Trial Period movie review: Manav Kaul impresses as the 'Daddy Cool', movie not so much

Cast: Genelia Deshmukh, Manav Kaul, Gajraj Rao, Shakti Kapoor, Sheeba Chadha, Zidane Braz, Swaroopa Ghosh, Barun Chanda Director: Aleya Sen Language: Hindi ‘He’s a small man with a big heart,’ informs a voiceover by Vijay Raaz about Romi, a yet another precocious display of a kid whose first shot is on the pot and his mother Genelia Deshmukh asks him to focus on taking the dump. It’s supposed to be cute it seems. A scene from his school seems to be straight out of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, but the genders are reversed; they spoke about mums, these children have to do the same on their dads, and that too by singing. The film is by the makers of _Badhaai Ho_ so the vein and milieu sound and feel similar. The way director Aleya Sen shoots a scene does give a sense of belongingness. The bond between the family that also has Shakti Kapoor after years feels earned and endearing. After a rather bumpy (and dumpy) start, _Trial Period_ begins to find its groove once Manav Kaul enters the scene. He’s hired as a father by Romi’s family for a month and their plan is to make their tot scoff at the very idea of a paternal figure. Kaul, who plays PD, has a rather slippery first encounter with the kid he’s supposed to father. Of course, he’s going to end up liking him and the plan will go the opposite direction, and it does. Deshmukh, who plays Ana, begins to envy her son’s bond with his new father and not so surprisingly. When Sheeba Chaddha says all kids want are love and attention, Ana quips he’s already getting both. That’s the first glimpse of a mother’s insecurities when a new father arrives on the block. But Trial Period never goes overboard in its sketching of emotions, both in amusement and altercations. It’s also helped that Kaul is a restrained actor who still manages to make the emotions he’s asked to play around with work. Trial Period has some nice moments but it takes the route of predictability. It’s not a bad thing if you know how a film will end (inserts quote about how journey is more important than the destination). Not this time. Rating: 2.5 (out of 5 stars) Trial Period is now streaming for free on JioCinema