BUOY MEETS GIRL
A winning Imran Khan uplifts a romance that’s charming, but also a bit too fond of clichés. Plus, a silly sci-fi spectacular.
JULY 6, 2008 – IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I’VE SEEN a display of such superb supporting performances as the one in Abbas Tyrewala’s Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, so you’ll forgive me if I leave considerations about Imran Khan (Aamir’s nephew, whose launch pad this is) for later. Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan are at their riotous best as dimwit brothers who, for reasons that aren’t quite clear at first (but click together subsequently with a marvellous snap), saunter into a disco on horseback. Freed from the compulsions of mugging under Priyadarshan’s megaphone, Paresh Rawal proves, once again, what an exquisitely subtle comic he can be. As a Rajput warrior slain in a feud, Naseeruddin Shah has himself the kind of high old time he possibly hasn’t had since he wore a crooked hat on the sets of Tridev. And once-familiar faces like Jayant Kripalani and the ever-gorgeous Anooradha Patel dust the clichés off stock characters simply with their welcome presence.
But the most unexpected delight of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na is seeing Ratna Pathak Shah (as Savitri, a social worker) commandeer the big screen as if she’s never heard of television. If there’s one line reading I’ll remember by the end of the year, it’s going to be that of Savitri spitting faux venom at her dead husband (played by her real-life husband), who has the unfortunate habit of needling her from within the confines of his portrait frame. “Sirphire, hinsak… mard,” Savitri fumes, frustrated at her spouse’s macho posturings that are eternally at odds with her pacifist leanings, and she saves the full import of her bile for the last bit of name-calling: that he’s unhinged and violent and a… man. Tyrewala develops this squabbling into a joyous running gag, which, thanks to his casting, comes with a delicious hint of gossipy sensation: it’s like getting front-row tickets to embarrassingly private goings-on in the Shah household.
Savitri has an equally memorable exchange with her son Jai (Imran), when he falls in love with Meghna (Manjari) and demonstrates the lightness of his being by ambling into the house late at night, a whistle on his lips, a spring in his step. Looking up from the book she’s reading on the couch, and at the son who’s walked past without apparently noticing her, Savitri enquires, “Hoton pe seeti, chaal mein uchhaal… maajra kya hai?” (It’s a moment like this that can make you at once happy and sad – that we have amongst us such wonderful actors who can, simply with a well-tuned inflection, turn the simplest of lines into a delightfully broad joke, and that we refuse to make better use of these talents.) Jai stops in his tracks and confesses to his mother about his newfound love, and a strange mix of joy and sorrow envelops Savitri’s face. She cups his chin and murmurs, “Silly boy.”
The love story of this silly boy is what Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na is about. Like almost everyone else in the country, Savitri knows her Hindi cinema and has probably seen Kuch Kuch Hota Hai a few too many times. She knows that “best friends” is just another phrase for “meant for each other,” and that Jai’s future isn’t with Meghna but with his bosom buddy Aditi (Genelia D’Souza). As regular consumers of Hindi cinema, we know this too. The friends know this too, the refreshingly next-door boys and girls that make up the gang that Jai and Aditi hang out with. The only people in the dark seem to be Jai and Aditi themselves, which is the inevitable cliché about these kinds of romances – and the director does everything he can (though, sometimes, not nearly enough) to make us believe we’re watching something fresh and fun.
For one thing, he convinced me that a group of early-twentysomethings – they’re just out of college, getting ready for that first big step into the world outside – would collectively launch into a song from Aa Gale Lag Ja, the one that gives this film its title. (Mera tujhse hai pehle ka naata koi… Jaane tu ya jaane na.) All too often, these sequences make me wonder if these kids are reliving their past or the screenwriter’s – but Tyrewala fashions a lovely stretch where the boys in the group, one by one, reveal how they’d serenade the girl of their dreams. The first one picks a fairly recent number, Tu hi re, and the second goes with the ageless Aaja aaja, main hoon pyaar tera, and so, by the time Jai begins to hum this somewhat obscure number (which is more likely something that Tyrewala remembers from his radio days), it doesn’t seem all that strange. It feels right that a gentle romantic like Jai would be the one man in his generation who still tunes into Vividh Bharati late at night.
