102 Not Out is the story about a 102 year old father Dattatraya Vakharia (Amitabh Bachchan) and his 75-year-old son Babulal (Rishi Kapoor). It’s an unusual story about how the father wants to send his son to an old age home because his son is a pessimist and always grumpy and the father feels it will affect him and his quest to break the world record of the longest living human.
The story itself is interesting, especially at an age where children these days don’t have time for their aging parents even though they earn 3 times more than what their parents did. Most of them either hire a help to take care of their parents while they live alone or they end up putting them in old age homes. 102 Not Out is the other way round, it’s a father who wants to send the son to an old age home!
The film is a beautiful story about relationships and the bond between a father and son, told from the perspective of the three main characters; the father, son and their help. Both Amitabh Bachchan as the father and Rishi Kapoor as the son have done justice to their roles and being the seasoned actors that they are, they have done a brilliant job. What was noteworthy was the comic timing between the two, their chemistry makes the film entertaining and fun. Seeing both of them back together on screen is something all their fans will love. The two also prove that they can still give some of the younger stars a run for their money and that age is just a number when it comes to them and their acting skills!
Jimit Trivedi as Dhiru their man Friday is good too. He plays the character who is a witness to the father-son, love-hate relationship. To be in the same frame with two of the industry’s most talented and seasoned actors is not easy but Jimit has done an impressive job.
The script which is written by Saumya Joshi is actually an adaptation of his Gujarati play of the same name, is well written and it has everything that a film like this needs from emotions to drama and humor. What I liked was the way old Hindi film songs like ‘Waqt ne kiya’, and ‘Zindagi mere ghar aana’ were used in the film, without making them looked forced or out of place.The monologues by Amitabh were also something I enjoyed.
There are bound to be comparisons between the film and the original Gujarati play but since I have not watched the play, I enjoyed the film, especially the bittersweet relationship that the father and son share. 102 Not Out is a film you should definitely go and watch this weekend.
Read Also: Here’s Why You Should Watch 102 Not Out
