We hear Amitabh Bachchan even before we see him in Shoojit Sircar’s latest directorial Gulabo Sitabo (streaming on Amazon Prime Video). Huffing, panting , a slight groan before he stretches his slouching body to take a bulb out of its socket. What he does with it we get to know in the next scene and why he did it is clear subsequently.

Big B, who has a prominent nose and beard, initially grabs our attention but then makes us forget about his towering star quality as he melts into the role of a rapacious old man who someone refers to as “laalchi” in the first few minutes of the film.

Avik Mukhopadhyay’s camera moves slowly, taking in the sights and sounds of Lucknow and Juhi Chaturvedi’s writing marinated in local flavours keeps getting better.

Be it Piku, October or Vicky Donor Shoojit Sircar films the everydayness of life with avid pleasure.

In this one too he tries but is unable to hold our attention for as long as he would like. But that doesn’t take away from the dark solid core of the film and the statement it makes on insatiable greed and the ephemeral quality of youth. Gulabo Sitabo has its moments, the characters and their eccentricities stay with us but how much undivided attention can it command when the going gets slightly tedious? Tune in for the full review!

VO: RJ Stutee