Film Tubelight is a worthy to watch once for Salman’s innocence and his sizzling chemistry with ma !!

At the beginning, one must advise people that Tubelight is a departure from your regular Salman Khan mass entertainer. Here Bollywood’s superstar essays a child-man who doesn’t take off his shirt or flex his biceps. Salman Khan and Kabir Khan had tested success in the past with commercially viable films Ek Tha Tiger and Bajrangi Bhaijaan, but newest venture Tubelight is an emotive film.

 

Film ‘Tubelight’ is the story of Lakshman Singh Bisht (Salman Khan), a simpleton who loves his brother Bharat (Sohail Khan). When the Sino-Indian war breaks out in 1962 and Bharat joins the army to serve his country, Lakshman is devastated and vows to end the war through sheer faith after being told by an enigmatic magician (Shah Rukh Khan) that his faith can move mountains. In the meantime, Lakshman also befriends a Chinese woman (Zhu Zhu) and her son (Matin Rey Tangu), who come from Calcutta to stay in Kumaon and face hostility from the locals. Does Lakshman manage to get his brother back? See the movie to find out…

 

Since the past few movies, Salman Khan has shed his macho swagger to essay simple-hearted and noble characters and the Bhaijaan does so once again in ‘Tubelight’. As Lakhshman, Salman is unquestionably loveable with his childlike innocence. Salman laughs and cries unselfconsciously, showing his viewers the less-seen side of his macho screen image. He cannot move mountains with his act but he tries hard to keep the faith alive. Sohail puts in a decent act as does Zhu Zhu. Late Om Puri is reliable and dignified as always and little Matin Rey Tangu is a pleasure to watch as the naughty Guvo. Special mention must be made of Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub, who essays the town bully Narayan - the man is naturally good in every scene! Shah Rukh Khan, who has a cameo in the movie, absolutely dominates the scene that he is a part of with his charisma and screen presence.

 

Fim ‘Tubelight’, which is based on the Hollywood movie Little Boy is an emotive fare. At one point of time, the movie seems to focus on the power of faith and then unexpectedly deviates towards the concept of Gandhiji’s policy of ‘an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind’ and then again touches lightly upon Lakshman’s bonding with little Guvo.

 

Unlike Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which had a simple agenda (Bajrangi wanted to drop little Munni back to Pakistan), ‘Tubelight’ seems keen to send across many messages at one go. Also, though the movie does have its solid points, it somewhere lacks the ability to tug at your heartstrings the way ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ did. Also, the second half could have used some trimming as it tends to stretch a bit.

 

Pritam’s Naach Meri Jaan and Sajan Radio are magical, as is Shah Rukh Khan’s cameo as magician, Go-Go Pasha. Aseem Mishra’s cinematography is largely-breathtaking. But the film does have its heart in the right place and Salman does prove once more that he can rise above the ‘macho swagger and bulging muscles’ type of roles that he has been doing since Wanted.

 

Overall, Tubelight is a worthy to watch once for Salman’s innocence and his sizzling chemistry with master Matin Rey Tangu.