Tere Bin Laden is many notches above the run-of-the-mill satire. It takes a spectral swipe at Osama-phobia, Bush-bashing, and global terrorism. Abhishek Sharma was able to pull off a pungent parody that combines poultry jokes with globally significant comments. Under the outer skin, Tere Bin Laden is different from what we see as satire. The actors are in the mood for some serious fun here. While Pakistan’s Ali Zafar sparkles in the embrace of the script’s feisty wit, Pradhuman Singh as an Osama look-alike too seems to have fun biting the bait.
There are some stinging swipes taken at the Americanization of the Asian dream, and the craze for young urbanites in this part of the world to make good their escape at any cost. Debutant director Abhishek Sharma never loses hold of the satirical mould. The sense of fun is uppermost in the script, though quite frequently the humour gets derailed by studio-induced props worthy more of a television sitcom on burger-mania rather than a film whose satirical take on terrorism touches the nerve-centres of our very existence.
This is high-wit, low-budget comedy, and it shows. The gags and one-liners involving the preparation to put the fake Osama in the line of fire are pungent parody in principle. But the film’s meagre budget muffles the mirth. Finally, it’s all about placing cameras in front of world maps rather than going out there to capture those parts of the world that the satire takes into its tongue-in-cheek sweep.
There are some stinging swipes taken at the Americanization of the Asian dream, and the craze for young urbanites in this part of the world to make good their escape at any cost. Debutant director Abhishek Sharma never loses hold of the satirical mould. The sense of fun is uppermost in the script, though quite frequently the humour gets derailed by studio-induced props worthy more of a television sitcom on burger-mania rather than a film whose satirical take on terrorism touches the nerve-centres of our very existence.
That Sharma is actually able to pull off a parody that combines poultry jokes with globally significant comments is no small achievement. The actors are in the mood for some serious fun here. While Ali Zafar sparkles in the embrace of the script’s feisty wit, Pradhuman Singh as an Osama look-alike too seems to have fun biting the bait. His scenes with a beautician (Sugandha Garg) who touches up his face are deliciously suggestive.
Speaking on the Tere Bin Laden experience, Abhishek Sharma says, “Tere Bin Laden has been a special film, not just for me as a filmmaker, but also for lots of audience members who over time have become diehard fans of a small-budget film that today is seen as a cult classic. The special love that I get from fans from all walks of life for this debut venture of mine has been overwhelming. Every year when I get congratulatory messages on 16th July for the film’s anniversary, it is like a booster shot. It fills me with immense pride and encouragement. It is a reminder that if our storytelling is honest and our craft is backed by passion, we can achieve big dreams even with so-called “small films”. When a film is wholeheartedly accepted by the audience it ceases to be the director’s film. Now it belongs to the people and that in filmmaking is the biggest achievement. More than awards and box office numbers, it is this organic yet intangible success that lasts forever.”
