Hat Trick

I just watched Hattrick, not knowing anything about the movie but that it had some cricket connection and Paresh Rawal was on the posters. The director Milan Luthria has some respect in my mind for the raw Kachche Dhaage.

The movie reminds one of Yun Hota to Kaisa Hota, which also had multiple stories and Paresh Rawal. In the Naseeruddin Shah directed movie Rawal is a Gujarati and is trying to procure US Visa for his ex flame's daughter and in this UK citizenship for himself. I liked the movie, all the stories it contained and it is the old character artists who make it worthwhile. Danny was in a movie after such a long time.

Hattrick is not social realist cinema but neither is it your candy floss. Some moments in the film tug at your heart credibly. It is feel good cinema about the little details in cinematic life (what cinema considers important in life). I thought it was well written rather fresh by normal hindi film standards. Nothing to rave about but not as asinine and incredulous as some of these middle of the road movies tend to be. The Kunal Kapoor and Rimmi story was empty, but Rimmi is expected to compensate with her endowments and the mild humour related to Mahender Singh Dhoni. The Nana section comes alive due to the strength of Nana himself and Danny.

The most enagaging for me was the Paresh Rawal story. We are familiar with the expatriate home sickness but to choose racism as a peg was extremely progressive. I think the writers should be commended for this small step which is the proverbial giant step for Hindi Cinema. See it in the context of the Jade Goody-Shilpa Shetty episode and it rings of sincereity. A good outing overall. To mention cricket is to miss he point.