Tere Bin Laden
2010 · Directed by Abhishek Sharma
Original language: Hindi
- comedy
The story
Ali Hassan (Ali Zafar), a reporter with a downmarket TV channel in Karachi, is keen to go to USA for a better life, but his visa has been refused six times in seven years. In desperation, he gets hold of an Osama Bin Laden look alike and makes a fake Osama tape which he sells to the owner of his channel to raise money for a false identity, a new passport and better luck with US visa. As one can expect, it is far from smooth sailing for him and his friends, as they get into a series of comic situations.
What it’s like
Bright, flat daylight and cramped, crowded interiors give this Indian-Pakistani satire the feel of a busy, overheated city: tube-lit TV studios, dusty Karachi streets, cluttered flats where fans turn slowly over sweating faces. The camera stays close and restless, with quick cuts and handheld energy during the chase-and-scramble sequences, and the palette is saturated but unglamorous, all mustard yellows and faded pinks. The score leans on bouncy Bollywood-style pop and cheerful brass, so the sound stays busy and upbeat even when the premise turns uneasy. Its vibe is brisk, cheeky and warm-hearted, a comedy of nerves and bad timing that suits a lazy weekend afternoon or a light evening with friends. Pacing is quick and episodic, with the emotional core resting on a frustrated young man and his loyal, bickering friends learning that shortcuts rarely pay. Intensity is low: some slapstick and brief tense moments of mistaken identity, but no real violence, gore or sexual content, and the darker subject matter is kept at arm's length through farce. It is for viewers who want a playful, politically cheeky comedy that is easy to laugh along with.
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