STORY: Asif and Nishu, both underdogs, are talented dancers. When international ballet teacher Saul Aaron comes to scout for talent in Mumbai, do they make the cut?

REVIEW: Sooni Taraporevala has been a trusted aide of filmmaker Mira Nair over the past few decades. She understands simple emotions that make for big tales and she's proven that through her writing in Salaam Bombay, Mississippi Masala and The Namesake. Her debut directorial Little Zizou showed glimpses of her potential as a storyteller. With Yeh Ballet, she goes a couple of notches higher.

This film is inspired by the success story of two Mumbai dancer aspirants. Both the leads in this film come from families that cannot dream of supporting a career in the arts, leave alone studying a classical form like ballet. While Nishu is driven by ambition and hard work, Asif is a reluctant natural.
When the two get under the tutelage of a rather grumpy teacher, they end up being rivals. The awkward bond between Asif and Nishu makes for as good a treat as their dance sequences. Both the actors shine in these sequences and a special mention must go for the choreography that seamlessly fits into the narrative.
The ensemble is carefully picked and each of the pivotal cast members shine. Take Nishu's family for example, his father, a cab driver, struggled to makes end meet and wants his son to lead the good life. When it comes to his disapproval towards Nishu's dancing dreams, it seems natural and real. The father's shift from being someone who thinks dancing is not for men to becoming his son's biggest fan is endearing. For Asif, the metamorphosis of being a carefree kid who isn't fond of institutional dancing to giving his all to lead a better life is stunning.
Dance films are few and far between in India. And those that have been made are heavily commercialised. Sooni wins hearts out here, for she narrates the story of two underdogs with a neatly woven story sans any commercial tropes. Yeh Ballet is more heart than anything else.