Just an ordinary family

At last a film that ranks high on humour. Papa The Great is the surprise this season: a simple film with a good storyline. It's an example...

At last a film that ranks high on humour. Papa The Great is the surprise this season: a simple film with a good storyline. It’s an example of how script and direction make every-day happenings come to life. Both winning aspects are credited to K Bhagyaraj, whose previous success was Aakhri Raasta.

Every man is a hero to his little son. So when Kishen Kumar tells his kid a bedtime story about a fire-breathing dragon, the child likens him to a knight in shining armour who slays the dragon and saves humanity. Thank God they postponed the release of the film, though, or the kid wouldn’t be fooled either.

The interesting thing is that Kishen Kumar is the kind who couldn’t say boo to a goose. He only vents his ire on film posters and by kickstarting his scooter. For all the bravery he feigns in his child’s presence, he cannot enter a dark room or confront meddlesome neighbours or rebuke a junior worker who places his load on Kishen Kumar’s head until he finishes a smoke.The drama begins when Kishen Kumar witnesses villain Satyaprakash commit murder, and upon a little insistence from his wife and the police, the simpleton testifies to the facts in court. However, the killer escapes from police custody and now wants to wreak his wrath on the witness.

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But a situation that is otherwise grim has been interspersed with sparkling humour. The episodes centred around Kishen Kumar’s cowardice are funny, and so are those surrounding the death threats. He stares at his wife Nagma’s mangalsutra, wondering whether she will have it on for very long, while she follows his gaze and blushes coyly. He rushes to buy an insurance policy for a big amount, saying he’ll have to pay just one premium.

Then he’ll be dead! His fears make Nagma ask the police to inform him that the killer’s been captured. When Kishen Kumar is attacked after this assurance, he accuses his wife of being desperate for the insurance money!Sadly, the end mars much of the film’s impact. The scenes following the entry of Shatrughan Sinha are violent and melodramatic. Much venom and blood is spilt, and Kishen Kumar’s transformation into a He-Man who fights the killer and his cronies single-handedly is unbelievable.

The six songs in Papa The Great stand strong on Nikhil-Vinay’s melodies, which manage to mask Faaiz Anwar’s substandard lyrics. Harbhajan Mann’s Husn jawani malomaal is the best number. Of course, the film is Bhushan Kumar’s tribute to his papa, Gulshan Kumar. At another level, Papa The Great would seem to say that the world does not belong to "beautiful" people. Kishen Kumar lisps, child artiste Bobby looks ordinary, and Nagma is the quintessential Indian woman whom Hindi cinema believes in. But they are a family, and this is a family film.