Remember ‘Yaadein’? Relax; I’m not reminding you of the cringe fest made by Subhash Ghai in 2002. I’m rather mentioning that wonderful movie from Sunil Dutt, which released in 1964, and starred almost none but himself. As I watched ‘Pihu’, I couldn’t help but liken it to the 1964 solo drama that was an innovative risk taken by the popular actor.
The way he dealt with the fact that his wife and children have left him, was in no way any less frightening than the way a 2 year old girl deals with the apparent death of her mother in this movie. Very few people love to take such risks in this film industry, and for that reason alone, the director Vinod Kapri and the producers, RSVP Pictures must be applauded.
Plot :
Directed by Vinod Kapri, the movie stars Myra Vishwakarma in the role of the 2 year old Pihu, who is trapped in a high rise apartment following the apparent death of her mother. How she copes with the tragedy, and how she gets out of the horrible mess she has created, is what makes the premise of this movie.
What is Good :
To begin with, one should appreciate Vinod Kapri for going ahead with this unconventional project. In an age, where elite producers are agreeing to finance projects as laughable and atrocious as ‘Thugs of Hindostan’, the fact that this movie has hit the theaters is a small victory in itself. Instead of dialogues, he has let the surroundings and the emotions of the 2 year old girl do the talking. It is certainly not for the faint of heart.
What is Awesome :
The star of this movie is undoubtedly the little girl, Myra Vishwakarma. She has kept the audience on the edge of her seats with her innocent, but sometimes risky actions that could even prove dangerous for her. In a way, she reminded of the trials and tribulations of Rajkummar Rao’s character in ‘Trapped’, except that the former’s problems makes us pray in desperation that she doesn’t suffer, which wasn’t the case with Rajkummar Rao’s character.
There is no paranormal force or supernatural power involved, and yet the innocent actions of the young girl are enough to leave you gasping for breath. Equally worthy of a standing ovation is Ronnie Screwvala, who has returned to the film circuit with a bang with his production house, RSVP Pictures.
The way he is financing innovative projects under his banner, including ‘Pihu’, made on a shoestring budget of Rs. 1.5 crores, is nothing short of impressive. The way his company has marketed this movie, through missed calls, gripping trailers and hair-raising messages, is something very few people in Indian cinema have been brave enough to do.
What could’ve Been Better :
The only thing that could’ve been better was the length, which could’ve been a bit shorter. For a while, the excruciating scenes do try to test your patience, but thankfully they are nowhere close to becoming a dreadful drag.
Except for the flaw mentioned above, Pihu is a winner in its own class. A gripping tale, with scenes that might scare you to the core, along with the dark undertone, has gripped the audiences to the extent, that it is slowly, but steadily on its route to become a surprise hit. I’d go with 3.5/5 stars.