai relatives.I tell you the movie is an excellent movie and critics are wrong .The acting, re-recording ,songs are so good which the BOLLYWOOD have never experienced particularly the re-recording in climax qutab minar scene where the legends AMITAB and IILAYARAJA have differentiated HAPPY and SAD moments in a class which require a class to identify such performance.I sincerly advice not miss this movie which is one of the best movie I have seen in my lifetime.
Looks like ppl wanna make different movie however poor the script idea is. And how can you have some one’s name as “Sexy” even if its a little gal ?
Already there are enough old men oggling at young gals like me, now they will get great encouragement after seeing such sick movies.
This is hillarious…
On another site I read about an upcoming movie starring AB and Aishwarya
Old man aged 65 falls in love with his 34 year old daughter-in-law
Great theme, right ? So “different” and “bold” ! I am sure all critics and so called liberals will love the movie !
Only AB could carry off this sauve hard bitten patronising character with such elan. His son…would need to be reborn a million times to come anywhere close to his BAAP ! the delhi stint in the movie…with the ann shun etc…was too long n a tad boring…the first half was far “pacier”. All in all…good movie
n how on earth can ppl call this movie sleazy??? the sexes have always ogled each other…age no bar. why cant we stop sitting on some stupid moral high horse n see a movie for what it is? what was so “licentious” that this film was “promoting” ?? not a single “cheap” comment was passed…not a single ogling glance. i remember this movie..namkeen…was it..? with 3 lusty old men … forever trying to get laid …that movie is seen as a classic…when i found it distasteful… ..what is age after all….what is anything in a consensual legitimate relationship that is not harming a third party??
Very nicely said Behenji. Comics are comics. Simply enjoy them.