And this scene builds beautifully to illustrate what else Jai is about. Hearing Jai – a.k.a. “Rats” – butcher this tune out of recognition, Amit (Pratiek Babbar, lending welcome doses of angst as Aditi’s alienated brother; he reminded me of Paul Dano’s misfit teen from Little Miss Sunshine) looks down from his terrace perch and asks Jai to stop, taunting him that he hasn’t got the money or the looks or the voice to land himself a girlfriend. But Jai isn’t ruffled. He simply shrugs and voices his hope that there’s perhaps a poor, ugly girl somewhere for him, who sings even worse. The line that Tyrewala shapes these thoughts into – “Koi gareeb badsoorat ladki to mil hi jaayegi – jo mujhse bhi bura gaati ho” – brings a smile to your face, but it also brings your attention to the low-key, self-deprecating charms of Jai, who just won’t be drawn into an argument, let alone a fight.
He’s emblematic of the new “sensitive” hero that the multiplex-era cinema keeps promising to deliver, but rarely does, with the odd exception of an Abhay Deol in Socha Na Tha. Jai doesn’t need a six-pack or even a stubble, and he’s content to be introduced to us in as understated a manner as is possible in the context of a first film: he’s asleep at his desk, the phone rings, he dashes off to help Aditi with an emergency. (For the kind of hero we’re usually saddled with, refer this week’s other release at the multiplexes, where Harman Baweja is presented to us in little installments of lips and eyes and sideburns as he drives his father’s MG. Soon after wrecking the car, he walks away from the camera in slow motion, turning just enough to allow us our first full glimpse of his face.) With his big black caterpillar brows and his gawky, post-adolescent frame – it’s like someone who’s shot up too fast and is still learning how to negotiate the extra height – Imran is perfectly cast as Jai.
I hesitate to label this a star-making performance simply because (in all selfishness) I’d rather he stayed in the shadows and made the kind of film choices that Abhay Deol makes, but it’s hard to see how Imran is not going to be seen as the greatest thing since sliced bread (or, at least, Ranbir Kapoor) after his charming work here. Genelia is good too, though Manjari (who plays Meghna) makes a stronger impression because she’s given the role that’s far more interesting. Aditi is mostly a collection of clichés – it’s Kajol in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai all over again, and I found myself wishing she had more scenes with Pratiek Babbar; now there’s a relationship to be explored – whereas Tyrewala writes Meghna as a wonderful mix of all-too-human contradictions. She’s beautiful and the way she carries herself tells us she’s more than aware of the fact, and yet all this confidence is merely on the outside.
Meghna plays this little game where she gives mundane objects exotic descriptions – a tree with hanging branches becomes a witch taking flight at night – and soon it becomes clear that this isn’t really a game. She lives life like that, idealising people and things and relationships by painting them in happier colours. She doesn’t want to accept that her parents (played by Rajat Kapoor and Kitu Gidwani in a single, misconceived sequence at a dinner table) are in a relationship that’s not working, and she doesn’t want to face up to the fact that she’s herself in a relationship that’s not working. (There’s a lovely scene after Jai discovers he’s actually in love with Aditi, when he’s walking alongside Meghna in the rain and gets frustrated that she doesn’t see things for what they are. Of course, he can’t bring himself to say that he’s talking about them, so he pretends he’s referring to her parents.)
I realised, while writing this, that the character of Meghna alone – the way she’s been shaped – would be enough to make Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na a no-brainer to recommend to people. Scene for scene, there’s so much thought that’s gone into this production – from the shimmering colours of the impressionistic opening credits that could be titled Mumbai by Monet to the too-clever Samuel Beckett reference at the end of this film that’s all about “waiting” to the numerous little writerly touches strewn all through the middle, like the fact that Aditi’s fondness for cats has left her with the nick of Miaow (all the better to illustrate her Tom-and-Jerry bickering with “Rats,” see?) – that you feel a twinge about whining, especially in a movie year that’s not been kind to us at all.
But I came away from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na with the impression that Tyrewala is a far better writer than director – and it’s not just because a better director would have found better ways to conceptualise AR Rahman’s snappy soundtrack (the uninspired picturisation of Kabhi kabhi Aditi is a disgrace to the song’s brilliance) or because of annoyances like the framing device of a group of friends narrating the story. (They’re a most irritating Greek chorus, jabbering incessantly about what should instead be shown, and what, in some instances, has already been shown.) These are minor distractions that can be ignored when the larger picture – the film – is so delightful and diverting.
