critic's rating: 3.5/5

Balmukund Shukla (Ayushmann Khurrana) prided himself on his luxurious hair while in school. Growing up, he was the SRK of his mohalla in Kanpur. Sadly for him, he suffers from male pattern baldness while still in his 20s. His confidence goes for a toss. His career takes a beating and so does his love life. He tries various remedies but doesn't get a cure. In the end, he decides to wear a toupee and that does the trick. He falls in love with tik tok star and model Pari (Yami Gautam) and attracted by his sense of humor, she reciprocates. They even get married but she dumps him the next day when she learns the truth. She even files a case for fraud against him. Here, his childhood frenemy, Latika (Bhumi Pednekar), whom he always made fun of because of her dark complexion, comes to his aid. She's a hotshot lawyer and is confident of winning the case but Bala has to decide whether winning is more important than living with the truth.

Finding yourself and accepting who you are is the underlying message of this rib-tickling comedy. It offers an irreverent take on our obsession with looking good. Fair complexion for girls and a good crop of hair for the guys are standard norms and the film questions why it should be so. Fairness creams which guarantee fairer complexion in two weeks and spurious products claiming hair regrowth are the butt of jokes here. Actually our fixation with them is the target. Another target is the shallow life that we build for us over social media platforms. Yami Gautam's character is the personification of this fad and the scene where she breaks down, claiming all she wanted was a good made-up life brings home the truth of today's times.

Thankfully, the film isn't preachy and uses funny situations and moments to spread its message across. The screenplay is quite creative. Ayushmann's character is a stand-up comic and Yami's character is a tik tok star and their romance is spelt out with them making videos out of '90s hits. So be prepared for some Kumar Sanu, Sonu Nigam nostalgia. There is a hilarious scene where three characters try out their versions of the Bachchan baritone. The dynamics of Ayushmann's dysfunctional family too bring a smile to your face.

The epiphany felt by the central character is gradual. In between all the gags and one-liners, the film does manage to acquaint us with real people facing real issues. The director hasn't gone for a typical Bollywood ending and that's the best thing about the film. Though we would have loved it more if the film was set in a Metro and not small-town India. Being bald or having a dark complexion are universal issues surely. Isn't it high time we gave the Banaras-Lucknow-Kanpur belt a break?

The entire ensemble cast, be it Seema Pahwa as Bhumi's moustached aunt, Saurabh Shukla as Ayushmann's cricket-obsessed father or Abhishek Banerjee as his bestie who happens to be a barber add to the film. Bhumi Pednekar is delightful as a firebrand feminist lawyer though one wishes her black make-up was consistent. Yami too portrays the shallowness as well as the vulnerability of her character perfectly. Ayushmann has gotten under the skin of his complex character with aplomb. The angst, the insecurity felt by him is almost palpable. Cause-based films do bring out the best in him and the question is how long his romance with such subjects would continue...

Trailer : Bala

Ronak Kotecha, November 8, 2019, 12:05 AM IST

critic's rating: 4.0/5

Bala Story: Balmukund Shukla aka Bala (Ayushmann Khurrana) tries all sorts of hacks to grow back his silky smooth hair, but to no avail. Finally, he finds a fix, but will that bring him permanent happiness?

Bala Review: “Hum aapki khubsoorti ka raaz hai, aapke sarr ka permanent taj hai.” Attention, this is your hair talking and that is how Bala begins. A quirky voice-over (Vijay Raaz) sets the stage for a fun ride at the expense of the film’s hero. He is all of 25, but looks way older, thanks to his diabetes and bald pate that has replaced what was once a dreamy crop of silky hair.
His childhood sweetheart has also left him and he is demoted at his job as the salesman for a women’s fairness cream. But, Bala is not a sobering mess. Instead, he takes the challenge head on (no pun intended). Bala doubles up as a stand-up comedian where he imitates Bollywood stars and is actively seeking various remedies for his hair loss. These range from ridiculous to bizarre. The situational comedy brings ample opportunities for the first half to be high on fun with witty one-liners that will leave you in splits. Ayushmann owns every scene making Bala’s plight look believable as well as hilarious. He gets the Kanpur accent bang on with accurate body language and other nuances. You can empathise with him but he never comes across as a pitiful character even when his chips are down. All thanks to the smart writing of story, screenplay and dialogues by Niren Bhatt.

Among the actresses, Bhumi Pednekar is impactful as the strong-headed lawyer Latika, who has always faced bias due to her dark skin. However, her make-up doesn’t look very convincing. Yami Gautam (as Pari Mishra) looks beautiful and is quite impressive as Kanpur ki superstar, who is full of herself. Her character reflects the current trend of small town influencers on social media and their growing popularity. Among the character actors Saurabh Shukla, Abhishek Banerjee, Seema Pahwa and Javed Jaffrey lend good support and often bring in the laughs. The film’s music plays mostly in the background and blends well with the narrative. The reference to the various 90s tracks is endearing.

Director Amar Kaushik tries to drive home the message about how our society mocks those who are different. The film tends to get preachy in the second half with the message about societal prejudices hammered down repeatedly. This takes away from the film’s fun quotient, but the story continues to engage the viewer, mostly due to Ayushmann’s stellar performance.

But overall, 'Bala' remains a light-hearted comedy with situations that are relatable. Just like the film’s message, 'Bala' is beautiful even with its flaws, and never fails to entertain.