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Release Date: 24 August 2012
Genre: Romance
Director: Bela Sehgal
Star Cast: Boman Irani, Farah Khan, Daisy Irani, Kavin Dave, Shammi, Kurush Deboo
Rating: ** 1/2
It’s unusual to watch a Bollywood film nowadays without seeing a somewhat ‘size-zero’ looking heroine dancing to an item number, or a hunky young actor sporting a six-pack. So Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi, which focuses on the love story of two 40-something Parsis, is actually quite refreshing to watch.
The film starts of with 45-year-old Farhad Pastakia (Boman Irani) who lives with this mother and grandmother and is constantly facing taunts from his extended family for still being single. He is still a bachelor, largely thanks to his job as a salesman at Tem Tem’s, where he sells bras and panties to women.
He meets feisty Parsi, Shirin Fuggawala (Farah Khan) at his store and as destiny would have it they meet again. The two become friends and begin to fall in love…..but things aren’t as simple as they seem.
The Parsi humour is well used and with a crazy neighbour along the way there is plenty to laugh about. Daisy Irani, who plays Farhad’s mother and Shammi who plays his grandmother, also provide some laugh out loud moments.
After playing various comic roles this is the first time we see Boman Irani playing a romantic lead, and as predicted he does the role full justice. Choreographer, director and now actress Farah Khan on the other hand looks as if she’s walked straight out of her real life and walked onto the sets to play the role of feisty Shirin. While she does well in many scenes and is believable, mainly because she’s playing herself, you can instantly spot she’s not a full time actress.
The story isn’t completely conventional but is nothing rather special. However Sanjay Leela Bhansali does well to keep the screenplay flowing and to make the film anything but boring. First-time director Sehgal makes her mark as she provides an entertainer that doesn’t really ride on star quality.
The music is nothing to brag about, but overall Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi is worth a one-time watch. It’s warm hearted, funny and will leave you with a tingle. Urban Asian gives the film two-and-a-half stars – an extra half because of Bhansali’s courage to make something different.
