Aao Wish Karein

Rating: *

A twelve year old wishes with all his might that he becomes big. A shooting star passes by overhead,and presto,miserable Mickey becomes a six-footer with bulky biceps and other bulging parts.

‘Aao Wish Karein’ has been clearly influenced by Hollywood hit,‘Big’,but Aftab Shivdasani has none of the ineffable charm that Tom Hanks brought to his small-big boy part. Being a childlike adult credibly on screen is a toughie: most actors fall into the trap of trying too hard,and that’s what happens with Shivdasani. All the emotions are blown up and blown out,leaving no room for nuance.

The romance between little-big Mickey (Aftab Shivdasani) and the girl (Aamna Sharif) who is the love of his life,is a huge problem. The little tyke yearning for her from afar is just about bearable (though you want to shake him when he stands at her table,flower in hand,gawping),but when it switches into supposedly adult territory,it becomes a mess,mainly because Sharif is plastic all the way through. A capering fellow in a tall hat (Johny Lever) shows up every now and then to show the characters that magic exists,you have only to wish for it strongly enough.

Good proposition for kids,and adults,to buy in. But ‘Aao Wish Karein’ falls in between two stools,and becomes a film which appeals strongly to neither.

(shubhra.gupta@expressindia.com)