When a Movie has Dialogues like 'The End Cannot Justify the Means' and 'The Seed of Creativity Lies Within You', you know that Watching this Movie is going to be an immersive Experience. There are Films AND there are Films. PROMISE DAD is one of the Rare Movies that are being made in Bollywood that has a Universal Global Sensibilities and can Entertain Any Audiences anywhere in the World.
Yes, it's made by an Indian Filmmaker but the Film is not just a Song and Dance experience with a Story thrown in. PROMISE DAD is an attempt to Synchronise Two Different Eras and yet show to the world that what matters is the Commitment that we carry in our Heart for our loved ones. Whether it is Arjun and Abhimanyu in the Mahabharata era or Malay and Raman in London at Present times.
There have been attempts made by other Filmmakers to show two different Eras in a Single Narrative. However, PROMISE DAD Scores Handsomely on this point as the Story Integration is just Seamless and the Dialogues Connect the Two Eras so Beautifully that you just want more of Each Story.
Indian Films are always about Emotions and this is where PROMISE DAD Excels, simply because although the Story and Situations are Moving the Characters portraying them are very controlled and this fine and subtle Acting and Performance of each Actor will not go missing in the eyes of the audiences.
Technically, the Film is Beautifully Shot. Each Scene has a Resonance of it's own and the Picturesque London and it's surroundings are used extremely well in the Narrative of the Film. It's like the Filmmaker knew exactly what he wanted to show from the city and what truly takes the story forward.
The Most Impactful aspect of watching PROMISE DAD is listening to it's Dialogues. It lifts the Film Many Notches up. Instead of the Usual Hindi Film 'Dialogue Baazi', PROMISE DAD is a Powerful Concoction of Deep and meaningful Words and Dialogues that can have Relevance in anyone's Life even today. This shows the Mastery the Director had over His Craft of Story- telling as he is also the Story, Screenplay and Dialogue Writer of the Film.
Performances wise Newcomer Tom Paulson is a Natural. He carries his part so well it is hard to be believe this is his Debut Movie as an actor. Of, course being a Professional Ice-Skater he pulls off all the Skating Stunts Marvellously. Staish Kaushik as his Father has been cast in a role that he usually does not get to do and has given an exemplary performance. The Clarity in the Voice and Performance of Tom Alter gives PROMISE DAD the right Push that's required. Catherine Mushkun as 'Christina' comes across extremely Sincere and Faye Morgan as 'Rose' is good. Jugal Hansraj as 'Rohit' and Divya Dutta as Reporter are well casted and have given a Sincere and Honest performances.
With so many positives, PROMISE DAD has few Significant Drawbacks as well. You can see that this Film Truly needed a Big Budget (10 to 15 Million GBP) and it Genuinely would have been a Global Blockbuster from Bollywood Breaking the 100 or 200 Million Dollars mark. PROMISE DAD has all the right ingredients and all it needed was a Giant Push. It won't be a Bad idea for the Filmmaker if he revisits the story few years from now and makes it as a Mega Block Buster Story with a Large Budget to Distribute and Promote. Perhaps by then, Many PROMISE DAD type of Films would have been made by Bollywood Scoring Big Internationally.
It would be interesting to see from here onward what RITESH SINHA Picks up to make as his Second Film. This shall truly determine his Thought Process as a Filmmaker and how well he connects with the Audiences here in India as well as Internationally.
PROMISE DAD is a Brave attempt at showcasing a Film to a Large Wider Audiences and in a Nutshell, you should not miss this Film if you enjoy Diversity and Individuality in Story-telling in Movies.
