Billu - Preview

NOT A REVIEW - just wondering if snipping 'barber' from the title will chop the story/humor, if any...

The stage is set for this friendship tale with acting by Irrfan Khan, dance-routine from Shah Rukh Khan and his ladies, and marketing courtesy Salon and Beauty Parlors’ Association.

It's extremely interesting that Shah Rukh Khan's home production is doing a film with Irrfan Khan. I mean commerce meets art. Pretty cool. Irrfan will emote and Shah Rukh will do the slo-mo entries, play himself, and all that jazz. Everyone is happy. Except for a few like me who can't handle it when he plays himself. But we're a minority. So, let division of labor and specialization take over.

Also, isn't it good in a way that an Irrfan starrer is promoted by Shah Rukh? More people will watch and hopefully admire Irrfan. Maybe 3-4 movies down the line Irrfan would have multiplied his following by a huge factor. Shame that we need a Shah Rukh to do that, but so be it.

But, then again the last Priyadarshan movie that delivered a decent laugh was Hungama. That was 6 years ago.

Meanwhile as is in vogue these days, we have the barbers hairdressers getting offended by the original title. So, Shah Rukh gracefully took the "offensive" word off -

Billu has been made with good feelings about love and goodness. If it is hurting somebody, let me not do it.

Also turns out other words meaning hairdresser - hajaam, nai - are going to be beeped out. Tch-tch-tch. There goes the last hope of having any reality.

On the other hand, Irrfan has been working hard to get it right -

Not hair-styling, mind you. I don't want to learn the barber's art from some posh salon in a 7-star hotel
...
The bonafide barbers hold the scissors in a different manner and the way they hold the customer's hair is different.
...
As soon as I finish learning I'll probably cut Shah Rukh Khan's hair.

Here's hoping some of that humor passes on to the film too. And of course, the research too. Ahem.