Gujarati cinema is regularly coming up with some very fine entertainers. However, Coconut Motion Pictures has carved a niche for themselves with their entertaining, touching and super-hit films, especially the ones involving music director duo Sachin-Jigar and superstar Siddharth Randeria. In 2019, they delivered the monstrous blockbuster Chaal Jeevi Laiye, which is still running in cinemas. This was followed by Kehvatlal Parivar in May 2022. Now, exactly a year later, they are back with Bushirt T-Shirt. The trailer was hilarious and raised expectations and thankfully, the film turns out to be a wholesome family entertainer.
The story of the movie: Bhupat Pandya (Siddharth Randeria) lives with his wife Manju (Vandana Pathak) and son Harsh (Kamlesh Oza) in Ahmedabad. Bhupat has seen several hardships in his life. He once had a thriving catering business. But it shut after he went into losses. With no other option, he had to take up a job in a party planning company, run by a ruthless boss Hemang Shah (Manan Desai) who threatens Bhupat that he’ll fire him if the latter doesn’t adapt to the changing technology. Hence, Bhupat wishes that his son Harsh should aim for a MBA degree which will later help him get a well-paying job. Harsh, however, is not interested in studying MBA. He wants to pursue music. Bhupat is against this idea and he compels Harsh to get admitted in a college for higher studies. This results in a constant war of words between the father and son. One day, a miracle takes place, resulting in confusion and chaos.
After a lovely introduction, Bushirt T-Shirt drops a bit as the makers take their time to build-up the story. The scene of Harsh meeting the principal, however, stands out. But the real fun begins once the miracle happens and also, the reason behind it. From hereon, the film goes on a different level. One scene that is very memorable at this point is when Harsh blackmails Bhupat over going to Goa in front of Manju. After the interval, the fun continues and also, the film scores emotionally. The madness also goes one level up, in the hospital scene and where the duo chases a woman. The finale is sweet.
Speaking of performances, Siddharth Randeria, as always, is in top form. His comic timing is legendary, as we all know. And like always, he also manages to shine in the emotional scenes. This time, he gives a surprise to his fans as he pays tribute to a famous dialogue from one of his well-known plays. He also goes a bit theatrical in the scene where he gets drugged and is sure to be loved by those who enjoy his performance on stage. Kamlesh Oza initially is decent but springs a surprise when the miracle happens. Vandana Pathak is fine but sadly, gets limited screen time. Reeva Rachh (Payal) is memorable and sweet. Hardik Sangani (Divyang; Harsh’s friend) and Kuldeep Gor (Jamnadas; Harsh’s friend) do well. Manan Desai is apt for the part and one wishes his character had more to do as there was a scope. Muni Jha (Ajay) is likeable. The same goes for Rajesh S Khatri (Navjee). Bhakti Kubavat (Mansi), Dilip Rawal (Jitu; Manju’s brother) and Sunil Vishrani (Kotak) are fair. The actor playing the college principal, Kuldip Singh Chaddha and Kusum Karsandas are fair.
Sachin-Jigar‘s music is crowd-pleasing. ‘Kaka Kamarne Halaav’ is foot-tapping while ‘Dahyo Babo’ is okay. ‘Mara Dariya’ is sweet. Advait Nemlekar‘s background score is appropriate. Pratik Parmar’s cinematography is neat. Chirayu Bodas‘ production design is very realistic. Niki Joshi‘s costumes are damn good and suit the characters well. The costumes worn by Siddharth Randeria in the later half are appealing. Tushar Parekh‘s editing is sans complaints as the film moves at a nice pace.
Ishaan Randeria‘s story is novel and has all the trappings of a commercial hit. Ishaan Randeria‘s screenplay is effective. He has peppered the narrative with lots of crazy and sweet moments that keep the interest going. Siddharth Randeria‘s dialogues are witty and funny.
Ishaan Randeria‘s direction is first-rate. As expected, technically, he’s very sound and storytelling-wise, he keeps viewers firmly engaged. Overall, he does justice to the unique plot in hand. What’s impressive is that he doesn’t turn the film into a tearjerker. Also, it takes into account the valid points of both the generations. Hence, the youth as well as the old-aged viewers both would be happy with the narrative.
On the flipside, the beginning 30 minutes could have been better. The character of Manju doesn’t get the screen time that she deserves, especially when she is the one who causes the madness. The character of the boss should have also been meatier, considering his ruthless introduction and personality. The track of Mansi and Kunal is not summed up well. In fact, too many developments take place in the end and mid-credit scene and it can be slightly difficult to digest.
On the whole, Bushirt T-Shirt is a fun-filled family entertainer. It’s a clean film with a great message and most importantly, it’s done without being preachy. At the same time, the unique storyline, hilarious moments and splendid performances by Siddharth Randeria and Kamlesh Oza will get thumbs up from all sections of moviegoers. Bushirt T-Shirt was released on Friday, May 5 and has taken a fine opening. At this rate, it can emerge as one of the biggest hits of Gujarati cinema and also the highest grossing Gujarati film of 2023!
My rating – *** ½ out of 5!