Priyadarshan is synonymous with ha-ha-thons, but the talented storyteller has been equally proficient while handling intense dramas like SAZA-E-KALA PANI, GARDISH and VIRASAT. Like VIRASAT and MALAMAAL WEEKLY, BILLU, the accomplished director's new outing, is also set in a hamlet.
Although the story has been attempted in Malayalam [KADHA PARAYUMBOL] and Tamil [KUSELAN] earlier, the story actually takes its inspiration from the legendary friendship between Lord Krishna and Sudama. In this case, the story talks of the friendship between a superstar and an ordinary mortal who runs a salon.
Priyadarshan may have boasted that he hasn't copycatted from the Tamil remake on any aspect, but not even the location has been changed… Even the blunder committed by P. Vasu has been replicated by Priyadarshan. In Malayalam version, Meena was portrayed perfectly for the role of a lower class family which was completely different in the Tamil as well as Telugu version. Of course, watching Lara Dutta as a housewife from a hapless family background is somewhat absurd. She's embellished with best facial make-overs and that doesn't fit her with finesse.
Bilas Rao Pardesi (Irrfan Khan) is a poor barber in town leading a wretched life with his wife Bindiya (Lara Dutta) and a couple of kids. Their life is studded with bittersweet experiences and they are much stricken by poverty. Bilas isn't able to meet his daily demands, not even making up for his children's school fee. But things aren't the same once a film unit reaches the town and actor is none other than Superstar Sahir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan).
Ten minutes into the film and you get absorbed into Billu's small world. The salon is in bad shape, the family is facing tough times, the neighbours and acquaintances are fair-weather friends... Billu's life gets grim with each passing day.
The story takes an interesting turn when Billu's life collides with the superstar's. And the assorted characters -- right from an aspiring poet/lyricist [Rajpal Yadav], to a stingy money lender [Om Puri], to the principal of the school [Rasika Joshi] -- everyone wants favours from Billu. These characters only make BILLU more interesting.
Priyadarshan is adept at handling relationships and with BILLU, he proves he can handle emotions with as much flourish as comedy. To tell a simple, uncomplicated story, without the usual frills, is an arduous task indeed and Priyadarshan tackles the material with remarkable ease. The humour here is subtle, not loud, and a constant smile remains on your face all through.
Mushtaq Shiekh and Priyadarshan's screenplay is foolproof. In fact, the writing never loses focus and the highs and the lows in Billu's life are sensitively penned by the duo. Manisha Korde's dialogues are simple, gelling with the mood of the film.
Pritam's music is energetic. The songs, promoted aggressively prior to the release, only get an impetus thanks to the presence of the three actresses. 'Mar Jaani' and 'Love Mera Hit Hit' are, of course, the pick of the lot. V. Manikandan's cinematography is top notch. The locales [Pollachi] are breath-taking.
Kudos to Irrfan Khan for a splendid spell from this star… of course, he has been doing it in all his previous films. Looks like Priyadarshan hasn't laid his hands on any of the star-casts as everyone seems to have watched the DVDs of all three versions and finally presented it with their own innovative touch. However, as mentioned earlier Lara Dutta's looks could've been much well carried though. She's so rich in her appearance and doesn't look like one stricken by poverty.
Shah Rukh Khan is up with his own style and as usual his charisma grabs your attention. He scores the best during the climax part with an unforeseen show. But why does this film carry so much of commercial factors, say 3 item numbers? That remains a question in your mind when you walk out after watching the film. It spoils the emotional panorama that was more instant in the original version. Rajpal Yadav does a laudable task on his comedy tracks, especially in the penultimate sequences.
On the whole, BILLU is a sweet-n-simple film that lingers in your memory even after the show has concluded. The final 20 minutes are the highpoint of the enterprise and that elevates the status of the film to great heights. The film has the potential to grow with a strong word of mouth. Recommended... Take your family for this one!
Movie Rating : ***