But the major problem with Tyrewala is what appears to be the problem with Farhan Akhtar too – and that’s that the film seems to have been written in English and merely translated to Hindi (as opposed to the film being felt and written out in Hindi; and speaking of similarities, the cultured-yet-boorish stopgap boyfriend that Tyrewala provides Aditi is just the kind of boyfriend that Akhtar likes to write for Preity Zinta). That’s where, perhaps, one can begin to distinguish between a good director and a good “Hindi film” director – because there’s little doubt that a Tyrewala or an Akhtar possesses the skills to craft a solid mainstream entertainment. But you come away thinking that had the same scenarios played out in English, they would have truly caught fire, instead of simply emitting the occasional spark.
And when rendered in Hindi, many of these moments have a stiffly formal feel to them – like a just-improvised skit. They don’t flow all that organically – and it isn’t just the language of the lines but the language of the thoughts themselves. The natural mode of expression for filmmakers like Tyrewala and Akhtar seems to be ironic detachment, and when this wry tone is inflicted on filmi, heart-on-sleeve material, the results aren’t always pretty. (Only Imtiaz Ali, among the current crop, appears to have a handle on how to seesaw between the nature of the multiplex audience and the necessities of having to make a film for everyone else too.) And yet, the reason I walked out of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na with happy thoughts was the final stretch, which is, in fact, the most filmi of material. It’s the dreaded airport climax, but the madcap cleverness of the handling and the sweetly sentimental culmination of the romance left me with moist eyes as well as a big silly grin.
THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN A BAD MOVIE that bores you to tears is a bad movie with a terrific conceit that still manages to bore you to tears. Harry Baweja’s Love Story 2050 – quite possibly a film-industry father’s most indulgent (and at a reported fifty crores, most expensive) gift to a star-aspirant son who looks and acts alarmingly like Hrithik Roshan – puts a fascinating spin on a hoary staple of our cinema: it’s a reincarnation drama, but with a sci-fi twist. So it’s no longer lovers dying and being reborn in order to be reunited so much as lovers zipping off to the not-so-distant future to round out a romance cut tragically short in the present, hacking their way through the space-time continuum in search of happily-ever-after. What a mouthwatering premise!
And what a letdown! Karan (Harman Baweja) goes in search of Sana (Priyanka Chopra) with the help of a time machine built by his uncle (Boman Irani, overacting horribly). But as he assimilates almost miraculously into the Mumbai of 2050 – which looks fabulous, by the way; every paisa is clearly up there on screen, along with visual effects lifted from A.I. and Minority Report and Star Wars – there’s barely any conflict of cultures or of generations. The love portions aren’t engaging, the sci-fi parts aren’t convincing, so we’re left with the kind of overall silliness where a moronic villain pops up from nowhere, decides to follow Karan in order to get his grubby hands on the time machine, and fires missiles at Karan’s vehicle along the way, unmindful of the fact that if Karan goes up in smoke, there’s no one left to lead him to the damn contraption. Harman isn’t bad – we’ll have to wait for a proper movie to decide whether anything can be made of him – but poor Priyanka… Whatever did she see in this part that has her giggling over a hand puppet named Winkydinks and a teddy bear named Boo?
Copyright ©2008 The New Sunday Express. This article may not be reproduced in its entirety without
vimal
July 5, 2008
I am surprised to see you raving about Jaane tu. Except for the treatment, according to me, the movie was just normal(and at times, dragging too). The jokes, romance, melodramas everything was predictable. Agree, the sibling relationship(both Aditis and the Rajputs’) was fresh.
I dont know if I am wrong, but I find the story line very similar to the Prashant-Shalini starrer “Piriyaada Varam Vendum” which was a remake of a malayalam movie “Niram”. It has also been remade in Hindi as “Tujhe Meri Kasam”, incidentally Genelias first Hindi movie. Boy and girl thickest of friends, everyone doubts about thier relationship, each find their respective soulmates, all the “missing each other” starts and finally end up getting married to each other. Dont u think so too???
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vivek
July 5, 2008
Baradwaj,
I slightly sympathize with your not-hindi-enough comment about Tyrewala and Akhtar. You would probably contrast them with the more rooted feel of an Imtiaz Ali or a Vishal Bhardwaj. But there are some problems with this:
T & A’s first films are both situated in the tory south Bombay milieu, and I think their films reflect that well. South Bombay is not exactly the most “rooted” of places, and you will always get a vague feeling of ill defined identity.
The other, more serious problem is the cinematic idiom that they are forced to use. The synthetic, stiff nature of “Hindi” – as Tyrewala puts it brilliantly here (http://abbas-tyrewala.sulekha.com/blog/post/2000/01/so-who-speaks-hindi.htm ) lays a tremendous burden on the director. He is forced into a compromise due to the nature of the language, and his ideas may not flow as organically into the reel as you or I would like. (I assume you might contrast this with Bhardwaj’s magnificent writing in Omkara, but you must make allowance for the fact that he took the gamble of writing in his natural idiom.)
