ABCD – Any Body Can Dance Movie Review

Rating: 2/5 Stars (Two-stars)

Star cast: Prabhu Deva, Kay Kay Menon, Ganesh Acharya, Terrence Lewis, Dharmesh Yelande

What’s Good: Overwhelmingly passionate and energetic dance through 3D lenses gives you a brilliant mood uplifting cinematic experience.

What’s Bad: The film is too creatively borrowed from Step Up 3 which kills the film’s earnestness.

Loo break: Post Interval story drag moments calls for a couple of these.

Watch or Not?: If music makes your feet tap happily then Dear Mumble, ABCD is waiting for you at the nearest theatre with 3D glasses!

In times when dance reality shows are most TRP raking ventures on television, ABCD – Any Body Can Dance brings to you a story you will realize and recognize easily. Vishnu is a star choreographer of Jahangir Dance Company which he built with his partner Jahangir. Vishnu is a man of few words and many principles, diametrically opposite to his shrewd friend and partner Jahangir. After being unceremoniously thrown of his dance institute, Vishnu strikes low on morale and decides to leave for Chennai.

Circumstances land him up in the slummy dusty lanes of Mumbai. Picking up local urchins whom he spots flamboyantly and colorfully dancing during Ganpati Visarjan, he decides to weave his new team. Common with slums, these boys have their own baggage of long standing rivalries which they uphold in their true gang war spirit.

Dance however does manage to fill life into these grazed down people and give them purpose, who would otherwise lead very mundane lives. With dance, a bunch of untrained hostile boys find their true calling and settle harmoniously their pre existing differences.

Does Vishnu manage to create a team better than JDC’s? Does he avenge Jahangir’s insult on him? And whether talent is worth enough in today’s date to stand strong and alone on its feet?

ABCD – Any Body Can Dance Review: Script Analysis

There is hardly a concrete script to analyze in this film. The conventional story of underdog who is victorious in the end has been seen in the film’s Hollywood counterpart as well. The film essentially cashes on the humongous popularity of television dance shows. The victory of the chucked underdog is honestly done. The film is composed of many exquisite dance pieces that are performed with style which has a good attractive quotient to it. The rivalry between dance gangs is brought out well on the screen added with their colloquial humor. However, the screenplay is largely sketchy and diverts into the conventional and predictable zone of storyline. Towards the second half, the film loses its focus and stretches beyond it should, almost bordering into boredom. The climax is passionate and extraordinarily done. For the climax alone, the film is worth a million bucks.

ABCD – Any Body Can Dance Review: Star Performances

Prabhu Deva’s atrocious Hindi will shock you! However, the man lives up to his legendary status as a stalwart of dance. Incomparably brilliant, his dance has a mesmerizing quality. He does falter at the emotional scenes and his poor diction makes it visible a little too nakedly. But a five minute solo dance sequence by him just before interval strikes is enough to wash out all his flaws.

Kay Kay Menon is stupendous as the evil, manipulative business man. With every scene, one realizes that the man is well set in the skin of his character. His nascent and crude demeanor is mind blowing. His eyes emote brilliantly and hence he stands out starkly. We definitely should see more of this man!

Ganesh Acharya is marvelous in his adorable stint. Other dancers are well, dancers. They aren’t actors! But they are quite fantabulous in what they do!

ABCD – Any Body Can Dance Review: Direction, Music & Technical Aspects

Remo realizes his dream of finally delivering a film which he truly believes in. The film is structured artistically. The 3D effect has been used well to enhance the film’s feel. Remo meticulously directed ever scene, be it the livid chor police chase scene or the brilliant rain dance sequence – take a bow Remo for this film! However the film is heavily borrowed from Step Up. Whether Remo could successfully imbibe Indian-ness into this borrowed concept is highly debatable. But he does manage to give us an enjoyable film you’ll be tapping your feet through. The movie’s editing needed some serious work in the second part. While the music of the film isn’t quite impressive except the final end credits number starring Saroj Khan which is a crackling feat.

ABCD – Any Body Can Dance Review: The Last Word

Watch it for its dazzling looks and vibrantly spectacular dance sequences that are passionately done to perfection! Go cheer for spellbinding talent.