Movie Review: Bobby Jasoos (Hindi)
Bobby Jasoos does not exactly fit into the mould of a tense nail-biting thriller. Nor does it aspire to be so. It's more of a dramedy with elements of frisson thrown in good measure for our contrarian tomboy heroine Bilkis Ahmed aka Bobby to establish herself as the number one jasoos in town. As a singleton in her early thirties, she rebels against her father's wishes to get her married and instead sleuths around solving small-time cases while waiting for the big one to land on her lap. More than anything, she is your typical "girl" next door. When was the last time you saw a heroine in Bollywood playing a thirty year old woman?
For Bobby (Vidya Balan) comes across as one of the most delightful heroines to have ever graced the Indian film industry. She may not have acquired the skills necessary to become a private detective, but she is nonetheless street-smart, plucky and determined in her life's choices, both personal and professional, and even though her repeated attempts to secure a job at the neighbourhood detective agency goes kaput, she doesn't let those failures consume her.
She starts a rival company right in the same locality and very soon hits pay dirt when a mysterious rich stranger by the name of Anees Khan (Kiran Kumar) hires her on a series of missing-person assignments. Thrilled at the prospect of hefty pay-packets, Bobby dives into the case head-on without much second thought, little realising that there could be more to it than meets the eye. But like I said before, Bobby Jasoos is not just about her doing investigative work. This is just one part of the story.
The bumbling private eye is also besieged by conflicts at home. Hailing from a conservative Muslim family, she desperately yearns for her father's (Rajendra Gupta) approval, but puts up a strong fight when he demands her to give up her career ambitions. After all no sensible woman of her age would be prancing around the city donning various disguises and doing all sorts of unlikely things. This blow hot and cold dynamic between the father and his rebellious daughter in fact forms the crux of the movie. In the midst of all this we are also treated to a very interesting romantic relationship between Bobby and popular TV host Tasawur (Ali Fazal) which goes on to become one of the film's major highpoints.
There is an undeniable inherent sweetness to Bobby Jasoos. Set in a small town in Hyderabad, the film's milieu is instantly relatable, thanks to Vishal Sinha's first-rate lenswork, and the wonderful ensemble cast who enliven the proceedings even when the narrative slips down a few notches post intermission. Vidya Balan proves yet again why she is called the Bollywood "hero". Granted some looks are blink and miss appearances, yet it looks as if she had great fun playing them, and it shows on screen. But as Bobby, she is a bundle of energy, vivacious, charming and immensely loveable. Ali Fazal too matches her superbly and the rest of the cast including Prasad Barve, Aakash Dahiya and Tejas Mahajan as Bobby's sidekicks play their parts well.
A few may find fault with its simplistic low-stakes "mystery" and the sudden "twist" towards melodrama in the second half. But ironically that's what makes Bobby so alive in flesh and blood. And given her amateur, limited skills, the big reveal in the climax would have not worked any other way. The character of her father strikes a false note however, his change of heart coming across as a too convenient attempt to tie the loose end. Bobby Jasoos, ultimately, is a fun-filled coming-of-age entertainer that, while refreshingly staying away from the usual Muslim stereotypes, works as a simple, feel-good story told well. Hope we get to see more of Bobby's jasoosi, and if I may add, with a better solid case next time around!
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| Bobby Jasoos |
She starts a rival company right in the same locality and very soon hits pay dirt when a mysterious rich stranger by the name of Anees Khan (Kiran Kumar) hires her on a series of missing-person assignments. Thrilled at the prospect of hefty pay-packets, Bobby dives into the case head-on without much second thought, little realising that there could be more to it than meets the eye. But like I said before, Bobby Jasoos is not just about her doing investigative work. This is just one part of the story.
The bumbling private eye is also besieged by conflicts at home. Hailing from a conservative Muslim family, she desperately yearns for her father's (Rajendra Gupta) approval, but puts up a strong fight when he demands her to give up her career ambitions. After all no sensible woman of her age would be prancing around the city donning various disguises and doing all sorts of unlikely things. This blow hot and cold dynamic between the father and his rebellious daughter in fact forms the crux of the movie. In the midst of all this we are also treated to a very interesting romantic relationship between Bobby and popular TV host Tasawur (Ali Fazal) which goes on to become one of the film's major highpoints.
There is an undeniable inherent sweetness to Bobby Jasoos. Set in a small town in Hyderabad, the film's milieu is instantly relatable, thanks to Vishal Sinha's first-rate lenswork, and the wonderful ensemble cast who enliven the proceedings even when the narrative slips down a few notches post intermission. Vidya Balan proves yet again why she is called the Bollywood "hero". Granted some looks are blink and miss appearances, yet it looks as if she had great fun playing them, and it shows on screen. But as Bobby, she is a bundle of energy, vivacious, charming and immensely loveable. Ali Fazal too matches her superbly and the rest of the cast including Prasad Barve, Aakash Dahiya and Tejas Mahajan as Bobby's sidekicks play their parts well.
A few may find fault with its simplistic low-stakes "mystery" and the sudden "twist" towards melodrama in the second half. But ironically that's what makes Bobby so alive in flesh and blood. And given her amateur, limited skills, the big reveal in the climax would have not worked any other way. The character of her father strikes a false note however, his change of heart coming across as a too convenient attempt to tie the loose end. Bobby Jasoos, ultimately, is a fun-filled coming-of-age entertainer that, while refreshingly staying away from the usual Muslim stereotypes, works as a simple, feel-good story told well. Hope we get to see more of Bobby's jasoosi, and if I may add, with a better solid case next time around!
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