The conundrum that Tyrewala and Akhtar seem to face is , as Tyrewala proposes, “isn’t talking to no one too high a price to pay for talking to everyone?”
You say, “But you come away thinking that had the same scenarios played out in English, they would have truly caught fire, instead of simply emitting the occasional spark.”
Alas, all too true, but the director would end up losing maybe half his audience if key plot points played out in a language they don’t know well.
(Digressing slightly, this has been a problem for me when I watch “English” films like The Making of the Mahatma, where Bapu and Ba talk to each other in English, it sounds harsh, stiff and simply wrong. I think perfect comprehension is too heavy a price to pay for the complete shattering of the film’s aesthetic.)
IMHO shuddh Hindi (or even 70% Hindi) does not lend itslef to a frothy romance or a langurous love epic. It might work very well for a politicial polemic or a biting social satire.
I haven’t seen the movie yet, so i just realised that I dont exactly know your beef with it on this point. Most times, our tastes seem to be uncannily similar, so I’ll watch it and get back to you. But I still felt this point about the stiffness of Hindi might be brought to your notice and Tyrewala’s superb article as well. So, if you have’t already read it please do.
On another totally unrelated note, I saw Ray’s Agantuk yesterday. Loved it. It was like a movie made by an indulgent uncle solely for entertaining and educating ME! Quick question (since you talk about alarming cinematic obsessions in your previous article), any idea why Ray chose to show Satyaki (what a lovely name!) with the Cigars of the Pharoah and not any other Tintin? (I assume that you have watched and frame-memorized the film.)
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Amrita
July 5, 2008
Hey! I’m a twenty-something and i know that song! Of course, I never stood around in a group singing it but that’s because I don’t live in a Bolly-movie and hence would have thought it incredibly lame.
If JTYJN can manage even half of Socha Na Tha’s sweetness, I’m totally there.
Also, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading the 2050 reviews – I knew this one would be comedy gold going in, but this is an unexpected bonanza. That said, condolences on the 3.2 hours 😀
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Arun
July 5, 2008
//”that’s that the film seems to have been written in English and merely translated to Hindi”…
I happened to catch an interview of Aamir Khan yesterday on some news channel and he said that he thought that Abbas had put in too many english lines and so asked him to tilt the scale in favor of more hindi lines by changing them…now that you point it out , guess it didnt work out too well…
as for the songs, Kabbi kabhi Aditi which you raved about , catchy as it is, reminded me of rehman’s older songs at different points… but I finally got to listen to the title track and was completely bowled over…for once I felt Rehman has successfully pulled of a jazz number….what did you think of it?
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Pankaj
July 5, 2008
Hi Baradwaj,
I have been a long time fan of your reviews. They remind me of the early reviews written by Khalid Mohd. of ToI. You have an amazing way with words.
Most of your points about JTYJN are spot on (with my views that is). But I thought Imran Khan barely had any screen presence amongst the superb collection of supporting cast. But that said, I cannot picture anyone else as Jay either!
Keep writing.
Pankaj
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brangan
July 5, 2008
vimal: I don’t know if that was a rave, but reg. “Except for the treatment, according to me, the movie was just normal” – but treatment *is* everything, no? You could give the same story to ten different directors, and what would be of interest is how each one *treats* it, right? I don’t remember TMK too well, but there’s a lot of other films about “best friends” becoming soulmates, hence my comment that story-wise it’s a bit cliched.
vivek: I completely understand the need for the Hindi lines, and I also understand that shuddh Hindi would not work in this case. But that line I mentioned that Ratna speaks — that’s “Hindi” and that works brilliantly. But certain thoughts — like say, if you read the Gautam Menon interview — “you look like a million bucks” That doesn’t readily lend itself to a Hindi equivalent and it feels odd to hear it “Indianised”
I’m not saying this should be addressed or changed in these films (because that would mean losing out on a big part of the audience) — but just that they cause scenes and dialogues to appear stilted. The fact that you know *why* this has been done doesn’t prevent it from making you wince… And I was more interested in the whole “ironic detachment” of their sensibilities vs. the full-bloodedness of the type of cinema they’re making. I guess that’s why the overt patriotism of Lakshya, say, didn’t go down too well with me. I loved the earlier portions though.
