Film: TaRa Rum Pum

Director: Siddharth Anand

Producer: Aditya Chopra

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerjee, Jaaved Jaaferi, Angelina Idnani, Ali Haji

Rating: 2/5

Every time a film releases from the Yash Raj stable, you are sure of what to expect. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Ta Ra Rum Pum is about a family and traces their ups and downs in life.

Pitted against the New York backdrop, Rajveer Singh, aka RV (Saif Ali Khan) is a racing team pit worker who eventually gets discovered by Harry (Jaaved Jaaferi). On his recommendation, RV gets sucked into the racing world, with 'Speeding Saddles'. While his racing career takes off, his love life is faring well too. Radhika, aka Shona (Rani Mukerjee) and RV hit it off after a few fleeting encounters. Before you can blink, he turns out to be a great father of two and one of the country's best racers.

RV meets with an accident, which continues to hound him even after he recovers from it. The good turns ugly, But determined to rise again, RV seeks to reclaim all that was taken away.

The good wins over the evil and everyone lives happily ever after. Ever thought what if it was otherwise? Well, thanks to films like these, you'll never know, for they will never provide you with a glimpse of it. This film is simply the prince to pauper story retold in a foreign locale, with slick racing scenes and an adorable dog thrown in. Every possible string has been pulled in this one, from drama to animation, youthful essence to romantic bouts. There is nothing that is spared in this film. It's safe and clearly well thought of.

If you deconstruct the film, it's almost like the family life cycle table you studied in marketing and management school. This way, you not only ensure yourself of a good response from each segment of audience, but have something to offer them as well, that they generate a response...