Tich Button is a happy-go-lucky film that is released twenty years too late. Films like these were a rage in the 1990s, however, with the passage of time, things change. Luckily, for producer Farhan Saeed and Urwa Hocane, as well as first-time director Qasim Ali Mureed, nothing much has changed in Pakistan, with the film industry being on top of that list. Although its teaser and trailer were released before the game-changing event known as The Legend of Maula Jatt, it still manages to attract viewers who still believe in love, the 90s style!
The Plot
Kaka Sahab (Farhan Saeed) is a fun-loving do-gooder who wants to stay happy and keep everyone around him happy. When his cousin Shakila (Sonya Hussyn) is all set to marry his buddy Saqib (Feroze Khan, also a cousin), the latter gets cold feet and asks Kaka to help, who somehow finds himself getting married to Shakila. Things go awry when Saqib brings his friend Leena (Iman Ali) to meet his grandparents, but falls in love with Shakila, complicating Kaka Sahab’s good work. Does Saqib manage to reconcile with Shakila before it’s too late or do things become better for them all, go and watch Tich Button to find out.
The Good
Farhan Saeed couldn’t have chosen a better script to launch his film career and although he sings just one song here, he could have sung more, considering he is a top-class singer. At times he might remind the audience of Shah Rukh Khan but that’s something he can’t escape since most of us have grown up watching SRK. The next big thing about the movie was Iman Ali who looked graceful, beautiful, and lovely, all at once. Her fans missed her on the big screen and her entry was cheered in the cinema, something not many leading ladies of today could pull off.
The second leads Sonya Hussyn and Feroze Khan looked good but had very few scenes together, maybe because of the controversies they were involved in. The best thing about the film was utilizing Sohail Ahmed perfectly, who recently appeared across the border and did wonder with his acting. Here, he gets to show his range as a versatile actor and impresses all with his ability to change gears and deliver. The scenes filmed in Turkey are like a breath of fresh air even though many recent films have been made in the same country.
Last but not the least, the soundtrack was brilliant since it had everything for everyone, from romantic duet like Ehsaan Hai Tumhara, to dance number Main Ni Boldi, item song Pretty Face, and the happy-go-lucky Jutt Song, which were very intelligently incorporated in the background score by Mohsin Allah Ditta. Although the songs didn’t take the film forward, the background score did and is one of the highlights that you take back once you exit the theatre.
The Bad
In a world where everything is online, how was Saqib not aware that his own phupi’s daughter Shakila was bold and beautiful? Considering they were first cousins, it seems highly impossible since these days, third and fourth cousins are connected socially as if they were always this close. Also, there was no need to involve a letter that changed the whole scenario since it looks vague and stupid at the same time. Despite the presence of the best cinematographers – Pakistan’s Suleman Razzaq and Turkey’s Yalcan Avci – some scenes in the film’s final print seemed grainy for some reason, especially the long shots. In fact, in Kaka Sahab’s introductory song, one can’t forget the presence of lighting equipment in the background, which had nothing to do with the story.
As for the script, too many characters were the biggest drawback of the film. Qavi Sahab’s character could have had more dialogues where he becomes nostalgic, Noor ul Hasan had nothing to do at all, and the same could be said of the two mothers – Samiya Mumtaz and Gul e Rana – who looked in TV mode than film mode. Marina Khan did have a better role but like most of the characters, there wasn’t any backstory. Writer Faiza Iftikhar never fails to impress on TV, but she could have worked double hard on her film debut which lacked focus. And yes, while the buffalo found the motivation to give milk, Feroze Khan’s character kept changing sides until it was too much for the audience, who wanted the film to end, which it did in typical DDLJ style, at the railway station.
The Verdict 3/5
If you have seen Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, then watching Tich Button wouldn’t be an issue, since it has been created more or less in the same vein. It’s a happy-go-lucky film where an SRKesque hero tries to do the right thing, but is taken for granted until he finally realizes that only he can save himself and his love. With the help of an impressive soundtrack where Farhan Saeed should have sung most of the songs, Tich Button is here to stay despite its issues.
Also, it could have been named anything but Tich Button because the two main guys weren’t closely bonded friends like Jay Veeru from Sholay but were more like Ravi Verma – Vijay Verma from Deewar, with the one being good, and the being not-so-good. While corruption was the issue between the two brothers in the Indian flick, here it was neglecting the nephew for his own son, which wasn’t highlighted the way it could have been. You can call it a film revolving around a love triangle or quadrangle, but since it gave a happy-go-lucky feeling, it might end up doing better at the box office than expected.