I’m sorry, but “T & A’s first films”? T & A? 🙂 Thanks for the link. I’ll check it out.
And no, I don’t know why Cigars made it as opposed to, say, Tintin in Tibet. (Jabberwock, if you’re reading this, can you help?) I thought it was just that the child enjoyed comics. I didn’t know there was anything deeper there. But dude, seriously… “frame-memorized the film?” Just what kind of freak do you think I am? 😉 BTW, I think I saw the film first on DD.
Amrita : Oh of course, you know the song 🙂 I’m just saying generally, this sort of thing comes off as something the director has thrust in the mouths of his characters, whereas here, it unfolds really well. And yeah – Socha Na Tha, for me, is still the romantic movie to beat this decade.
Arun: It’s good. But Rahman has done another great jazz/swing piece in Kannai katti kollaathey from Iruvar. (But I’m not too much of a fan of Vennila from the same film. that one’s more instantly identifiable as jazz, but though parts of it are lovely, it just doesn’t add up as a whole for me. Maybe it’s Asha’s enunciation…)
Pankaj: Thank you so much.
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Prajakta
July 5, 2008
“annoyances like the framing device of a group of friends narrating the story.” : I found that precisely this technique takes the movie to another level. There’s nothing interesting about the mostly flat main characters: Aditi and Jai. Jai at least has one more dimension of inner conflict shown through his dreams, but Aditi is way more “unexplored” than Kajol’s Anjali in KKHT.
Therefore, it is the multiplicity of perspectives on the love story that were more interesting to me than the completely predictable story itself. The friends do sound like a Greek chorus, but their intermittent narrative pulls us back into real-time, keeping us from fully connecting with Jai and Aditi, lest we discover that they’re half-formed and shallow.
In contrast to a chloyingly sweet Jai-Aditi, Meghana’s subtle self-denial is so much more fascinating! And one of the major let-downs of the film for me was that after Meghana and Jai’s walk home in the rain, their “heart-to-heart” conversation hints towards a deeper relationship, not a break-up. It is there that I feel Tyrewala fails to convince both as writer and director.
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Aditya Pant
July 5, 2008
“….but the madcap cleverness of the handling and the sweetly sentimental culmination of the romance left me with moist eyes as well as a big silly grin”
Thank God, there’s someone else who had the same experience as me. I was too embarrased to admit that I had “khushi ke aansoo” rolling down my cheeks in the end! It is to Tyrewala, the writer’s credit, that he created characters one could really feel for, though a little more depth to Aditi’s characters wouldn’t hurt!
Completely agree that JTYJN is essentially a writer’s film. The worst and most horrible of Hindi film rom-com cliches are given such a delightful twist with some clever writing. Loved the way the seemingly superfluous characters of the Khan brothers were woven into the narrative. one of the chessiest of lines “….hawas ki surahi mein maut ki sharab…” had me in splits. Ratna Pathak’s other line “phone pe, beta, phone pe” was a hoot as well!
As you point out, Manjari is the most intricately written character. And so is Amit. Prateik is really a a guy to watch out for. He reminded me of your description of Mimoh in the Jimmy review. I mean, he looks so much like his mother!
All in all, JTYJN is time spent really well.
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brangan
July 5, 2008
Prajakta: “I found that precisely this technique takes the movie to another level.” I didn’t mind the device itself, but I wasn’t happy with the way it had been handled, with Mala squealing at every realisation and underlining things like “Oh, so two conditions down… one to go.” It just didn’t work for me.
But I agree that Aditi is the blandest of the bunch.
Aditya Pant: Slight difference though 🙂 My grin was for the end (the Jai-Aditi relationship was just not deep enough to warrant tears) and the moist eyes for the way the stunt had been pulled off. I thought it was brilliant, especially when Ratna is in the car and he gallops past and she says what she says. Oh, genius 🙂
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Prasanna
July 6, 2008
Dasavathaaram review, please!
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Amrita
July 6, 2008
Vivek – I just have to respond to this line IMHO shuddh Hindi (or even 70% Hindi) does not lend itslef to a frothy romance or a langurous love epic. It might work very well for a politicial polemic or a biting social satire.
Two words: Chupke Chupke.
However, I would agree that Hindi cinema has always skewed towards Hindustani unless it was some kind of historical or fantasy project in which case we got to hear chaste Urdu or Hindi.
