Tere Bin Laden Review

What is it all about?

For all those who where wondering Bollywood getting serious nowadays, this crazy, undeniably hilarious, juvenile, smart, mad caper came down the pike & steals the show. Bollywood is known for its Dhawan, Bazmees, Sajid type laughter's which where  entertaining but not very innovative in its concept and the writing department. Bollywood had hardly tried something on the lines of `Hot Shots', Austin Powers' or `Russians are coming' sort of wild wicked whacky stuff.

First timer helmer Abhishek in his own story breaks the mould and churns a non stop smartly done laughter; it's an achievement to imagine the most notorious Laden as an inspiration for a Bollywood comedy.

The story..of course

Smartly written with never a single dull moment, Ali Zafar, an ambitious young reporter, working in a down market Pakistani TV news channel, is desperate to get to Amreeka, (read America) anyway. His repeated attempts to immigrate are shot down as his visa is always rejected. Desperate Ali makes a fake video of Osama bin Laden, using a look-alike, Noora, who happens to be a humble chicken farmer and hopes this would be his ticket to the US. and sells the video to news channels as a breakthrough scoop.

Unfortunately, there are serious ramifications as the White House gets involved and dispatches an overzealous secret agent on Ali's trail.

What to look out for?

This one marks the entry of Bollywood`s most goofiest movies that makes fun of the world's most outlandish villain Osama, the film knows its turf and astonishingly hardly missteps when the Americans come in. The odd mix of sophisticated and smart lowbrow humor with hilarious situations and dialogues where writer cum helmer Abhishek does a splendid job by transplanting Osama's character into a chicken farmer who speaks Punjabi and is awed by the make up girls charm and is proud of his hen who is a world champ in crowing into this comedy that plays the Islamic militancy crises for a hearty laugh.

First timer Abhishek Sharma shows he is brave and experiments with finesse right from reel one to the last credits the movie is non stop laughter. Lot of funny sequences but the two ones that stay are the one when a hen makes a crowing that sounds like a solid Punjabi gali (abuse) and the one when Piyush Mishra falls in the drain and lands straight on the hot seat.

The art director deserves credit for creating Pakistan in Hyderabad and the lens work from Santosh Thundiyil's camera is fantastic. Dialogues especially the smart ones are brilliant. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy do a good job with 'Ullu Da Patha'.

The casting director also deserves a pat on his/her back; Ali Zafar is cool and does a marvelous job.

Performances

Pradhuman Singh as Osama Bin Laden is outstanding. Pradhuman does his act with strong conviction. Piyush Mishra is good. Sugandha Garg is very impressive. Nikhil Ratnaparkhi as Gul, the cameraman, is excellent. Rahul Singh as radio jockey Qureshi fits in the role. Barry John is convincing. Chirag Vohra as Lateef the pareshan editor is good. Chinmay Mandlekar is humorous. Rajendra Sethi as the travel agent is fine. Over all, the cast has done what the director asked for!

What not?

Ideal for juvenile lovers, some sensible wallas might question the idea of making a very serious issue into laughter. 

Conclusion: `Tere Bin Laden' is very juvenile, innovative, smart, wacky, full on cornball entertainment. Don't miss it!

Rating ****