Open Tee Bioscope

Everything and everyone on this planet can be bracketed into two sub-species: the underrated and the overrated, depending on one's relative perception, going by the Pink Floyd sermon that "the sun is the same in a relative way". Be it sex or death, painters or pornstars. Well everything, except clichés. Clichés have more universal potency than scientific truths or cosmic occurrences. So, when when we say that our adolescent years were the best time of our lives, it's a cliché. It stays with us forever, and that's the magic and curse of adolescence. Because the adult life that follows can, and never will, match up, always ending up being a distant second. Open Tee Bioscope is a time portal that takes us back to our teenage years. We are the '90s kids. And we fucking owned the world. A marching band of memories crowd our heads, blowing trumpets of anecdotal sentimentality. Globalisation, even in its infancy, could not rob us of our silly and bold indulgences, naive dreams and cruel heartbreaks. The film triumphantly recreates a world that preceded Facebook and iPhones, a joyful ode to the '90s. But at the end of the day, it's a film and not skinny dipping/scuba diving lessons in the deep waters of nostalgia. It has to be judged on the parameters of cinematic aesthetics. The film has its heart in the right place but its head in all sorts of wrong places. The plotline is as thin as a cigarette rolling paper and as predictable as Congress' chances in the upcoming Delhi polls. Despite its honesty, it can be accused of recurrent dishonest attempts at emotional manipulation. The characterisation is plagued by mawkish caricatures. The editing is deeply flawed, with incoherent cuts' galore. And the banality of the finale. The overuse and abuse of slow-mo will give Bhaag Milkha Bhaag a run for its money. The acting from the young BFFs is worth mentioning, duly complemented by the strong supporting cast. But overall, the film left me disappointed. It's a decent watch nevertheless. Especially because it doesn't subscribe to the formulaic trappings of the new-age self-proclaimed avant-garde filmmakers. Where names are dropped like bombs and the mediocre are celebrated as genius.