Cinemaah

No Wonderland This

 
At least the venture is a brave one, even if it fails.  Our filmmakers are so keen to prove that what Hollywood does, they can do better, that they often get into self-destruct mode with over-ambitious films like Toonpur Ka Superhero, which blends animation and live action.

Indian animators may have the talent and the infrastructure, but obviously lack the resources of the cinema they aim to emulate. Even the most routine animation films from the West have better ideas and execution than Kireet Khurana’s Toonpur Ka Superhero.

Even with modern technology, animation is hard work, and acting in front of a blue screen tedious for actors.  TKS has a decent enough idea—a father having to prove to his kid that he is a real hero, and that too in a cartoon world.  But Khurana creates toon characters that would be old-fashioned even by Films Division standards.  A fat Gujarati housewife called Big Ben? A Parsi scientist?  A white-bearded Gyandev?  An off-key and bejewelled singer called Gappy Bahari? Villains call Toonasurs?  Really now!

The kiddie audience the film is aimed at, has seen so much better on TV and big screen,  that Toonpur is bound to evoke yawns.  It is so lacking in pace and humour that the really little ones might just doze off.

Ajay Devgn plays Aditya an action star, whose stunts (done by doubles), have won him a fan following even in the TV world of Toonpur.  The Devtoons who live there are harassed by the Toonasurs and need help. A little Sikh toon suggests that they kidnap the Bollywood star.

Aditya, who lives with his wife (Kajol) and two kids, has just been taunted by his son for not being a real hero, so this is chance for him to redeem himself.

The situation is ripe for adventure and comedy—but the characters in the toon world are so dull, the villains Aditya has to fight so non-menacing that the fight has no thrill.  And considering that animation can make anything happen, there’s not a single awe-inspiring moment,  The last few minutes in which Aditya has to defeat the villain in a virtual game redeems the situation somewhat, but by then it is too late.  Think of films like Space Jam and Jumanji and Toonpur Ka Superhero looks so sadly amateurish.  The writing and direction should have made up for what the film lacked in budget (though is couldn’t have been a small budget film).

To add to the film’s woes, the music is below par and actors like Ajay Devgn and Kajol look like they’d rather be somewhere else… strange since thy produced the film.