U, Bomsi n Me Review {1.5/5} & Review Rating
Most debutante directors opt for stories that are easily identifiable. U, BOMSI N ME, directed by Jairaj Padmanabhan, is one such film. The story as well as the characters are the sort that one witnesses in day-to-day life, but the problem with the film is that it rests on a thin plot.
All that U, BOMSI N ME does is talk of three married men and the problems each face with their respective spouses. And they overcome the odds much before the film concludes. You expect some twists in the tale, especially towards the pre-climax [like most Indian films], but nothing of the sort happens.
Though U, BOMSI N ME has been shot well and perhaps the urban audiences may even identify with the goings-on, the story is ideally suited for the television format. The movie-going audiences, even in big cities, lack the patience to absorb a theme that's too simplistic and spiceless.
Raghavan or Rags [a Tamilian; Vivek Madan] is clumsy, loves watching cricket and drinking beer. He is married to Raji [Kranti Redkar], a statistics lecturer who hates cricket and is obsessive about cleanliness.
Bomsi [Bobby Bahal] is an aggressive, chain-smoking guy [a Parsi] who wants to be rich and buy a house in a Parsi colony. He is married to Shenaaz [Vidya Malvade], a salesperson in a fashion magazine who wants to have a baby. But they are unable to conceive.
Sam Mac Patel [half Gujju-half Punju; Gautam Rode] is a radio jockey who wants to be a writer and a famous one at that. He is married to Monica [Sonal Sehgal], an airhostess and hence always traveling. When they are together, Sam wants to go out while Monica wants to cuddle up with Sam and watch mushy movies. Because of long days of separation, they sometimes suspect each other of infidelity.
Rags, Bomsi and Sam work in an FM radio station called Radio Jalva as Operations, Sales and Programming heads, respectively and are in their first three years of marriage. The story revolves around them trying their best to deal with the conflicts in their married lives and their professional pressures.
In essence, U, BOMSI N ME reminds you of the male bonding of DIL CHAHTA HAI. But the problem lies in its screenplay, which offers a few interesting sequences, besides the pace that fluctuates like the sensex.
A few individualistic sequences have been expertly handled, especially the humorous ones. But the humor is the type that would appeal more to the elite than a commoner [although the story is of three commoners]. Another problem with the film is its pacing, which gets too slow and cumbersome in the post-interval portions.
Debutante director Jairaj Padmanabhan seems to know the technicalities of film-making right, but he ought to know that the viewer years for a spell-binding story at the end of the day. To keep the viewer hooked for two hours should be uppermost on any storyteller's mind, which Padmanabhan must learn to rectify in his forthcoming endeavors. Music is pleasant and the songs come at the right places. Cinematography [Hari Nair] is of standard.
U, BOMSI N ME stars new faces mainly, but the performances are devoid of rawness. The three men -- Gautam Rode, Bobby Bahal and Vivek Madan -- are complete natural.
Gautam, who made his debut in ANNARTH [with Sanju, Suniel], has evolved as an actor. He is excellent in [emotional] sequences when his wife walks out on him. Bobby is first-rate, very lovable as a simple Parsi. The actor gets into the skin of the character and delivers a fine performance. Vivek is a revelation. The actor, who had a substantial role in KAL - YESTERDAY & TOMORROW, is tremendous in this film as well.
Vidya Malvade is admirable as a woman who craves to have a baby. Sonal Sehgal and Kranti Redkar are competent as well. Kenny Desai [as the boss] is able.
On the whole, U, BOMSI N ME is more for the elite/metro viewer than the commoner. At the box-office, the film has been released without any hype or hoopla whatsoever, which will make the effort go unnoticed. The generous usage of English language will also curtail its reach.
