Masand's Verdict: Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic

NO CHEMISTRY: The romantic track between Ranbir (Saif) and Geeta (Rani) seems obligatory at best.

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Of the cast, Rishi Kapoor is wasted as the Lord up there, saddled with a role he can't seem to make head nor tail of, drifting through his lines mechanically. Heaven too, seems like an odd place, populated as it is by angels who behave more like witches, bickering and bitching each other out.

Surprise, surprise, Amisha Patel is spot-on as Ranbir's bimbo girlfriend, stealing every scene that she's in.

Meanwhile, Rani Mukherji as Geeta is surprisingly a little out of form. But that has more to do with her poorly written role than it does with Rani's at-best-satisfactory performance. It's a shame, the writers fail to exploit the actress' natural charm and invest some of that charm into her role.

Saif Ali Khan slips naturally into the role of the nostril-flaring Ranbir Talwar. Saif invests sincerity in his character, making him vulnerable and endearing.

But Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic is about the children, and the actors in those roles perform exceptionally. All four kids play their parts convincingly, and for a film about kids pestering the living daylights of a grown man, surprisingly you never once want to wring their necks.

Of the four child actors, I have to single out little Rachit Sidana who plays Sardar kid Iqbal – he is so adorable, so fragile, your heart goes out to him spontaneously.

Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic is not great cinema, but it's a completely watchable children's film. As a movie it's just about average, but bonus points for the kids who keep your interest alive throughout.

I'm going to be a little generous here, I'm going to go with three out of five for director Kunal Kohli's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. This one's strictly for the kids, it's an enjoyable one-time watch, you won't complain.

Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)