A Feature film is a good medium of entertainment. And therefore some film makers have used this medium to convey timely message through their films, besides offering the required entertainment. Director Umesh Shukla is one of them. After directing films like ‘Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge’,’ Oh My God’ and ‘All is Well’, this time he has offered a film ‘102 Not Out’ which is based on the Gujarati play written by Saumya Joshi.
‘102Not Out’ is the story of a father Dattatray Vakharia and son Babulal Vakharia who live together in an old ancestral bungalow in Mumbai suburbs. While Babulal at 75 seems very much concerned about his health, with regular visits to doctor, his happy go lucky father at 102 is keen on breaking the world record of his Chinese counterpart who is 118 years old. Both of them live together but cannot get along with each other, due to their contrasting ways of looking at life. Watching the depressed mood of his son, the father suggests him to move to home for aged. Baburao has lost his wife after suffering from Alzheimer some years ago and his only selfish son Amol who lives is USA for almost 30 years , not finding time to even visit his mother while she was on death bed.
Realizing the selfish motive of his grandson and his proposed visit to India after 30 years, only to stake his claim in their ancestral property, Dattatray makes his son Babulal dance to his tunes to make him realize the motive behind his son’s visit to India. Babulal who agrees to all his father’s conditions, only to avoid being sent to the home for aged, shows his reluctance to stop his son from entering their home. However, with the happening of event in the climax of the film, brings that required courage in him, which also changes his outlook towards life.
‘102 Not Out’ has a good subject to offer and the director has given full justice to the story, by combining comedy with emotions to offer entertainment with a message. Both Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor being versatile actors, have put in their hearts into their respective characters to offer splendid performances. Good support comes from Jimit Trivedi, who plays an equally important character of Dhiru, a young salesman from a neighborhood medical shop and a regular visitor to Vakharia house . In fact, it is through his expressions the audience enjoy every moment in this film. Though the story of this film is more suited to a stage play, director Umesh Shukla has taken few cinematic liberties with the help of some outdoor scenes. But, overall he has focused more on the two legends, to extract the best out of them. By the way, this duo were seen together in the past in many successful films and with this film they have returned together to entertain their fans after a long time. Certainly a worth watch film for all.
Rating (****)