'102 Not Out' review: Why this Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor movie fails to impress

Does the Amitabh Bachchan - Rishi Kapoor magic work on the big screen? Find out -

It took 27 years to bring two powerhouse performers, Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor, together on the big screen. '102 Not Out' surely benefits from this novelty, but is that enough to draw you to the theatre?

'102 Not Out' is a story of Dattatraya Vakharia, a 102-year-old man, who wants to break the existing world record of being the oldest living male. He lives with his 75-year-old grumpy son, played by Rishi Kapoor. While he is around, the father wants to transform his son’s life for good. Whether he manages to do so or not forms the crux of the film.

The film is adapted from a Gujarati play, also titled '102 Not Out', written by Saumya Joshi. And it is director Umesh Shukla's second film adapted from a play after 'Oh My God', starring Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal.

But unlike 'OMG', this adapted film doesn't come across as the right project to get these stalwarts together. While '102 Not Out' might have been a great script for a play and clicked wonderfully with a live audience, it falls flat as a film.

This isn’t the first time we are seeing both the actors portraying elderly roles. Rishi Kapoor charmed us as the naughty 90-year-old grandpa in 'Kapoor & Sons' and Sr. Bachchan as the annoying Bhaskor Banerjee stole our hearts. But unfortunately, the same can't be said about their new offering.

Rishi Kapoor’s character faces turmoil and he honestly portrays it, but his blank stares and hysterics don’t hold our attention for long. We would rather go with the happy-go-lucky grandpa, played by Bachchan. His zest for life, even in times of adversities, leaves us with a subtle takeaway – to live our lives to the fullest when we can – a message we tend to forget in our cluttered lives.
 

To add a third dimension to their lives, Jimit Trivedi plays the chemist boy next door and stitches these characters together. He might be annoying at times but also provides a breather to the narrative. Although the film revolves only around these three characters, it doesn’t suffocate you.

Special mention needs to be given to the caricatures in the opening credits of the film. It makes you nostalgic as it walks you through all the landmarks in Mumbai, even including R.K. Laxman's famous Common Man.

It is a pity that although Umesh Shukla did manage to bring two veteran actors together with much promise, '102 Not Out' dwarfs in terms of delivery. It is a wasted opportunity and hopefully, we shall see the duo together in a better project soon.

Movie: '102 Not Out'

Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Jimit Trivedi

Directed by Umesh Shukla

Rating: 2/5

(Now playing at theatres in the UAE)