Sniff

A wonderfully humorous family movie about a child detective named Sunny who had extraordinary power of smell. This is a great family movie; one you will be happy to view with your children.

Amole Gupte is a man I adore but his latest feature film is one that I didn't enjoy. Sniff!!! talks about a school kid who was born without the sense of smell. Since his family has been in the pickle business for generations and that the sense of smell is good to have if not essential, this kid sits gloomy at all times. Until a miracle in the writers' imagination happens. The first act invites you in the story of this kid and how he DOES NOT cope with his limitation, but after that the plot goes downhill. Of course, there is novelty in the plot, but I cannot stand a story that is too bloated with impossible sequences. 4th grader kids building CCTV systems, taking on born criminals, and acting like they know everything - all while skipping school is something that I cannot digest. Director Gupte uses the so-called cinematic liberty too lavishly and ends up creating the opposite of 'Stanley Ka Dabba'. The characters are cardboard cutouts who do as expected to make you feel like you are watching a familiar film. Targeted at families, Sniff!!! may succeed in bringing them together in front of a screen, but it can't keep them there. Eventually, people are going to take huge loo and popcorn breaks while the film is still playing. Overall, Sniff!!! is an impossible fantasy film under the disguise of a comedy drama. TN.

The movie is a welcome change from the XXXX substandard story and direction that one gets to see from Bollywood. Other than being for, and about children, the movie has an engaging plot that engages audiences across age groups. Devoid of any flashy Bollywood dancing that is bound to bring any movie down, the movie has some hummable numbers. As in most of Gupte's films, he has a cameo. Interestingly, one important aspect of the movie is that it does not shy away from using subtitles at places, brings in diversity of various accents, and for a change shows some scenes from a Hindu festival, Ganesh Chaturthi!! Take your kids there. We said, 'one of the rare movies where were not holding our hearts in our mouth, with the fear of what might our children might be exposed to in the movie'. The movie is truly clean, unlike many Disney funded movies where romance is often central to the plot. Here we get to enter the psyche of a young child. A real delight!! Thank you Shriman Amol Gupte!!

The film is about young Sunny who feels like an outcast from his school and family for his inability to smell. Following an accident in the chemistry lab at school, his olfactory sense is not only suddenly working, but it's greatly enhanced! With the help of his friends, he uses his newly acquired super power to solve big and small crimes in his community. Of particular interest and importance are the highly unexpected car thefts in the neighbourhood which Sunny is determined to solve and find the culprit.

The film is a good choice for the whole family: children would enjoy Sunny's detective lifestyle and the many ways he puts his super olfactory power to use and adults can laugh at the jokes that the little ones wouldn't understand.