Striking the right chord

Blending hilarity and heart Vicky Donor

Infertility is a sensitive issue, but, more often than not, it becomes a springboard for crass comedy in our films. However, Shoojit Sircar's Vicky Donor comes as a pleasant surprise — he deals with taboos combining hilarity and heart. What seems simplistic and somewhat over-the-top works within the spatial density of something real as Shoojit and writer Juhi Chaturvedi have been able to provide a believable environment for the love story of a sperm donor without digging into scientific details or trampling moral ground. Vicky (newcomer Ayushmann Khurrana hits the right note) is a Punjabi lad. Unemployed, he idles away his time on the neighbourhood cricket field and massaging shapely and not so shapely legs in the parlour of his widowed mother (Dolly Ahluwalia) till Dr. Chaddha (Annu Kapoor), an infertility expert going through tough times with his sperm bank running dry, sees in Vicky a recurring account which will never default in the face of an increasing demand of city-bred couples suffering from stress. When Vicky doesn't see the altruistic side, Chaddha invokes mythology, but ultimately the boy sees it as a means to pocket money. As expected, Vicky becomes a star donor.

Vicky loses his heart to an elegant Bengali girl (Yami Gautam is a delight to watch and puts in a gutsy performance) with an unpleasant past. Ashima spurns his rakish ways but eventually the banker falls for the brat's unspoilt soul. Stereotypical parochial banter is expected to follow. From Bengalis' fascination for tuna and Tagore to Punjabis' love for bling and balle balle, Shoojit brings every cliché into play, but the way the interaction between the two families pan out, it leaves you with a smile, a feeling that Oh! This could happen. We have seen something like this. Juhi's smart writing ensures that the Punjabi flavour doesn't become in-the-face and the repartee keeps coming without effort, but it's the measured performances by Jayant Das (as Ashima's father) and Ahluwalia which make the mirth all the more engaging.

One of the most underutilised actors of our times, Annu Kapoor is at the top of his game in a role that could have easily become an irritating caricature. His authentic Punjabi accent and not so subtle gestures prove a perfect foil to Ayushmann's rapid fire dialogue delivery. Similarly, Ahluwalia tempers what could have been a loud one-dimensional mother into a well-rounded character. In fact, her cheery interactions with Vicky's progressive grandmother (Kamlesh Gill) over a drink, debunk many linear filmi theories about

saas-bahu relationship. The LCD-crazy mother-in-law respects the devotion of her

bahu but could not forget the empty attaché she brought with her many moons ago. It is this layered approach that defines Shoojit's film as it rolls on. Take that moment in the dark when Vicky offers his mother a drink when he finds her uneasy with the memories or the way she handles the affair between Vicky and Ashima, who turns out to be a divorcee.It all rings a bell. The sidelights are equally perceptive. For once we have a physically challenged character with physical needs. Beneath the apparent fun side of donor-doctor repartee, it is all about embracing everything that is considered a handicap in popular perception without turning didactic. Yes, Chaddha's fascination for sperm does threaten to get on your nerves, the conflict between Vicky and Ashima seem a bit contrived and you can see the climax coming from a distance, but

Vicky Donor manages to strike the right chord.

Vicky Donor

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam, Annu Kapoor, DollyAhluwalia, Kamlesh Gill

Storyline: A sperm donor falls in love with a girl who can't conceive of the idea and…

Bottomline: A light-hearted but earnest effort to dismantle the everyday taboos we live with.