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By Taran
Adarsh, April 27, 2007 - 18:29 IST
 Yash Raj created magic with speeding bikes [DHOOM].
Now's the turn of speeding cars [TA RA RUM PUM].
The West has often made films depicting the rise, fall
and subsequent rise of sportspersons. ROCKY [Sylvester
Stallone], DAYS OF THUNDER [Tom Cruise] and CINDERELLA
MAN [Russell Crowe] are films that cross your mind as
you watch director Siddharth Raj Anand's second outing
TA RA RUM PUM. It wouldn't be erroneous to state that
Siddharth borrows from the above-named films, but he
garnishes the material with desi emotions that work
well with Indian moviegoers.
There's no denying that TA RA RUM PUM is a
well-crafted fare that provides entertaining moments
and also succeeds in its goal as a feel-good
experience. One of the prime reasons why TA RA RUM PUM
works is because it's not about car racing only. It
involves a couple, their two kids, the family's riches
to rags story, their highs and lows
Now let's get down to the basics: What works and what
doesn't? If the car racing sequences are
awe-inspiring, the emotional quotient in the second
hour is worth acknowledging as well. A number of
sequences make you moist-eyed, especially the
high-octane climax that not only gives you goose
bumps, but also makes you jump with joy.
 However, TA RA RUM PUM isn't a flawless film. You
can't turn a blind eye to the aberrations in those 16
reels. Fortunately, the pros outweigh the cons in the
final tally.
To sum up, Siddharth Raj Anand comes up with a worthy
follow up to his directorial debut, the immensely
likable SALAAM | NAMASTEY. TA RA RUM PUM easily ranks
amongst Yash Raj's better films in terms of style as
also substance.
TA RA RUM PUM tells the story of one man, his family
and how they overcome the obstacles that life puts in
their way, together. It is the story of human spirit
and how it ultimately prevails.
Rajveer Singh [Saif Ali Khan] is a pit-crew worker in
a racing team with a passion for driving who gets
discovered by a team manager, Harry [Jaaved Jaaferi].
The same day, he accidentally meets a music student,
Radhika [Rani Mukerji], who he falls for instantly. He
gets drafted into 'Speeding Saddles' -- a failing race
team and transforms from Rajveer Singh to 'RV', the
race car driver.
While his racing career takes off instantly, his love
life also blossoms after a whirlwind romance. A few
months later, he is both a happily married man and one
of the country's best racers. Fatherhood and greater
success both follow and soon he is the Number 1 race
car driver in U.S.A. as well as the proud father of
two kids -- Priya [Angelina Idnani] and Ranveer [Ali
Haji].
But as a result of a bad racing accident, RV is
hospitalized for a few months. When he tries to make a
comeback, he realizes that he has been mentally
scarred by the accident. His life now takes a turn for
the worse and after a string of failures, he is forced
to auction his house and move with his family to a
run-down neighborhood.
 However, RV and Radhika decide not to tell their
children the truth and construct a skillful masquerade
of a reality show where they have to live a poor life
in order to win a mythical grand prize. The family
struggles to survive a life that they are not used to,
using a mixture of fantasy and cheerfulness to pull
through in the face of adversity. But an incident
forces RV to reclaim the life that was taken away from
him.
You don't take to TA RA RUM PUM instantly, since the
writing [screenplay: Habib Faisal] meanders on
oft-repeated tracks initially [the snooty
father-in-law/Victor Banerjee looking down upon the
son-in-law/Saif Ali Khan, the mandatory romantic
scenes and songs]. The one aspect that shines the
brightest in the first hour is the car race that makes
Saif's life go topsy-turvy. Ideally, the intermission
card should've flashed at this juncture, but the
sequences that follow are plain mediocre.
Thankfully, the substance [script] as also the
execution of the material improves a great deal in the
post-interval portions. The plight of the family moves
you: Saif is reduced to a cabbie, Rani plays piano at
birthday parties and hotels to run the kitchen fires
and foot the bills, the children skip their meals to
save for the school fees. The son, in fact, picks up
leftovers from the waste to satiate his hunger These
are moments that mirror the realities of life.
The highpoint of the film are the penultimate reels.
Right from Saif storming into a hotel, asking for a
loan of $ 65,000 to the final victory, the narrative
reaches its crescendo in those 25 + minutes. In fact,
the powerful second hour elevates the film
tremendously.
Director Siddharth Raj Anand is only getting better
with every film. He handles the emotional moments in
particular very well. The execution of the race
sequences is outstanding. Something like this hasn't
been witnessed on the Hindi screen before. Binod
Pradhan's camerawork is marvelous.
Vishal-Shekhar's music is of the fast-forward variety.
One looked forward to a better score for sure.
However, the picturization of a few songs camouflages
the defect to an extent. The kiddie song -- merging
live with animated characters -- catches your
attention. The animation here matches international
quality.
 Saif is extremely likable. He conveys the varied
emotions with complete understanding. Rani enacts the
role of the mother/wife proficiently. Jaaved Jaaferi
is first-rate in a serious role. Bharat Dabholkar is
efficient. Victor Banerjee suits the character. Shruti
Seth is alright. Angelina Idnani and Ali Haji are
adorable.
On the whole, TA RA RUM PUM easily ranks amongst
better films from the Yash Raj factory. Surprisingly,
the film has opened to a below-the-mark response at
several screens. But it has the potential and power to
gather speed in days to come since it has something
for everyone -- emotional quotient for families,
thrilling car races to woo the youth and the kiddie
factor to attract this huge movie-going segment
[kids]. Its business in Overseas should be excellent
and in India, the multiplexes will help the
distributors reap a harvest. Strongly recommended!
Rating:- * * * 1/2
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