Kaun Kitney Paani Mein Movie Review: Panda's Tale Holds Water

After making acclaimed films like Jalpari and I Am Kalam, which had featured child artistes, director Nila Madhab Panda comes up with a rustic 'Romeo And Juliet' set against the backdrop of caste rivalry and water shortage called Kaun Kitney Paani Mein.

Starring Kunal Kapoor, Radhika Apte, Saurabh Shukla and Gulshan Grover, Kaun Kitney Paani Mein revolves around two villages in Orissa named Upri and Bairi, the heads of which have been at each other's throats since decades. To make matter worse, the village ruled by the upper caste people has been facing a severe drought whereas the other village has always enjoyed abundance of water, which has further complicated the matter.

When the conniving king of Upri (Saurabh Shukla) tries his best to sell off his village without much success, he decides to deploy his son Raj (Kunal Kapoor) to seduce the daughter Paro (Radhika Apte) of Bairi's headman Kharoo Pehelwan (Gulshan Grover) in order to bring him to his knees and annex his village.

However, the inevitable happens and Raj ends up falling for the level-headed Paro, who reciprocates his feelings. How the two lovers try to end the decade-long enmity between the two warring villages forms the rest of the plot.

Kunal Kapoor, who plays the prince, is quite mediocre whereas Radhika is absolutely delightful as Paro and the chemistry between them is quite sweet. Gulshan Grover is dependable enough while Saurabh Shukla is the actual hero of the film, who impresses with his flawless acting.

As the drunken and tottering king, who still needs a manservant to dress him, Shukla is quite impressive and has fleshed out his character in such a way that you don't wish him ill despite his shrewd manipulations and his regal arrogance. Robin Das, who plays the desi Jeeves to Shukla's character (he had also played Priyanka Chopra's father in Mary Kom), totally owns the role.

Panda manages to weave a delightful satire with his latest offering and though there are times when one feels the film could have benefited from better execution, Kaun Kitney Paani Mein has its heart in the right place. The water scarcity angle has been handled quite well and though the idea of a decadent king and his loyal subjects seems outdated in modern times, Panda makes it believable enough for his viewers. The climax scene is quite quirky and will have you rooting for the underdogs.

All in all, Kaun Kitney Paani Mein is another feather in Panda's hat.