Sniff

Amole Gupte is a man I adore but his latest feature film is one that I didn't enjoy. Sniff!!! talks about a school kid who was born without the sense of smell. Since his family has been in the pickle business for generations and that the sense of smell is good to have if not essential, this kid sits gloomy at all times. Until a miracle in the writers' imagination happens. The first act invites you in the story of this kid and how he DOES NOT cope with his limitation, but after that the plot goes downhill. Of course, there is novelty in the plot, but I cannot stand a story that is too bloated with impossible sequences. 4th grader kids building CCTV systems, taking on born criminals, and acting like they know everything - all while skipping school is something that I cannot digest. Director Gupte uses the so-called cinematic liberty too lavishly and ends up creating the opposite of 'Stanley Ka Dabba'. The characters are cardboard cutouts who do as expected to make you feel like you are watching a familiar film. Targeted at families, Sniff!!! may succeed in bringing them together in front of a screen, but it can't keep them there. Eventually, people are going to take huge loo and popcorn breaks while the film is still playing. Overall, Sniff!!! is an impossible fantasy film under the disguise of a comedy drama. TN.