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Go Noni Go

Farhad Dalal Founder
By-
Farhad Dalal
Rating
2.5 Star popcorn reviewss

Introduction

It is a couple of years ago that Mr. Ratan Tata had launched an application called Goodfellas which essentially was a way for senior citizens to find companionship by connecting them with young graduates. On being probed into the thinking behind this investment, he had said that the loneliness that elderly folks go through cannot be quantified in words (paraphrased). Based on this theme and adapted from a short story ‘Salaam Noni Appa’ by Mrs. Funnybones, Twinkle Khanna, the premise of the Hindi film Go Noni Go is simple – a middle aged woman tending towards her third phase in life finds unexpected joy when she starts developing feelings for her younger Yoga teacher. There are genuinely heartfelt moments along the way but one issue that I had with the film was with its tone that was inconsistent. I would like to bring up the example of the Hindi film Three Of Us that was a bittersweet tale of a woman uniting with her ex-lover from childhood days before her tryst with dementia. The sombre theme and tone backed by a feel-good yet bittersweet narrative that eventually ended with a hope in a slice of life film, is the space that I had envisioned Go Noni Go to be. And to be fair, the second act did provide those moments beautifully in the narrative. The issue for me was the drastically different first and third acts that didn’t quite make for the desired impact that was expected.

Story & Screenplay

It is in the early reels of the drama that you are acquainted to Noni (Dimple Kapadia) through her talking car (voiced by Karan Johar). There is a playful tone in contrast to her otherwise mundane life that is filled with loneliness post the passing away of her husband. And with her daughter migrated to another country, the entire house is just for herself and her reclusiveness. The only form of company that she receives is from her dear friend Binny (Ayesha Raza Mishra) who often finds way to set her up with men on dating apps. As per Binny, this is the age to enjoy (and why not) by staying fit, indulging in yoga and eventually finding a partner for companionship. And as a reluctant Noni uses this as a checklist, fate has other plans for her, even as she falls for her good-looking yoga teacher Anand (Manav Kaul), who is dealing with issues of his own at his place.

The premise was definitely interesting and a good one, something that holds relevance with the gaze the elderly folks are looked down upon as far as their needs are concerned. In that regard, the story is progressive and definitely worth telling. However, I did have a few issues with the comedic tone of the drama that may have worked individually with a couple of gags, but largely felt out of place. The tone needed to be a little more muted while allowing emotions to take over the narrative. What that would have done is allowed the viewers to fully invest in the journey of the protagonist from the first scene itself while presenting a sort of a character arc that would tilt towards hope by the time the second act would kick in. Instead, the proceedings are tending towards frivolous in the first act apart from being a touch louder than what I would have liked with regards to its tone.

The proceedings definitely settle in with the onset of the second act that sees a much more organic friendship that Noni shares with Anand. Here, I must say that the conflict that Anand faced at home could have been a little more pronounced in order to completely give him a benefit of doubt with his new-found relationship. Sure, the relationship in itself was handled with care and sensitivity to never go overboard with its characters, but a little more justification would not have hurt. I was also deeply involved in a parallel subplot involving Noni’s daughter and her steady involvement with her college friend, something that did contribute towards a breezy narrative that definitely had its heart in the right place. So, you are witness to conversations between the younger couple on the life-saving act of turtles on the beach, while the elderly couple (for a lack of a better term) find themselves strolling together on a beach, in what was an intimate and private yet platonic setting. And in a way, you also see Noni and Anand completing each other with the latter coaxing the former to get back to her dream of being a playwright.

I think one slight missed opportunity would be using different parts of the city of Mumbai as a character in the drama. From the favourite spots of the couple which was beautifully highlighted in the film Ishq-e-Nadaan, the same went slightly under the radar here. But this was hardly of an issue given how smooth the drana had been to this point, unless the curse of the third act set in. The tone that was beautifully maintained in the drama shifted gears to being melodramatic coupled with some needless subplots like the hospitalization of Noni, that had no bearing to the overall screenplay while seldom touching on the complexities in store for Anand post the reveal. There was a definitely dip in the proceedings post which the revival never really takes place even as the writing has a fallback mechanism on the playful tone which was synonymous with the opening act. A cliched ending here filled with stereotypes in terms of setting did not help the cause of the film either that oddly resorted to a monologue to end the drama. The screenplay had an odd structure here with a passable first act, a wonderful second act and a woefully tapering final act that pretty much sums up the inconsistency in the drama.

Dialogues, Music & Direction

The dialogues are light and frothy while being in sync with the various moods of the drama. But ideally, some of my favourite lines in the drama are stacked up in a philosophical second act that I needed more of, at the end of the day. The music and BGM nicely compliment the narrative while evoking a set of emotions wherein you do root for the relationship of Noni and Anand. The cinematography comprises of frames that are pretty good here which coupled with the shift in the lighting, essentially capture the arc of Noni really well. The production design also represejts interiors that are urban with a bright choice of colours that definitely leaves a mark. The editing by Antara Lahiri is crisp and does well in keeping the length of the scenes in check. Director Sonal Dabral does a decent job but sees some highs and lows, all in the same film. I think his direction was terrific in the second act wherein the leisurely mood of the drama felt so organic and in sync with the relationship of Noni and Anand. And while his direction is passable in the first act, the downfall takes place wherein he really tries to interfere with the leisurely proceedings of the drama with the infusion of melodrama. The drama dips then and doesn’t exactly recover. So, the direction is a mixed bag here.

Performances

The performances are pretty good here and all actors manage to leave a mark. Rohan Mehra in a cameo is quietly charming and has a strong screen presence with a righteous quality that makea him affable. Athiya Shetty also has a nice little energy to her character and she does a pretty solid job here. Ayesha Raza Mishra as Binny is dependable and it is her prowess with comedy that allows room for some gags to land. Manav Kaul as Anand is charming as ever and quite honestly, the best actor on display. He is supremely successful in highlighting his vulnerabilities while having an aura of positivity in a performance that absolutely hits home. Dimple Kapadia as Noni is pretty good too while sharing crackling chemistry with her co-star Manav. She does touch upon a range of emotions and makes for a sweet little watch as far as her character is concerned.

Conclusion

As a part of our (final) MAMI coverage, Go Noni Go is a partly charming drama with good performances that oddly tapers off in its final act thereby restricting the drama strictly to mid levels. The main culprit for me was the inconsistent tone of the drama that didn’t allow the drama to bloom completely.

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