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Bucket List movie review: Madhuri Dixit lets her hair down in a sweet film
Film: ‘Bucket List’ (Marathi); Directed by Tejas Vijay Deoskar; Cast: Madhuri Dixit, Renuka Shahane, Sumeet Raghavan; Rating: ** ½
I was looking forward to seeing Madhuri Dixit’s Marathi debut. She is after all, a Maharashtrian and it seems a shame that she had to wait until the roles dried up in Hindi to move to her mother tongue. “Bucket List” seemed like a good opportunity to make up for lost time.
Sadly this well-intended but fractured excessively sweetened film about a housewife living out a list of daring(daring , by her conservative standards) fantasies is a bit of a letdown. For one “Bucket List” seems more about the actress Madhuri’s than her character Madhura’s bucket list.
Outdoing Sridevi was always a secret yearning that Madhuri nursed.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, here you have it. Madhuri Dixit doing Sridevi’s “English Vinglish”. In both, the female hero plays a Marathi housewife who at some point decides she wants to explore experiences outside marriage, children and home. In both the husband is a shadowy figure played with confident persuasion by actors who know how to flesh out their sketchily written roles. Adil Hussain and Sumeet Raghavan are interchangeable in “English Vinglish” and “Bucket List”. And they are both equally replaceable with Vinod Mehra if this film had been made in the 1970s which it easily could have been.
The focus is on Madhuri Dixit as she tucks the pallu of her saree into her still-slim waist and takes off on what she considers to be daring adventures. Both Madhuri/Madhura and the film’s benign-hearted writer-director seem to be inflicted by the yearning to keep the proceedings sweet and dignified to the point of being disarmingly dull.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell where Madhuri ends and Madhura begins. And I don’t mean that in a complimentary way. For example the bucket-list, borrowed from her dead heart donor’s subconscious, mentions the dead girl Sai’s desire to wear a bikini on a beach. That wish remains unfulfilled to the end. I am not sure who refused to wear the bikini. Madhura or Madhuri.
Madhura’s adventures seem embarrassingly tame. They echo what Raima Sen tried 11 years ago in Reema Kagti’s Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd.As the ever-beaming Madhura , Madhuri occupies almost every frame. Though he ticks off all the boxes in the “Sallu Ki Wishlist” roster of a workingclass housewife’s need to fly, she does nothing here that she hasn’t done before.Madhuri is still a delight to watch. But we didn’t need this film to prove it.
“Bucket List” seems to have been conceived only to flatter its leading lady. In the process talented actors like Renuka Shahane, Shubha Khote, Dilip Prabhalkar and Sumedh Mudgalkar(giving a heartfelt performance as the heart donor’s twin brother) barely get a chance to come out of the shadows. When they do,we get an inkling of what this film could have been if it had its heart in the right place. Or maybe too much heart and very little mind is the problem.
If you want to see a solidly performed powerfully written film on a middleclass housewife’s middle aged rebellion try Tabu in Mahesh Manjrekar’s “Astitva” or Smita Patil in Jabbar Patel’s “Subah”
Or better still watch “English Vinglish” again.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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