Yesteryear diva Kajol, who last appeared on the big screen in Dilwale (2015) for which she reunited with Shah Rukh Khan, returns to limelight with Pradeep Sarkar’s Helicopter Eela this October.
instepReview
Yesteryear diva Kajol, who last appeared on the big screen in Dilwale (2015) for which she reunited with Shah Rukh Khan, returns to limelight with Pradeep Sarkar’s Helicopter Eela this October. However, to one’s surprise, the actor - who essays the role of a single mother – struggles to rise up to expectations.
Helicopter Eela stars Kajol as Eela who aspires to become a playback singer and make a name for herself. Her boyfriend Arun, essayed by Tota Roy Chowdhury, supports her in her dreams but things don’t work in her favour somehow. The two get married, Eela gives birth to a baby boy Vivan but their happiness doesn’t last longer as Arun and she move apart. Raising her only son all alone, Eela forgets her dreams and becomes too possessive about Vivan, played by Riddhi Sen, who eventually distances himself from his mother. Whether this distance changes their relationship for good or makes things worst between the two, you will know upon watching the film.
The film explores the beautiful relation of a mother and son, who, despite their differences, love each other unconditionally. It highlights how children, after a certain age, need some space and do not like their parents’ interference in their lives, and how important it is for parents to understand this. Also, single parents, who think they have all the right on their children as they have raised them all alone, forget that this often suffocates their child. While attempting to tackle the aforementioned themes, the film confuses viewers as to whether it is about the child who needs space or the mother who needs to focus more on herself.
Kajol as Eela is the single mother whose entire world revolves around her son; she is an annoying mother to her grown-up son though she is strong, she is smart and deals with her circumstances with a very practical approach.
The major problem with the film is its superficial treatment of the subject it attempts to explore but fails at it. The trailer hinted at Eela’s journey of self-discovery after she rejoins college and realizes that she has left everything behind. Sadly, the film doesn’t dig deeper into it and only touches it in the last half hour, which makes her transformation – from a single mother to a performer once again – hasty and unconvincing.
The script would have been tighter had it focused more on how her life changes after joining the college than on the developing years of her son and how she is obsessed with him. Unnecessary details in the first half make Helicopter Eela dull and boring; even Kajol’s dramatic performance couldn’t save it. On the other hand, Riddhi Sen (Vivan) is very convincing and somewhat saves the film with his effortless performance. Neha Dhupia as the college’s short-tempered and blunt drama coach is a treat to watch. The supporting cast including Zakir Hussain and Kamini Khanna is quite promising.
The film’s melodious songs are beautiful with some upbeat numbers such as ‘Yaadon Ki Almari’ and ‘Ruk Ruk Ruk’ (remix) featured on the soundtrack. Besides, ‘Chand Lamhe’ that is penned by Pakistani writer and producer Asma Nabeel is a soulful track and complements the mood of the film.
Helicopter Eela opened to low numbers at the Indian box office but showed some growth over the first weekend. In Pakistan, it collected around 37 lacs in the opening weekend which doesn’t compare very well to the business most Indian films manage to do.
The film is a can-watch and is currently running in cinemas worldwide including Pakistan.
