Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (2008)

Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic was a movie made under the banner of Yash Raj Films (produced by Aditya Chopra and Kunal Kohli) starring Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukherji, and a smaller role by Amisha Patel and Rishi Kapoor. The movie is written and directed by Kunal Kohli (no doubt an attempt to try to re-create the success of his earlier movie Hum Tum (2004) starring Saif and Rani). The movie has some nice music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy (with the 'Nihaal Ho Gaayi' song being catchy and popular; the 'Lazy Lamhe' song did not become so popular even though it had a lot of eye candy). The movie had some great performances by the kids, by Rani Mukherji (given her closeness to the producer, this would have been expected though); the performance by Saif Ali Khan was marred by the fact that the movie script almost made him change his character in the space of 15 minutes.



The movie is the story of a hard-nosed guy forced to look after the kids of the couple whom died in a traffic accident for which he was responsible. The judge, in a most unusual decision (that would have without doubt got reversed in a higher court on appeals) sets the responsibility for raising the kids onto this guy, with the provision that if the kids are not happy, then sentencing will happen as a punishment. He has to raise them till they are 18 years old (which is strange, since a person needs to be raised till he / she is self-sufficient, and college education does not end till around 20-21). The kids hate him, and are willing to what it can to get him sentenced. He in turn is shown as being horrified by this responsibility, and wanting to stay away from them. Does this remind you of a combination of 2 movies ? 'Hum Hain Rahin Pyaar Ke', and 'Dushman' (the Rajesh Khanna movie where he has to take care of the victim's family).
Anyhow, this situation is rapidly going downhill, when the kids fervent pleas to God cause God (an over-acting and wasted Rishi Kapoor) to send one of his angels (Rani Mukherji) to earth in order to make things better. She reaches Earth, and forces her way to being the Governess of the kids. And she slowly starts to make things better (helped by a sudden transformation of Saif Ali Khan who suddenly shows that he is not a hard nosed businessman, but a guy who has lost people whom he had, and hence is afraid of love). Slowly, he (helped by Rani) starts winning over the kids, except for the eldest one whom he wins over almost near the end of the movie, at the cost of losing an important business deal. He has, in the meantime, got rid of the simpering and luxury seeking Amisha (wonder why she did this movie), and fallen for Rani. She, however, is an angel incapable of feeling love for anyone. So does she return back to heaven ?
The movie did so so on the circuit, having got some positive reactions, but somehow not able to strike that gold mine in terms of user reactions.

Songs from the movie were:
1. Pyaar Ke Liye : Sung by Shankar Mahadevan
2. Nihaal Ho Gayi : Sung by Shankar Mahadevan
3. Bulbula : Sung by Shankar Mahadevan & Sunidhi Chauhan
4. Lazy Lamhe : Sung by Anusha Mani
5. Beetey Kal Se : Sung by Shreya Ghoshal & Sneha Suresh