Its interesting, back in the early days I suppose Hindustani was a way to appeal to the greatest possible demographic – it didn’t matter how saaf your zubaan was, you could manage to understand most of it. And eventually, with the advent of Bollywood, I think things got so formulaic you could pretty much understand everything that was going on if you understood a few key phrases – “ILU, ILU”, “Beta!” “Door ho ja meri nazaron se! “Maa!” “Kutte Kamine!” “Naheeeeen!” etc.
But starting the late 90s, with directors who carved up certain demographics for themselves, from RGV to KJo to Farhan Akhtar, I think what we see is HIndustani being fractured into separated pieces, except nobody is going back to its root languages, instead they’re going into slang territory.
Personally, I find this idea of rooting characters in a lingo natural to them, rather than a lingo natural to movie history rather obvious and commonsensical but that’s easy for me to say NOW – when movies like Satya and DCH first came out however, it really was a big deal.
K, sorry, I just went off into the mini-blogging thing. Didn’t mean to patronize anybody… the point was! I think a romcom is entirely possible in shudh Hindi, or shudh Tamizh or whatever, but it needs two things for that to work:
A) Writer who doesn’t merely feel comfortable in that language – but a writer who can DREAM in that language.
B) Characters who would naturally speak that kind of language. If you were make a romcom set in LK Advani’s household, for eg, it would be uchit. 😀
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Shankar
July 6, 2008
Wasn’t the title number from “Jillendru Oru Kadhal” also a jazz/swing piece? I thought that was quite nice too. Of course, “Iruvar” songs were terrific. Coming to Jaane Tu…I haven’t seen the film yet but the reviews have been pretty positive, from what I gather. I guess Genelia did another Bommilaru/Santosh Subramaniam type role…she has certainly improved but at this point, I wouldn’t dare give her too many points for histrionics. Her “performance” in “Sachin” is still fresh in my memory!! I’ve been listening to Kabhi Kabhi and Pappu a lot..extremely catchy songs. I chellama refer to my one year old son as pattu…so it’s easy for me to switch the words around and sing it as Pattu can dance!! It humors him a lot…
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Vivek
July 6, 2008
So the ditty is about a cat eh?
With regards to rahman and jazz, what about ‘vaanila’ from kadhal virus?I thought that was a wonderful jazz piece and sadly, a much underappreciated one.
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Sumantics
July 6, 2008
I always read your review after I watch a movie – I prefer writing my review and then hopping over here because once I read your review, I begin thinking like you. And that kind of colors my thinking :”>.
Anyhoo, I was pleasantly surprised to see that we seemed to agree on most things this time – except Manjari’s role. And I love how you get right down to the tiniest nuance in a scene and write so beautifully about it. In a world full of me-me-me type of reviewers, (Is it wrong of me to expect quality nyah nyah nyah – I shudder every time I read his reviews, and damn it, he’s paid to do it), your reviews are the ones I rank as the only genuine ones. I like Jai Arjun’s the next.
If I may take up some more space:
@ Arun – Bingo! Tu Bole is my favorite track of the lot, too :D.
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brangan
July 6, 2008
Prasanna: Oh man…
Shankar: “Pattu can dance” 🙂 Reg. ” I guess Genelia did another Bommilaru/Santosh Subramaniam type role…” I haven’t seen Bommarillu, but I wish someone would explain why her performance in Santosh is getting such raves…
Vivek: No. The ditty is about Aditi. But the *reason* for the ditty is the cat 🙂
Sumantics: Thanks much. You know, when I decided to start writing and took around some of my pieces to newspapers and magazines, the uniform opinion was that NO ONE wants to read essayistic pieces about Indian movies. They all wanted me to do snippety things. Guess the Internet has changed that line of thinking a bit…
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Elizabeth
July 6, 2008
Someone commented on JTYJN being very similar to the malayalam movie “Niram” which I loved as a kid and is still one of my nostalgic favourites despite it’s cheesiness.
Ever since I first read the storyline for Jaane Tu I’ve been wondering if it’s a ripoff of Niram. I know, I know. The whole “best friends” plot isn’t exactly unique, but Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is only similar insofar as it focuses on a similar “best friend” relationship and the plot is entirely different, wheras the plot of Jaane Tu sounds suspiciously close to the basic premise and plot of Niram. This ends with an airport scene? Niram ends with a railway station scene (again, though, I realise neither of these types of scenes are unique or unusual in fluffy romance films).
I haven’t seen Jaane Tu yet, so it’ll be interesting to find out if I’m right.
