102 Not Out Review: An endearing father-son tale that hits all the right note
Helmed by Umesh Shukla, 102 Not Out revolves around a 75-year-old son and his 102-year-old father.
By Mohnish Singh - May 2, 2018
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan,Rishi Kapoor,Jimit Trivedi
Director: Umesh Shukla
Rating: 4/5
Positive Points: Performances, Direction, Screenplay
Negative Points: None
102 Not Out Plot:
Aged 102, Dattatraya Vakharia (Amitabh Bachchan) is a sprightly peppy man who wants to break the record for the oldest person in the world, which was once held by a Chinese man. When he tries to find out what led the Chinese man live so long, he comes to know that he never had company of boring things or people. When Dattatraya looks around, the only boring person he finds in his house is his 75-year-old son Babulal Vakharia (Rishi Kapoor). Contrary to the ill-practice of children sending their parents to old age home, Dattatraya decides to set a new precedent; he wants to get rid of his spiritless and unenthusiastic son by sending him to an old age home. When Babulal, wearied of the sameness of her life, feebly protests, Dattatraya agrees to allow him to continue living with him but only on one condition. What happens next forms the crux of the story.
102 Not Out Performance Review:
102 Not Out is headlined by two of the biggest stars of Indian cinema – Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor – who are known to have played a diverse range of characters in their four-decades long career. The Umesh Shukla directorial really belongs to these two terrific performers who prove that old is always gold. Last seen together in Shashi Kapoor’s Ajooba, the actors share the screen space after a massive gap of 27 years, but their onscreen presence is such enthralling in the film that you will feel they have been living their respective roles in real-life as well. Jimit Trivedi, who is a big name in Gujarati cinema, is alo brilliant in the film. Despite being surrounded by two thespians of Hindi cinema, he does not look nervous in their formidable presence and plays his part sincerely and with a lot of effectiveness.
102 Not Out Direction Review:
Umesh Shukla shot to fame after the runaway success of his 2012 film Oh My God! After Oh My God, he helmed All Is Well which sank at the box-office without a trace. Now, he is all set to face the audience with a slice-of-life film about a spirited father and his sweet and sour relationship with his boring father. His film is engaging, humorous and, at the same time, very inspirational. It is very beautiful exploration of family, friendship and relationships. The director had Bachchan and Kapoor as his leads, and he takes out best from both the legendary actors. It benefits hugely from their impassioned performances.
Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor may be the biggest names attached to 102 Not Out, but it is really writer of the film, Saumya Joshi, who has ingeniously adapted a Gujarati play into a motion picture with such panache. There are many moments in the film that linger long after you have come out of the theatre.
102 Not Out Technical Aspect Review:
The film has been mounted on a moderate scale simply because that was its requirement. Camerawork by Laxman Utekar is good. The film runs just for 102 minutes and that is the best thing about it. Editor Bodhaditya Banerjee cuts the film sharply without compromising on its essence.
102 Not Out Final Verdict:
How can one miss the golden opportunity of watching Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor together on the silver screen? Well, that is not the only temptation here; the film has much more than that to pull you in its world. From exceptional performances to competent direction and, most importantly, strong writing, 102 Not Out has a lot of spices to make your experience a delicious one.
