Bhoot And Friends Hindi Movie
Going to watch a film and ending up pleasantly surprised is not something that happens too often. Especially when the film in question is a children's film! But things seem to be changing for the better. Only last week we saw Toonpur Ka Superhero, which was the first of its kind to be made in India. And this week we have an exciting Bhoot and Friends - a kid's adventure film.
What works for Bhoot and Friends is that it stands true to its genre. Director Kittu Saluja, who had earlier made another kid's film Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii (2007) has taken care of lot of things that he was criticized for last time around. While ensuring that the film remains innocent and simple, Saluja and the team of writers have made good attempts not to keep any glaring loopholes in the screenplay. Also while the premise - of ghost and treasure hunt - is quite over the top, the narration has kept it quite relatable.
The story is about four kids and how they help a friendly ghost, who wants to reveal a hidden treasure for the greater good. Three of these kids reach a village for their vacations where the fourth child, Ali, stays back. When the kids discover that a foreign 'gora sahab' has kidnapped Ali's father to forcefully take over his land the kids decide to rescue. A la Famous Five minus the dog! They reach the villain's den but are discovered and chased till they enter the jungles of Pratapgarh. There they meet the dreaded ghost who turns out to be a friendly spirit. The ghost tells them about a treasure and asks them for help in finding it out so that the people of the country can benefit from it.
So there is an adventure! And a pretty well set one. And in this adventure the writers cleverly fill in subtle lessons to learn too.
Technically the film has been shot well. What's appealing is that the special effects used for the ghost is very clean. The director definitely deserves appreciation for this. The background music is very effective and helps heighten the mood. And the short animation sequence where the 'ghost' tells his story is neatly done too.
On the negative side there are instance when the writers could have been more careful. There is no explanation to why the 'gora sahab' is forcefully acquiring all the land of the village when he knows that the treasure is only in the north-eastern jungle. Also the supernatural element and its powers could have been used more imaginatively.
Performances are not the strongest point of the film though. While Jackie Shroff packs a punch after a long time and the innocence of the children carries the film. The remaining cast of film is rather inconsistent and loud.
Overall, Bhoot and Friends will excite the children below the age of 12. Especially the ones who love books like The Famous Five series and have a liking towards thrillers. It's a good vacation watch. Plus it will also keep the accompanying adult entertained! This is not one of the films where you may take you kid and then doze off to sleep yourself.
