Gulabo Sitabo is a drama film laced with dark humor. It is an ironical tale of octogenarian Mirza (played by Amitabh Bachchan), who lives in an old dilapidated Haveli worth millions. Yet, he is living a life in misery with difficulty in making ends meet. His wife Begum Fathima (played by Farrukh Jaffar) is the actual owner of Haveli and lives a reclusive life not bothered about Haveli politics. Their woes are multiplied by the constant struggle with tenants who pay a paltry rent of Rs 30/- yet it doesnt get paid on time. Plot of the story revolves around the tactics employed by Mirza and Bankey (played by Ayushmann Khurrana) to tighten the legal noose on each others neck
Star of this film is the old Haveli and splendid cinematography which details out every nook, corner, crevice, peeling paint and broken walls of Haveli. There is a certain amount of old world grandiose charm associated with Haveli. At the same time,poor living conditions of its inhabitants melts your heart.
Amitabh Bachchan has done a terrific job in the role of Mirza. He is quite akin to this Haveli.. old dilapidated and vulnerable. There are so many shades to this character. At one moment, you'll hate Mirza for being stingy, miserly and rude towards kids. Another moment, Mirza tries to make you laugh with his antics and weird mannerism. For me, it was extreme painful to see the physical struggle and mental agony of an octogenarian. When Mirza walks with bent back and rattling knees, it isnt funny but very empathetic for me. AmitJi's prosthetic adds tons to the character and makes it very relatable.
Farrukh Jaffar is absolutely adorable with her cute smile, solid one liner punches and "I-know-it-all" halo behind her head. She absolutely nailed this role and you are going to love her. She is a great actress and finally getting her due in Bollywood.
I liked the speech variation and accent of Ayushmann Khurrana. He learnt the style of colloquial Lakhnavi HIndi with his tongue protruding out most of the times. But, beyond that he hasn't done anything extraordinary. Frankly, other than AmitJi and Farrukh.. all other characters are weak and actors couldnt do much in their roles. This film had bunch of talented actors like Brijendra Kaala, Vijay Raj and Srishti Shrivastava. But I felt director couldnt leverage their skills.
Juhi Chaturvedi has written a terrific story which is quite relatable and most of us must have seen the dirty side of real estate struggle. Director Shoojit Sircar is super talented and I liked the subtle-ness in the film and how he delivers a message without being overtly prescriptive
Verdict: Definitely worth watching with Kids and family. Though it might be a bit boring for kids.
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