Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Genre: Comedy
Year: 2024
Running time: 2 hours 23 minutes
Director: Amit Joshi, Aradhana Sah
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Dimple Kapadia, Dharmendra, Rakesh Bedi
Kid rating: PG
Teri Baaton Mein Asia Uljha Jiya was actually better than I’d expected it to be. It’s light and frothy. There’s quite a few funny bits and a very untraditional storyline – a good Friday night entertainer.
Aryan Agnihotri (played by Shahid Kapoor) is a robotics engineer based in Mumbai. He goes to visit his aunt Urmila Shukla (played by Dimple Kapadia) who has her own robotics company in California. Aryan is quite impressed at seeing the technology she has developed, and aunt and nephew enjoying digging into the tech details of all her company has achieved.
When Urmila has to go on a work trip, she leaves him in the capable hands of her secretary Sifra (Kriti Sanon). Sifra is a beautiful, efficient young woman. She strives to look after Aryan and keep him busy and entertained in his aunt’s absence.
Aryan finds her a pleasant, accommodating and knowledgable companion. She can converse in many languages, and speak articulately about art and the many topics Aryan is enthused about. Aryan cannot help falling in love with the stunning Sifra.
Now Aryan’s family in India are after him to get married. So Aryan decides to bring Sifra to India, to meet his family, as his fiancee. Sifra’s introduction to the family leads to many comedic situations. But it is unclear whether the family will actually accept her as their bahu.
I enjoyed this film because of the unusual storyline. Rather than the same old-same old romance you’d expect from a Shahid Kapoor – Kriti Salon starrer, Teri Baaton Mein spins a modern, techno-savvy tale with humor, twists and turns and fast-paced events. It is a bright, colorful film with good-looking leads, nice locales, and a shiny patina of the moneyed lifestyle. We’ll take it.
The actors do well. Shahid brings it home in the comedic bits. Kriti Sanon fit the role to a T. Dimple Kapadia is a bit of a misfit in the robotics techno geek role, but she will do. The supporting cast – Aryan’s family – is a hoot. Rather fun to watch!
The film’s premise is, of course, a little hard to believe, but this is not a movie where firm logic abides (inspite of the scientific side-angle). And then post-interval this devolves into the most dreary family melodrama, all overdone emotions and weighty dialogs. Was there not a light-weight resolution to the mess?
But this is Bollywood and this is a movie. To be enjoyed without much ado. Or overthinking. If you do that, you will enjoy this light-hearted watch.
Kidwise: Pretty clean. There is some innuendo-laden dialog, but shouldn’t be too soul-scarring.
