Movie: 12B

Director: Jeeva
Cast: Shaam, Sunil Shetty, Simran, Jyotika, Vivek, Mayilsamy

One should hand it to Jeeva. He could have played it safe, for it is his first step into direction. But Jeeva who has cranked the camera for directors Shanker and S.J. Surya ('Vaali', 'Kushi'), preferred to choose a rather risky subject, the unusual concept needing some tight-rope walking in scripting and narration, else it would have collapsed like a pack of cards. But Jeeva steers his script deftly, and offers a film that is different, giving enough food for thought and room for discussion even after the film is over. For an audience who are used to everything being delivered on a platter, this would be a different experience!

Shakti, on his way to an interview, sets his eyes on Jo (Jyotika), gets distracted enough to get caught in the traffic jam, misses his 12B bus and the interview. His buddy gives him a job at his mechanic workshop. 'What if Shakti had managed to catch his bus? How would it have changed the course of his life?' - a question is asked in the background. In this new hypothetical situation, the director takes us back again to the point where Shakti is shown missing his bus. In this hypothetical version Shakti manages to catch the bus, attends his interview and is a well placed bank executive.

The director runs the two tracks parallel, the existing and the hypothetical. So we have 'mechanic' Shakti wooing successfully Jo, despite some heartburn caused by the appearance of her uncle Arvind (a neat cameo by Shetty). In the hypothetical version, for 'executive' Shakti it is unrequited love, he narrowly missing her each time, she never really getting to meet him face to face, the appearance of Arvind making him withdraw from the scene and thaw towards his colleague Priya (Simran).

The two parallel tracks finally culminate in a fascinating, intriguing finale, where the fates of the protagonist is different in each version. But one has a grievance against Jeeva. Agreed, that we do not have metro trains here, with their 'Sliding doors', which automatically clamps shut, leaving a last-minute commuter stranded. So, one doesn't mind Jeeva using the 'Desi' 12B bus, where too the unfortunate last minute commuter, gets caught in the traffic jam and misses his bus. But what one can't understand is why the director should change the female protagonist of the original to a male one here?

If Gwyneth Paltrow could deftly jump in (or not jump in), couldn't a Jyotika or a Simran (or any of our heroines for that matter) equally deftly jump in (or not jump in) inside the 12B bus? But let me make haste to add, that this in no way reflects on the ability of first-timer Shaam to jump in (or not jump in) inside 12B. For, Shaam does both competently; is in fact the best thing to happen to the film, his cute endearing looks sure to set many a female heart aflutter!