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Jabberwock
July 6, 2008
Baradwaj: no idea about the hidden resonances of the Tintin in Agantuk, but did you notice that in Jaane Tu…, Aditi’s bedroom had a poster of Hitchcock’s Rope on the wall? Now THAT really freaked me out – what closet relationship might this bubbly girl have with a film about two homosexuals performing a motive-less murder as a substitute for “the love that dare not speak its name”? Very strange indeed.
Btw I enjoyed Jaane Tu… a lot, and you’ve covered nearly everything I would have wanted to say about it. Definitely the best ensemble acting I’ve seen in a film for a long time, and I almost wish that the Arbaaz-Sohail horsing around hadn’t been explained: left by itself, it would have made for such a fine surreal touch, don’t you think? Maybe they could even have been turned into sutradhaars, popping up every now and again to comment on/embellish the action.
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Anonymous
July 6, 2008
“..IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I’VE SEEN a display of such superb supporting performances as the one in Abbas Tyrewala’s Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na”
“..Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan are at their riotous best as dimwit
brothers”
Well, I am surprised you would go ga-ga about the Khan brothers succesfully playing dimwits. C’mon, when Sanjay Dutt plays a dim-witted goon, it is not ‘performance’ but just being himself. Similarly, if the Khan brothers play dim-witted brothers, that is just being themselves. You dont have to rave about their ‘performance’. The director deserves kudos for choosing apt roles for his cast.
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Shankar
July 6, 2008
Baddy, I’d be interested to know as well…
My son loves music and starts dancing anytime he listens to any music…that’s why the Pattu song was so apt…:-)
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Chaitanya
July 6, 2008
This is totally off the topic.
I watched Aamir yesterday, and then read your review of it. The songs are AWESOME, the lead guy is good, but I did not like the movie much.
That was a digression. 🙂
In the comments, I read that you called Mithya the movie of the year so far. I absolutely loved the film; but when I recollect the movies I have seen so far in this year, one spark (or shall I say lightening) of sheer brilliance jumps out to me almost immediately. It is the climatic scene of ‘U Me Aur Hum’, when Ajay tells his friends that ‘Everyone lives for himself. There is no hum, only I’… the conflict of that character … He leaves the woman he loves in that hospital, convincing himself that it is for her sake while knowing why he was doing it. His heart wants something else at the same time, and he knows ‘that’ choice will be a VERY difficult one…and he ultimately brings her back. Love wins, and oh-so-beautifully. That is one scene which will stay with me for a long time, if not forever.
Just wanted to share this. 🙂
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brangan
July 6, 2008
Elizabeth: I don’t know that JTYJN is a film that’s really about “story” (as opposed to treatment). But I’ll be interested to know more about the Niram connection.
Jabberwock: Sutradhaars? I’m not sure, for that might have given the film a much more absurd (or as you call it, “surreal”) slant. Then again, they would have been infinitely preferable to the people populating the present framing device.
Anonymous: Oh well…
Chaitanya: Thanks for sharing. And yes, UMAH was a film that had a lot of good moments. If only they’d done something about the romantic bits in the first half…
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Tejas
July 7, 2008
Watch out for that guy, Prateik Babbar. I see some spark there. May be in a rare occurrence, after all the star-sons and star-daughters, we are witnessing an actress-son.
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Tejas
July 7, 2008
And..I am not being gender specific. The emphasis is on the difference between star and actor/actress!! 🙂
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Sudarshan
July 7, 2008
Hi Baradwaj,
I watched JTYJN on Saturday, loved it, and spent the rest of the weekend in terror of your review – if you didn’t like it, you’d be so convincing that I’d be ashamed of myself ;).
Anyway, glad to see that the general opinion about the movie is on the positive side. As you said it, the story isn’t great, but the treatment is lovely. A few other things:
In *every* frame where there are people in the background, they’re actually doing something interesting. Tyrewala seems to have put in a lot of effort into this, and it makes me want to watch the movie again. For example, the scene at the police station just before the climactic sequence – there’s a bunch of streetwalkers with a guy, and the guy’s gesturing to the girls that he’ll take care of things, cool down, and so on. That didn’t need to be there, but it adds to the movie.
Aditi’s character is underdeveloped, true, but I’d say that almost every character is underdeveloped in this movie as compared to Jai. This movie is all about giving a perfect ‘chocolate-boy-hero-launch’ to Imran, the way Rakesh Roshan gave a perfect ‘lover-boy-with-muscles’ launch to Hrithik. Nothing wrong with it, of course, and since Imran handles it well, we’re all looking forward to his next now. As opposed to Bachna Ae Haseeno, which will be a semi-hit only because everyone wants to see Deepika Padukone again, not Ranbir Kapoor ;).
