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Long, long ago when Shekhar Kapoor was still a Bollywood filmmaker, he had decided to make a film called 'Tara Rum Pum'. Preity Zinta was supposed to be the leading lady in the film but the project got shelved for some reasons. Now, new breed director Siddharth Anand makes a film of the same title and celebrates life in his own and unique style. Siddharth in his last 'Salaam Namaste' reached Australia and in this movie he arrives in America to tell us a story that we have seen so many times on the screen. 'Tara Rum Pum' is a story that will make many cry in cinema halls, and may teach many lessons of life. While every loser must watch this film to learn how to win the race of life, every victor should see it to remain grounded even when he is flying in seventh sky.

'Tara Rum Pum' is like a fairy tale story. While the grandma narrated the story her way, the mother would repeat the same in today's context. Time keeps changing but stories remain the same. The hard and dedicated workers are sidelined on their very first mistake. New protégés are formed. They come, they conquer and then if the real hero has the guts to challenge them, they face real competitions of their life, and most often than not, the new pampered protégés don't stand long in the race for do or die.

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Siddharth Anand who started his career as a director in 'Salaam Namaste' showed promise in his debut film. His second outing was expected to be better. But, it falls short of expectations. 'Tara Rum Pum' is no doubt a good film from the Yashraj banner, but it lacks momentum. The film that was supposed to be a fight of a real man is being sold to kids as their summer outing. Let me make one thing very clear that it's not a children film. And, except few scenes of Formula One racing and one live plus animated character's song, there is not much extravaganza for them.

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The story is of a poor boy named Raj Veer meeting a rich girl known as Radhika. The girl quarrels with the boy in the first encounter. The boy falls in love with her. Raj's friend Harry who is also manager of a racing team sees a new hero in Raj Veer. He coins a new name, RV, for his friend. RV is shown dreams of populace and win. He enters the formula one racing tracks and wins most of the titles, one by one. He becomes a hero overnight and then one day at the peak of his career; RV meets with an accident on the track. One year passes in the treatment. When he wishes to return on the track, he finds that enough water has flown down Statue of Liberty.

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RV slips down from a hero to a zero; he sells all the luxuries he had collected in a short span. Radhika, who has married with him against her father's wish, stands by him. Together they act in front of their children like a poor family as they are now part of some TV reality show. But after few days the elder child learns the reality of the life and starts behaving like a matured one.

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She makes her kid brother skip his lunch at school to collect the school fee. On the other hand, RV and Radhika do petty jobs to meet their both ends. The son falls sick and for his operation, RV needs $ 65, 0000. He approaches his ex-boss who insults him. Consequently, RV decides to go back to the racing track and emerges victorious again.

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RV is played by Saif Ali Khan who by virtue of Chopras and Johars has mastered the art of being a solo hero. He has developed himself as an actor and people who once talked about a squint in his eye now find a passion in his acting. Saif fits this role very aptly and he makes no mistakes in slipping under the skin of the character. As father of two kids and as a fighter, Saif does justice to his role. Saif is at his best when he is with kids be it when he has to make them happy, pulling the strings of makeshift beds, taking them for an open shower under the fountain or giving them a birthday party. With Rani he shares a perfect chemistry that has moved ahead from where they had left it in Kunal Kohli''s 'Hum Tum'.

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Rani Mukherjee plays Radhika, who is a music student and daughter of a very rich man. She marries a racer without her father's consent. Her character of Radhika is the backbone of the film. It brings all the required turning points in the film. Radhika changes RV from being a playboy to a serious man and Rani should get all the laurels for this role. It may not be one of the best performances of her career but still she doesn't let you feel down. The scenes where she announces her marriage with RV in front of her father and the scenes where she plays on piano and also when after the party she steals food for her kids are worth watching.

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But, there are scenes like Radhika meeting a guy and getting drunk and in the pre-climax announcing her husband's wrong doings to her kids. Javed Jeffery as Harry is hilarious. Siddharth seems to have a cling to Javed as he repeats him once again after 'Salaam Namaste'. Javed proves once again that he is one among the best in current lot of character artistes, and the filmmakers who are ignoring him are only doing this at their cost. Angelina Idnani as daughter of RV and Radhika does a good job and Ali Haji as Prince supports her well.

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Technically, 'Tara Rum Pum' gets eight out of 10. Salim Sulaiman once again does wonderfully well in composing the perfect background music. Binod Pradhan's camera work is awesome. Habib Faisal pens slips in some scenes and lets the film loosen its script. Editors -- Rameshwar S Bhagat and Ritesh Soni - have done their job well except for where they let a frame show Saif's half cut face pass in the film. George Aguilar and Steve Kelso's action choreography is fast paced. On the whole, 'Tara Rum Pum' despite being promoted as a kid film will not find many takers among teens. The film has failed to get a good opening at the box office and will manage to register only a mediocre success.