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The Singaporeans have beaten Bollywood this time. They churned out a quick copy of Majid Majidi’s 1998 film Children Of Heaven a good five years ago (the film was called Homerun).

Apna Priyadarshan has realised the power of Majidi’s original story to tug at the tear ducts only now. It is difficult to understand Mr Priyadarshan. One moment he comes up with the beautiful Kanchivaram, National Award winner for Best Film. The next moment he peddles tired, bottomof- the-barrel masala gags in De Dana Dan. And now he has gone ahead and almost lifted frame to frame an acclaimed Iranian film by a maestro who probably doesn’t know he exists.

For that reason, reviewing Bumm Bumm Bole is actually tough. If you have seen Majidi’s film, you’ll angrily dismiss Priyadarshan’s effort as a bad rehash. If you aren’t aware Children Of Heaven exists, you’ll love the story idea.

Of course, you could like Bumm Bumm Bole for Darsheel Safary. Bollywood’s new boy wonder, returning after 2007’s Taare Zameen Par, is once again a winner. As Pinu, the central character, he effortlessly swings between the naughty, the cute and the sensitive, never for once seeming either dumb good or dumb brash — the two categories that Bollywood child artists by and large fall into.

The script, a photocopy of Children Of Heaven, has been credited to Manisha Korde. It presents Pinu as a boy from a poor family. He lives with his parents (Atul Kulkarni and Rituparna Sengupta) and his sister (Ziya Vastani).

The familiar scenario of poverty is established early on even as Pinu’s father struggles to give his kids a decent education. The story takes a turn when Pinu misplaces his sister’s only pair of sandals. The girl can’t venture out without shoes, and the kids are too scared to inform about the loss to their parents. So they hit upon a plan. They devise a system where both of them can share Pinu’s shoes without letting the parents know. And Pinu sees a chance to set things right when a marathon for kids is announced. One of the prizes is a new pair of shoes.

Ah, well... Majidi fans know the story, and also the touching twist in the end. So, Priyadarshan decides to do some ‘original’ brainwork. That’s where Bumm Bomm Bole slips.

The backdrop is supposed to be ULFAinfested Assam. You spot a signboard with Tamil words. While the little hero’s shot at winning a pair of shoes for his sister makes for a warm narrative, the effect is marred by liberal advertising of brand Adidas.

To make the story relevant for Indian audiences, Priyadarshan adds a convoluted terrorism sub plot. Random shootout sequences have been stuffed into the screenplay for forced drama. Of course, that stretches the story for no reason.

If the film is at all worth watching, it’s because of the child stars. Darsheel and Ziya excel in individual scenes as they fight against odds to hide their secret of the shoes, blending effortless innocence with drama without once going over the top.

If Priyadarshan deserves credit for this film, it is for the way he has extracted two great performances from the kid wonders.

Rating - 2.5 / 5