Ranbeer (Saif Ali Khan) is a powerful business man who, in his rush to take care of business neglects to watch the road properly one evening; in doing so, he broadsides another car. In a post-crash stupor, Ranbeer watches as rescuers try and fail to save the couple driving the car he hit. After a year-long legal battle the judge hands down a strange sentence: take care of the couple’s four children as if they were your own, until the youngest turns 18 years old. Now a court-appointed father, Ranbeer struggles to connect with the children who would rather live on their own than with the man who killed their parents. Ranbeer asks his girlfriend Malaika (Amisha Patel) to get them everything they want, and eventually, to help him find a nanny to care for them. However, God is paying attention to the drama of this family and sends help in the form of Geeta, (Rani Mukerji) a troublesome angel who is always cheerful, boasting of her inability to cry. She is dispatched to unite the family as one, using her charm and is told not to use her magic in front of others. Breaking the rules, Geeta uses her power to stop the children in several plots against Ranbeer, and also uses it to push him closer to them. Eventually, the two start to get close as they bond with the children and one another. After realizing her feelings, Geeta must decide whether she can handle being in love with a human, or if she will return to Heaven and keep her angel status.
Ranbeer Vs. The Phone
Despite rather harsh criticism from other viewers, I loved this movie. Although, I tend to love the light-hearted “fluff” type of movie’s more than more serious and dramatic endeavors anyway. The obvious similarities of this movie to The Sound of Music, Nanny McPhee and Mary Poppins might be a put-off for some people, but the fact that I love those movies and that they are considered by many people to be classic family films should be a great asset to Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic. It was very similar to great children’s movies in that it took the time to teach children that learning can be FUN!
Museums are FUN!
You can even march with Ghandi!
While I spent the first part of the movie a little frustrated with Ranbeer, I was very entertained by Geeta, and her inability to listen to God. She used her powers in full force in front of all the kids and never really explained it either. I don’t think that the family ever had a discussion about what Geeta really was – which was a little off-putting actually. If you have a person living in your house who can do this:
Just rowing in my moon - what?! you don't have one?
You might want to question it a little. Just a thought… The scenes from Heaven reminded me of Bruce Almighty, where they picked a prominent actor (Rishi Kapoor) to play the Almighty and just kind of had fun with it. I like that, because I’m sure God (in any form) isn’t a complete stiff and actually has a good time every once in awhile.
Rani is stunning as usual!
The picturizations were fun too. While not my favorite song, I was impressed by Lazy Lamhe. It’s got to be hard enough to film these scenes without doing it UNDER WATER!
"Singing" under water AND looking attractive - amazing!
I was bemused by the scenes in LA. I don’t see very many of our own film crews for Hollywood movies using popular places like Universal Studios and Rodeo Drive very often, so it was fun to see a few scenes from these places.
Universal Studios! Fix that tie Vashisht!
Wow! What a stylish family!
I am curious, however, if they actually filmed in a random ally in the US or if they themselves added this interesting bit of graffitti that distracted me during this scene:
Really?
In the end, it was a touching movie about finding family, even if they aren’t related to you by blood. I am a full believer that family is extended to whomever your heart is connected – not just what is proper or what society dictates.
Will Vashisht ever join the family?
So, this is a tear? (Don't cry Saif!)
4.5 Stars
Daydreaming Lotus 