My Dear Bootham review: An Aladdin wannabe that's just crude melodrama

2/5

Plot: In My Dear Bootham, directed by N Ragavan, a school-going boy, Thiruna (Ashwanth Ashokkumar of Super Deluxe-fame) meets Genie (Karkimuki, played by Prabhudheva), who can only be seen by him. Genie helps the boy with his problems in everyday life.

Review: Perhaps inevitably, My Dear Bootham, begins with a bit of context-setting. We are told the story of Genie, Karkimuki and why he becomes a statue. Like a typical Disney-esque fare, the film attempts to be a visual feast, minus effective animations and 3D effects. Cut to Thiruna, the boy. He stammers and gets bullied by everyone in school, including teachers. Thiruna bumps into Karkimuki, on an excursion. First, he faints seeing a towering Karkimuki. Then, the chase happens. Karkimuki had to convince the boy that he was harmless. So, he transforms into Thiruna's favourite cartoon characters and sees how he reacts. Finally, the boy starts confiding in Genie. Karkimuki is visible only to Thiruna. He almost grants him everything that he wants. Thiruna's T-shirts change automatically... His school appears on the other side of his bedroom... So, they have lots of fun together!

Once Genie comes out of the statue, My Dear Bootham quickly turns into a buddy movie. Genie isn’t just Thiruna's friend. He also becomes his mentor and a fatherly figure. From a jolly first half, My Dear Bootham shifts into a melodramatic zone, post-interval.

Thiruna participates in an oratory competition. To his utter disappointment, he's unable to speak a word. The boy was expecting that Karkimuki would save him, but no; Genie remains a mute spectator! In an ideal situation, teachers would have helped the boy, but here, the whole auditorium watches Thiruna pee in his pants, out of sheer fear and embarrassment. Worst of all, Thiruna's mum (played by Remya Nambeesan) has no clue where the boy goes; although she gets doubtful, as the story progresses.

Scenes from the film are partly funny, partly sentimental and partly inspirational. Aside from a few jokey buddy-comedy exchanges between the boy and Genie, most of the bits that seem to work best must have read great on paper. There are some entertaining episodes, but most of them are overly melodramatic.

It’s quite possible that nobody seeing the film will feel that anything has gone missing. That’s the thing about these fantasy films. The audience I saw the film with seemed to mildly enjoy it, as well. Ragavan and his team take too many liberties with their source material. If you’ve seen the original Aladdin tales, you’ll know exactly how the story unfolds.

My Dear Bootham does little except add human flesh to the bare bones of the Aladdin story. The ending feels formulaic and a little anticlimactic. Ragavan could have added a novel twist to a story told countless times before, but the film is plain, and sometimes, tone deaf. The casting is admirable. Prabhudheva, as Genie, hits all the right notes and adds a spark to his chemistry with the child artiste, Ashwanth. Their camaraderie is endearing to watch. Ashwanth captures the ideal form of his character with innocence, grace and earnestness.

Verdict: It’s simple, fun, and direct, more concerned with being delightful than with looking “real”. My Dear Bootham will appeal to kids, for sure.

My Dear Bootham is running in theatres.