102 Not Out: A family entertainer without much entertainment
Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor reunite onscreen after 27 years but make little impact, despite stellar performances
PHOTO: PUBLICITY
DUBAI:
Based on the eponymous Gujarati play of the same name, 102 Not Out is the story of 102-year-old Dattatreya Vakharia (Amitabh Bachchan) who threatens his 75-year-old son, an obsessive-compulsive hypochondriac named Baabu (Rishi Kapoor), that he will send him to an old age home unless he fulfills his conditions.
Dattatrya insists that he wants to beat the record of a Chinese man who died at the age of 118. Hoping to clear all the negativity around him, a way through which he can live longer, Baabu would have to go live an old home but he doesn’t want to. In come the stipulations or a series of dares that Dattatrya sets before him. Baabu must do these in order to escape being sent to an old age home.
The problem with converting stage plays into films inevitably relies on how well the initial premise is sold to the audience who is not part of the live action and sees the events unfold on a giant screen instead of a three dimensional stage. While this plot would have been an easy sell to a live theatre audience, on the silver screen, it falters many times. The back and forth between the protagonists, regardless of its relevance and poignant hilarity, is too prolonged, due to which the pace suffers and sends one into a boring loop of unchanging scenes and homogenous, unimplied tension.
This is why the first half of 102 Not Out has little to no intrigue. There are often moments that you expect the director to capitalise on, like the entry of a new character, a new plot trajectory or even a funny dialogue. But none of that happens and the routines and banter continue to be an incessant bore.
I have no legacy to leave behind: Amitabh Bachchan
Even Bachchan and Kapoor’s star power and impeccable performances aren’t able to save the film from being a dud. By the time a few genuine laughs do appear, you have already spent far too much time feeling uninterested. Also, the two leads’ Gujarati accents are unconvincing and there are many points where you can imagine Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal doing the same thing better and more authentically.
Towards the second half, Bachchan proves that he’s still on top of his game. He flawlessly handles somber declarations and heartfelt soliloquies. Quite clearly, it is the second half that saves 102 Not Out from being a total failure - the emotional pulls in the storyline become stronger and far more worth your time. The real and predictable collide reasonably well, even though the ‘theatre play’ feel never really leaves. Baabu’s connection with his own children and a particular church in the film creates a true context of the story and genuine warmth finally makes its way. But these moments are far and few in between. Dhiru’s character is pointless and interjects with funny dialogue and social commentary but for the most part, his comedy and relief are both superfluous since the story is already on a different and powerful emotional path.
Unlike other stage plays that have been converted into film, there are no giant musical numbers to distract one from a restricted plot and scenery. 102 Not Out is a film that would probably be better as a Netflix original or a telefilm since it completely lacked a punch. Kapoor and Bachchan allow the film to be moderately enjoyable but it remains a fairly average adaptation of what seems like an interesting enough stage play.
Verdict: Kapoor and Bachchan make it moderately enjoyable but the film remains a fairly average adaptation of what seems like an interesting stage play.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.
Based on the eponymous Gujarati play of the same name, 102 Not Out is the story of 102-year-old Dattatreya Vakharia (Amitabh Bachchan) who threatens his 75-year-old son, an obsessive-compulsive hypochondriac named Baabu (Rishi Kapoor), that he will send him to an old age home unless he fulfills his conditions.
Dattatrya insists that he wants to beat the record of a Chinese man who died at the age of 118. Hoping to clear all the negativity around him, a way through which he can live longer, Baabu would have to go live an old home but he doesn’t want to. In come the stipulations or a series of dares that Dattatrya sets before him. Baabu must do these in order to escape being sent to an old age home.
The problem with converting stage plays into films inevitably relies on how well the initial premise is sold to the audience who is not part of the live action and sees the events unfold on a giant screen instead of a three dimensional stage. While this plot would have been an easy sell to a live theatre audience, on the silver screen, it falters many times. The back and forth between the protagonists, regardless of its relevance and poignant hilarity, is too prolonged, due to which the pace suffers and sends one into a boring loop of unchanging scenes and homogenous, unimplied tension.
This is why the first half of 102 Not Out has little to no intrigue. There are often moments that you expect the director to capitalise on, like the entry of a new character, a new plot trajectory or even a funny dialogue. But none of that happens and the routines and banter continue to be an incessant bore.
I have no legacy to leave behind: Amitabh Bachchan
Even Bachchan and Kapoor’s star power and impeccable performances aren’t able to save the film from being a dud. By the time a few genuine laughs do appear, you have already spent far too much time feeling uninterested. Also, the two leads’ Gujarati accents are unconvincing and there are many points where you can imagine Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal doing the same thing better and more authentically.
Towards the second half, Bachchan proves that he’s still on top of his game. He flawlessly handles somber declarations and heartfelt soliloquies. Quite clearly, it is the second half that saves 102 Not Out from being a total failure - the emotional pulls in the storyline become stronger and far more worth your time. The real and predictable collide reasonably well, even though the ‘theatre play’ feel never really leaves. Baabu’s connection with his own children and a particular church in the film creates a true context of the story and genuine warmth finally makes its way. But these moments are far and few in between. Dhiru’s character is pointless and interjects with funny dialogue and social commentary but for the most part, his comedy and relief are both superfluous since the story is already on a different and powerful emotional path.
Unlike other stage plays that have been converted into film, there are no giant musical numbers to distract one from a restricted plot and scenery. 102 Not Out is a film that would probably be better as a Netflix original or a telefilm since it completely lacked a punch. Kapoor and Bachchan allow the film to be moderately enjoyable but it remains a fairly average adaptation of what seems like an interesting enough stage play.
Verdict: Kapoor and Bachchan make it moderately enjoyable but the film remains a fairly average adaptation of what seems like an interesting stage play.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.