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Much against its diminutive stature and deceptive title, Zor Lagaa Ke... Haiya is a big-hearted children’s film that could educate adults on ecosystems.
The movie focuses on a group of society kids who are happy and contended in their own lives. Karan (Meghan) is the group leader, Ritesh (Ritvik Tyagi) – the whiz kid, Laddu (Hardik Thakkar) – the fatso and Priya (Ayesha Kaduskar) the only female in the gang. The only person they fear is the bizarre bearded beggar (Mithun Chakravarthy) on the roadside who they call Raavan.
To keep an eye on him they plan to build a tree-house for which the street-kid Ram (Ashwin Chitale) comes handy. With Ram’s raw architectural expertise from the neighbourhood under-construction site, the kids erect their small abode atop the tree. But soon Raavan encroaches their tree-house. After some small squabbles, the kids and Raavan befriend each other with the tree-house serving as a common platform, bringing them close.
Shortly they learn that the builder of the neighbourhood building, Bakshi (Gulshan Grover) and his associate Gupta (Mahesh Manjrekar) plan to cut the tree, legally or illegally, to build an access road to their new tower. The kids and Raavan wage a war against Bakshi making him unsuccessful in his attempts to ravage the tree.
Zor Lagaa Ke... Haiya works as a simple social film with a clear message of ‘save trees’ conveyed through kids, perhaps because we turn a deaf-ear to elders. The film very clearly sketches its protagonist, antagonist and the passive agonist. The innocent kids who shape the future of the country form the protagonist, the hypocrite builder who promises natural habitat while not thinking twice before cutting trees is the antagonist while the silent spectator who is aware of the importance of green in global warming era but chooses to remain mute forms the passive agonist. The latter species is most injurious to the society.
Director Girish Joshi tries to keep the mood of the film light with smart spoofs on Mahabharat, superheroes and Sarkar. The mature mind can overlook some silly toilet humour and childish pranks. Despite its social theme, the film doesn’t appear like a public service message, since the community cause is laced within a story. On the contrary, this film had more scope to be preachy on associated issues like global warming, deforestation, slum rehabilitation, child labour and corruption leading to widespread tree-cutting. While the film focuses only on its solo ‘save-trees’ concern, that also makes the plot one-dimensional.
On the downside, the beggar’s background account on his estrangement from the family isn’t fairly fleshed out. Riya Sen’s minuscule side track is irritating and the film could have easily done without a female lead. Also the children’s attempt to save the tree is more emotionally driven and lacks a practical outlook.
Mithun Chakravarthy and Gulshan Grover come up with decent performances. Mahesh Manjrekar makes a caricature of himself at times. The kid-gang is neither loud nor sugary-sweet. Ashwin Chitale (of Shwas fame) gives a touching performance. Ayesha Kaduskar is cute and charming. Meghan goes a little pretentious while Ritvik Tyagi and Hardik Thakkar are more natural. Amitabh Bachchan’s baritone, though short-lived, gives life to the tree and adds depth to its concern.
Zor Lagaa Ke... Haiya does get shallow on its social scope and, to an extent, also has the trappings of a Pogo channel TV show. But otherwise the film is a decent attempt with dignified intentions. The film fruitfully adds life to a wooden concern.
