The silent dramedy genre has not been tried much in Hindi movies, the only one that comes to my mind is Kamal Hassan’s Pushpak. On similar lines, Barfi far outperforms in terms of acting, script, and direction with superlative performances by all the characters; it is a movie that makes you care about them, smile and cry with them, cheer them on, and be a part of their life’s journey. It is unfortunate that we do not see more movies like Barfi. Anurag Basu needs to be commended for his mature direction and for sketching such wonderful characters who are commonplace and yet extraordinary at the same time. Even with the story zooming in and out of flashbacks he has managed to hold our attention and not let it become a snooze-fest. Kudos to the cinematographer as well for a job well done. 

Moving on to the actors who have brought to life the characters they played with such ease that Barfi is sure to sweep most of the top awards or at least the critically acclaimed ones. Saurav Shukla is superb as a cop distressed due to the shenanigans of Ranvir Kapoor. Ileana D’Cruz is believable and does justice to the role of the girl who missed her opportunity but who would do everything she can for her lost love. Priyanka Chopra and Ranvir Kapoor are the surprise package of the movie, delivering a masterful performance. Priyanka as Jhilmil reminds us again, after her portrayal of Susanna in “7 Khoon Maaf,” that she knows her craft when a well written role comes her way. She has played Jhimil without going over the top and has captured various subtle nuances of her character. Ranvir Kapoor is endearing, charming, and delightful in and as Barfi. He has shown great emoting skills and even managed physical comedy in the movie with finesse. Scenes like the one with the chopped electric pole which is how Barfi tests friendships and the one with the Charlie Chaplinesque dummy are indicators of well honed acting skills. He has completely immersed himself into Barfi and you would have to be made of stone if your heart didn’t go out to him.

All in all, Barfi is a well-directed movie, with amazingly sincere performances which are not to be missed and which will stay in your heart for a long time.