Jun 05, 2008 07:09 PM
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I am always a sucker for romances, but the usual Bollywood romance that one gets is never as finely crafted as this one. Though I have thoroughly enjoyed ( and repeatedly watched ) DDLJ, KKHH, QSQT, etc, this one is a class apart.
A brief plot summary :
Aditya Kashyap ( Shahid Kapoor) is at the helm of a collapsing business empire. The empire is collapsing because he’s locked in a struggle for control of the company with his mother who had built up the firm from scratch in partnership with his father, but then she ran away with another man, his father died and Aditya cannot forgive her, or forget.
Consequent to his lack of success as an industrialist, his girlfriend jilts him and marries another man, and Adi decides to walk away from it all with the nebulous intention of committing suicide. Wandering aimlessly around Mumbai, he reaches the railway station and boards the first departing train he sees – and sits down on a seat that belongs to Geet ( Kareena Kapoor) who makes an entrance as the train is pulling out, with endless disjointed chatter and stuffed toys ( the tiger was specially funny) and a pineapple poking out of her many pieces of baggage. Geet is wonderfully interfering, wants to help everyone who would rather be left alone and never stops talking. Being her own favourite( she says as much) she assumes everyone likes her and her chatter( sample this...hill aur mountain mein kya farak hota hai, mujhe kabhi samajh mein nahi aaya....roads ki digging kab khatam hogi....mujhe bachpan se hi shaaadi karne ka bahut shauk tha, by God...sabki family hoti hai, meri bhi hai !) but Aditya is about to leap into the path of an oncoming train and Geet is on her way to run away with Anshuman( Tarun Arora) to get married...How this journey continues and how friendship and later love blooms makes up the rest of this movie.
From this outline of the plot you might feel that this is a routine boy meets girl – they sing and dance around trees – parents oppose – love prevails type of movie but it is not. Director Imtiaz Ali’s handling turns the mundane into the sublime. The focus is on how caring and affection play such a major role in the genesis and strengthening of long lasting love, why opposites in character and temperament can make good pairings and people stronger and how love can give you the strength to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles in life, as well as the capacity to understand and forgive.
I can’t get over the subtle nuances in this movie and how minor details are paid so much attention to. Hotel Decent really looks like a one-night motel in Ratlam, and the loo where Shahid goes to flush the photo away is perfect! The receptionist is also the art director of the movie ( I may be mistaken about this fact ), and I think he’s done a brilliant job in both roles.
Minor details aside, it is indeed the Shahid-Kareena chemistry that works, pulled out no doubt by Imtiaz Ali. I would however say that as far as the actors go, the movie is more Shahid’s than Kareena’s - his facial expressions truly reflect every dialogue perfectly. Geet easily gives Basanti (Sholay) a run for her money. We have seen Kareena play similar overloud roles earlier and though there is no doubt about the fact that another actress may not have been able to essay the role as perfectly, Shahid leaves our other romantic heroes far behind ( and this from a person who would never watch a movie of his if it could be helped - I only went for this ’cause my teenage daughter insisted on dragging me along!). There is no hamming, overloud dialogue delivery, excessive weeping on part of the hero ( would any female look twice at a guy who burst into tears like SRK in the climax of KKHH or DDLJ??). Plus the dressing of Shahid is perfect - tasteful, in keeping with the ethos of the character.
The script sparkles – the dialogue is scintillating, the one liners hilarious, the comedy far above slapstick. For this too Imtiaz Ali deserves credit – he’s doubling as scriptwriter.
The music tugs at the heartstrings. My particular favourite is "Tum Se Hi" where it is such a perfect demonstration of the fact that while love may not be reciprocated, memories can contribute to joy and achievement and not always be a source of misery, as is portrayed more often than not. However, all the numbers are good in their own ways and the background score outstanding. The music in the background at the climax is perfectly in keeping with the mood - soaring, climactic and joyful, and the cinematography perfect.
A must watch film.
