Kajol’s Eela charms
The star gives a solid performance which salvages an insipid story, says Anita Iyer
Ella Raiturkar (Kajol) is a single mother. Her son Vivan (Riddhi Sen), is a college student who admits to feeling embarrassed and suffocated by his mother’s constant scrutiny.
In case you have been wondering why the film is titled Helicopter
Eela, here’s a quick trivia. Helicopter parents are the ones who pay extra close attention to their children’s lives and experiences. And that is exactly how Eela is. She is constantly reminding Vivan about his dabba (tiffin), asking him to keep his cellphone aside and give her more time, walking into his room without any consideration for his privacy and also overhearing his phone conversations.
When Vivan, in the heat of the moment, tells her off, it propels her to join his college to complete her education. As she sets out to explore her options, Vivan loses more of his ‘me’ space leading to a strain in their relationship. As the movie traces Eela’s background, we are taken back to the days of indie-pop music with cassettes of Baba Sehgal, Alisha Chinai selling at Mumbai’s iconic music store, Rhythm House. Eela is shown as a part time model who dreams of becoming a playback singer. The movie infuses a dose of nostalgia, recreating the launch of MTV India in 1996. Watch out for Shaan, Illa Arun, Sehgal, Anu Malik, Mahesh Bhatt – who are all part of Eela’s short-lived journey as a singer.
However, before she can make it big, she gives birth to Vivan and her life now is all about her son. Fast forward to present day, Eela is portrayed as a mother, walking the corridors of the college, still overly concerned about her son. Kajol is in solid form and engages us in her struggles, but sometimes they don’t seem too significant.
Riddhi Sen is impressive. He depicts the anguish any youngster goes through in their adolescent phase. He is reasonable, but melodramatic at times, just like Eela, as he pushes her to discover her musical roots. It is the warm mother-son equation that holds the movie together in spite of the uninspired writing. As they go through a roller-coaster of emotions, we get some heart-warming moments.
Helicopter Eela is based on the Gujarati play Beta Kaagdo by Anand Gandhi, who joined Mitesh Shah in scripting the film.
As Eela, Kajol goes through the transition from a struggling singer to a lover, from a new mother to a woman struggling to find her identity with ease. Although she isn’t very convincing as a singer.
Despite the insipid writing, the film wins your heart in a few scenes. And all credit goes to Kajol. She occupies most of the screen space and demands your attention.
There are some loose ends in the film that mar the narrative. The film seems inconsistent at times. In the end, Helicopter Eela is a wellintentioned, popcorn masala film that will leave you with a smile.