Osama Bin Laden. Just Google this name and I am sure, the results would be amongst the highest on the web. Post 9/11, terror has a new name and also a face. Now imagine Osama Bin Laden running a poultry farm and also running behind chickens. Imagine Osama Bin Laden ogling at a makeup woman. Imagine Osama Bin Laden urinating outside a television studio, but ready to hand-over his business card to the person urinating on the other side. Imagine Osama becoming a business partner in a tacky salon.
Smiling, are you? That, in a nutshell, is TERE BIN LADEN, a wicked comedy with an out-of-the-box concept that offers laughter unlimited. In fact, I don't think I've flexed my facial muscles in any other film in the recent past as much as I did while watching this satirical comedy. What gives TERE BIN LADEN an edge over other comedies is that it's not the slapstick humour that keeps you entertained. This one has a story to tell as well, which also delves deeply into the minds of today's youth.
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TERE BIN LADEN is a tongue-in-cheek comedy about an
ambitious young news reporter from Pakistan [Ali Zafar], who is
desperate to migrate to the U.S. in pursuit of the American dream. His
repeated attempts to immigrate are shot down as his visa is always
rejected. But when things couldn't look worse, he comes across an Osama
Bin Laden lookalike. Ali then hatches a scheme to produce a fake Osama
video and sell it 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.
Although TERE BIN LADEN uses a surname that's known across the globe, there's not one serious moment in this film. Even the modus operandi of the Americans to nab Laden [which, frankly, could've turned the film serious] is so juvenile and crazy that you can't help but smile at the sequence of events.
Debutant director Abhishek Sharma takes an offbeat story
and gives it an interesting twist. Who would've ever thought of making a
film on Osama Bin Laden and that too a comedy? This guy sure has
courage to swim against the tide. Besides writing a crazy film and
decorating it with madcap characters, Abhishek also does justice to the
subject by handling it so well. Making people laugh is a herculean task
and maintaining the tempo is, perhaps, the biggest challenge. One
continues to smile from Scene A to Z and in two sequences specifically, I
ended up laughing hysterically. One, when Piyush Mishra falls in the
drain and lands straight on the hot seat and the second, when a bomb
explodes inside the studio. Outrageously funny sequences, both! The first-time director also deserves credit for recreating Pakistan in Hyderabad in India. Right from the look to the language to the costumes to the artefacts to the typical truck that you see in Pakistan, TERE BIN LADEN gets it right. Santosh Thundiyil's cinematography is good. Dialogue are witty and the one-liners specially evoke mirth. The review would be incomplete if I didn't highlight the invaluable contribution by its music composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. 'Ullu Da Patha' is already a rage, while 'I Love Amreeka' is foot-tapping as well.
Casting new, confident and most importantly, talented actors gives the film the right push. Ali Zafar is a star, no two opinions on that. The youngster is a package of good looks, super talent and the right screen presence. He charms his way into your heart with a super-confident performance and I strongly feel that there's no stopping him after this film. In fact, TERE BIN LADEN heralds the arrival of a new star in Bollywood.
Pradhuman Singh is a replica of Osama Bin Laden and is
in terrific form in the film. In fact, the film would've fallen flat had
it not been for the actor enacting this part so convincingly. Piyush
Mishra is exceptional, like always. Sugandha Garg [as Zoya] is
first-rate. Nikhil Ratnaparkhi [as Gul, the cameraman, Ali's partner in
crime] is very good. Rahul Singh [as radio jockey Qureshi] is perfect.
Barry John [as Ted] is competent. Chirag Vohra [as Lateef, who writes
the lines in Arabic language] supports well. Chinmay Mandlekar [as Barry
John's sidekick] is decent. Rajendra Sethi [travel agent] is natural. On the whole, TERE BIN LADEN is a fun-ride that makes you smile constantly and even laugh outrageously in those two hours. A thorough entertainer, this film has all it takes to not only make its viewers laugh in the aisles, but also its investors laugh all the way to the bank.
TERE BIN LADEN Cast : Barry John, Ali Zafar, Chirag Vohra, Nikhil Ratnaparkhi, Piyush Mishra, Rahul Singh, Seema Bhargava, Sugandha Garg
Director : Abhishek Sharma
Writer : Abhishek Sharma
Tere Bin Laden is a complete contrast to all your expectations. As the name suggests, its story revolves around Osama Bin Laden. But this most wanted man on earth is doing everything except terrorizing you. For starters, he owns a poultry farm and half of his life is spent running after chickens.
Next, he is looking lecherously at a make up lady. Then, he is peeing outside a television studio but sporting enough to extend his business connections to the person peeing on the other side. And to top it all, he is made a business partner in a shabby salon.
If you find this hilarious then wait to have a real good laugh during this movie because this is not even half of it. Tere Bin Laden offers a refreshing change from the mindless comedies we are usually offered because it has substance and gives the young generation something to dwell upon.
Tere Bin Laden is an ironic comedy focused on Ali Zafar, a young ambitious reporter from Pakistan who is really eager to go all the way to the USA but is unable to do so as his visa is rejected by the authorities each time he makes an attempt. This is when he meets an Osama look-alike. Ali comes up with a plot to make a fake Osama video and then sell it to the news channels in an attempt to break away from all his unsuccessful attempts.
But his actions have a serious effect as the White House gets involved and send an over excited secret agent to trace Ali.
This 9/11 mastermind is all set to shake you with laughter. The attempt of the Americans to catch hold of him makes you further roll with laughter.
Abhishek Sharma, the debutant writer-director has not resorted any flashy endings. He has kept it simple yet effective. This first time director seems a pro in the show business.
And actors like Ali Zafar are an icing on the cake. He is a young promising actor with a very bright future. Pradhuman Singh shares a striking resemblance with Osama Bin Laden and has convincingly played his role. Piyush Mehra knows his work. You tend to notice every character from Sughanda Garg playing Zoya and Nikhil Ratnaparkhi playing Gul, the cameraman for the video shoot. Even Barry John casted as Ted and Rahul Singh as radio jockey, Qureshi have turned out well. Lateef, the character who writes in Arabic language played by Chirag Vohra is a good support. Rajendra Sethi, the travel agent and Chinmay Mandlekar are worth a notice.
To sum up, Tere Bin Laden comes across as a comedy through and through. It ensures you a respite from slapstick comedies and have a roller coaster laugh ride during its two hours.
TERE BIN LADEN Movie Ratings: 3.5/5
