thoda pyaar thoda magic - Notepad
posted in Hindi Movies, Movie Notes, meetu |This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.
Though I have huge complaints in most departments, I can’t deny that it’s perfect packaging for kids in the 3-12 age group. With hardly any “sad” moments, the characters are mostly colorful and chirpy. But, given my reservations, should I actually encourage my kids to watch this when not too long ago Taare Zameen Par was around? Oh, why not? There’s enough room for everybody.
See full review
Plot Summary
Ranbir (Saif Ali Khan) lands up in a situation where he is left in charge of four notorious kids. God, wants things to work out and sends Geeta, an angel (Rani Mukherjee) to help things along.
Yeah, it’s a mish-mash of all movies where kids are imposed on someone and there is a guardian angel who takes them through, here it is literally so! Hum Hai Rahi Pyaar Ke, Sound of Music, Mr. India, Bramhachari, to name a few. Also, Saif’s character reminded me a lot of Shammi Kapoor’s character in Junglee.
Just a curiosity: Why was “Harry met Sally” chosen as the poster to be put up in the penultimate sequence? Was that a tribute to where the director’s earlier movie, Hum Tum was taken from?
What worked
- The way Ranbir’s character was established without a single dialogue, just through visuals while the opening credits were being played.
- The special effects of God creating birds and clouds, cycling on the rainbow, angel Geeta playing with clouds.
- The special effects in the museum. Especially with Gandhiji and the war scene ones.
- The shot just before the interval, where Ranbir’s reflection is in between the photos of the children on the computer screen. It might as well have been a very well processed photo set-up as the desktop background of the computer.
- Picturization of “Lazy Lamhe”, the special effects were both cute and creative.
- Though the tributes were put together abruptly, they were cute. They covered everything from Sholay, Mera Naam Joker, Gaddar, Padosan, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Liar Liar.
- A typical Bollywood dance right infront with Universal Studios in the background - made me laugh!
What didn’t
- How did they become angels if they are trying to pull another angel (Geeta) down?
- I had a basic problem with the judge imposing the kids on Ranbir. What if he treated the kids badly? The judge would know only after 3 months when the damage would already be done. Or was the judge pretty confident that Ranbir would take care of the kids well? I know-I know, don’t think, go with the flow…
- The lighting on the swimming pool at night.
- No “non-uniform” dress to school on her birthday! How sad! And why was the shower running water in the background throughout that scene in the bathroom?
- Is that how Ranbir enter his house every day, stealthily?
- Ranbir’s monitor conked off, right? Why was he worried about his files?!
- Why was the little girl standing outside the office when the computer was getting repaired?
- How come none of them are wearing seat belts in the car in Los Angeles and San Diego!! In fact, I’d think the 5 year old would need to be in a booster seat!
- The lip sync was pretty bad in the song shot in Universal Studios.
Nitty-Gritty
- Uh…Ranbir was writing notes with pen and paper from something on his computer!
- Why is God the only male in heaven, no men-angels? No men reach heaven?

posted on July 1st, 2008 at 2:52 am
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