Bubble Gum (II) (2011)

A teenager faces interfering parents, a sibling, and a rival for the girl he loves.

Director:

Sanjivan Lal

Writer:

Rohit Gahlowt (dialogue writer)

Stars:

Apoorva Arora, Apporva Arora, Tanvi Azmi

Cast

Credited cast:
Apoorva Arora
Apporva Arora	...	Jenny
Tanvi Azmi	...	Sudha M. Rawat
Delzad Hiwale	...	Vedant M. Rawat
Sachin Khedekar	...	Mukund Rawat
Sohail Lakhani	...	Vidhur M. Rawat
Veerendra Saxena	...	School Teacher
Suraj Singh	...	Ratan Singh Chauhan
Ganesh Yadav	...	Jenny's Dad

Storyline

Jamshedpur-based Vedant Rawat lives a middle-classed lifestyle with his parents, Mukund and Sudha; and an elder deaf-mute brother, Vidhur, who is enrolled in a Delhi-based hostel - in an era before mobile phones, Internet and Facebook. He has a crush on Jenny, who studies in Sacred Heart Convent School, and lives a wealthy lifestyle with her father, who is a senior police officer, mother and a younger brother. He meets on the sly with her and both share bubble gum. Vedant will soon face challenges when Vidhur comes to visit for Holi and he will be required to spend more time with him then with Jenny; while a fellow-student, Ratan Singh Chauhan, is determined to woo and win Jenny's affections at any and all costs. Things get complicated even more after a disturbed Vedant damages Vidhur's hearing aid, and starts stealing in order to get even with Ratan.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi Bengali Bhojpuri English

Release Date:

29 July 2011 (India)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Koncept Infotenment

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

User Reviews

One of the most authentic films that captures the innocence and vulnerability of being a teenager

First of all, don't be mislead by the title. I too was under the impression that this would be a sugarfluff teen romance but trust me when I say that most of you won't want to miss this.

It's been a long time since I've watched an authentic slice of life film (from Hindi cinema) that really captures what it was like to be a teenager. Most of the film is seen through 14 year old Vedant's point of view. Sanjivan Lal's film is very detailed and he pretty much captures every essence and innocence of what it was like growing up in a Southeast Asian community in the 80s. The references to pop-culture of that time are entertaining.

The art direction, costumes, makeup and sets really capture the feeling of the 80s before the digital age (when there wasn't an abundance of mobile phones, computers and compact discs). There's some fine camera-work and editing. It's not overtly stylized but just good enough to not distract the viewer from the story.

As well-made as it is on the technical side, the strongest highlight of 'Bubble Gum' is how the director and writer bring their vision to screen and the actors' performances. I'm glad to see Tanvi Azmi get fine roles in great movies again. She is one criminally underrated actress and here she is excellent as the loving mother trying to maintain the balance in the family. Sachin Khedekar is dependable as usual and is nothing short of wonderful.

The two newcomers, Delzad Hiwale and Sohail Lakhani, who play brothers Vedant and Vidhur, deserve top most praise. They play their parts with full conviction delivering such natural performances that at times, it's easy to forget that you're watching actors. I hope this unpredictable world of cinema gives these two young actors the opportunity to have a shining career and that they continue to do fine work.

'Bubble Gum' holds nostalgic value for me. I can really relate to the story. Sanjivan Lal's sincerity shines. I wish more movies like this gained enough recognition and continue to be made. By the end I was wearing a great big smile on my face. I couldn't recommend this precious little gem enough and I'll surely be revisiting it soon.