This is the kind of movie this blog is meant for. There is a contest in which the children have to collect wrappers or something like that and where the prize is admission to any school in the country. Now imagine, Harry potter wins this contest and thats how he gets admission to hogwarts! and guess who has organised the contest? PARLE-G the biscuit company in collaboration with camlin colours.
Yes. This is a copy of the Harry potter movie. Only that harry is called shanu. two hundred years ago the school aabra ka daabra has been founded by guru sachitanand, who gets killed by an evil magician who dies too aka voldemort. Thats the beginnig of this unbearable film, or rather copy of a film.
The indianness shows itself. Like when harry goes to the school for the first time, he lies that the principal is his aunty, so that the caretaker (anupam kher) should let him inside. The life of harry-shanu in hogwarts is same as the college life shown in most hindi movies.
The script as in most such films is confused. The movie tries to tell us about power of concentration, mixing yoga with tantra. The other part is the advertisements. imagine a bengali professor teaching power of concentration (prof. flitwick teaching levitation) while the blackboard plays camlin advertisements.
Malfoy is called changezi here, and is the headboy and the principals favorite.
In yet another scene, a hindi version of crab and goyle hold harry-shanus hands, when a girl hurls a parle g biscuit into his mouth and he gets shaktiman-like power.
There is a confrontation song too. where malfoys gang and harrys gang sing abuses at each other. The principal who has been played by a good looking c-grade model (who acts well though) dances a cabaret song while shanu and company look on. The story and screenplay are pathetic, like in one scene, the principal tells the students of the school that she knows some of them are into mischief, then she says that the ones who are guilty should stand up. the problem? well they are all already standing up!.
The script is tasteless too. quidditch is taught by archana puran singh and the winning captain here has the right to rusticate the losing captain from the school!
The movie like most such ventures in indian cinema, has too many computer special effects. The main parts of any fantasy film is intrigue, mystery, and a taut storyline. A childrens film should also carry a good moral message. Here the children are shown lying, and making fun of teachers. This film is at best a failed advertisement.