About the ‘friends-narrating-the-story’ format, it may be cliched, but it’s a nice alternative to having a voiceover explaining the characters and sharing the audience’s amusement at the story. “Aur yeh hai Aditi, Jai ki acchi dost – filhaal… aagey dekhte hai kya hota hai…” Perhaps Ridley Scott should have used this when remaking Blade Runner for the market ;).
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Ravi
July 7, 2008
Rangan Bhai,
I was hoping you would write a couple more lines about Genelia. She is really on a hot streak (her latest Telugu movie is a hit too). I also liked the fact that we know the entire story within the first five minutes, (Mala saying this is not what she expects). And the knowall character, the single girl… you did not even mention her 😦
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Shuchi
July 7, 2008
Even the unanimous negative reviews had not prepared me for the god-awful mess that Love Story 2050 was. I don’t recall seeing anything so brainless in years.
Harman Baweja has a natural shyness to him, I think he can use that very charmingly if he finds the right roles for his personality. He looks so self-conscious and fake playing the ‘cool dude’.
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Elizabeth
July 7, 2008
Okay, so I watched it and Jaane Tu is not a remake of Niram. There are some elements very similar to Niram, but it’s definitely not a direct ripoff.
I agree that it’s the treatment and some wonderful performances that work in Jaane Tu’s favour rather than the cliched story. I’m not a fan of movies being used just to “launch” star sons, daughters or nephews (are they actors or spaceships?), but I was surprised at how good Imran Khan was. Understated and subtle as opposed to…well, don’t even get me started on Ranbir Kapoor.
I think where the movie fails is with the character of Aditi and also the Jai/Aditi relationship. Honestly I thought Genelia was awful and over the top in some scenes, especially when stacked up next to great performances like that of Pratiek Babbar and Ratna Pathak Shah, but that’s not the entire problem.
In a film with pretty well written and well rounded characters, Aditi as a character was incredibly shallow and at some points downright annoying, childish and ditzy. She’s one of those characters that I know I’m supposed to be rooting for because she’s the “heroine”, but I can’t help wishing would drown in a lake or get hit by a truck.
It doesn’t help when her “rival” for Jai’s affections has far more depth and maturity and is played by a better actress. I felt for Meghna when she talked about her parents and that aspect of her character was played beautifully. Jai and Meghna walking home in the rain and the conversation that follows was one of my favourite moments. For all that was made of Jai and Aditi’s relationship, there seemed to be so much more to the Jai/Meghna relationship.
Going back to Niram for a second, we actually got to see just how close and dependent on each other the two best friends were through their interactions. In Jaane Tu we are told by everyone and their mother (literally!) how “close” Jai and Aditi are, but we don’t really see it except on a very, very superficial level and I would argue that it comes across as the most shallow relationship in the movie.
It wouldn’t matter if this were a drama or a thriller, but it’s a romance. The main point of a romance is, well, romance and getting the audience invested. So, then hasn’t the director failed in his goal if the primary romance doesn’t work and you’re left rooting for the other girl to get the guy? Or was that just me?
I don’t think the ending airport scene worked very well. It was too “filmi” for a relatively non-filmi movie. I think Imtiaz Ali does that sort of thing really well in his films. He can take what should be an incredibly filmi scene and through the writing turn it into something believable, funny and relatable.
One of my favourites is the ending of Socha Na Tha where the girl runs away from her wedding to go find the boy so that they can elope. I just loved the boy’s initial reaction (horror rather than happiness) at the knowledge that she had run away from her wedding and his initial struggle with the concept of elopement (“bhaag gaye”). The banter between the two characters just came across as incredibly natural and human.
Ok, I didn’t mean to go on such a long rant, but, oh well.
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brangan
July 7, 2008
Tejas: Yeah, he made me wish he’d had a bigger role.
Sudarshan: “Aditi’s character is underdeveloped, true, but I’d say that almost every character is underdeveloped in this movie as compared to Jai.” Yeah, but with the others, it idn’t that much of a problem. But when you see that Jai has chosen the bland Aditi over the fascinating Meghna, you wish Aditi had lived up to that choice.
Ravi: “I was hoping you would write a couple more lines about Genelia.” A big fan, are we? 🙂
Shuchi: It’s a bad movie sure, but I’ve seen plenty worse — and the intensity of the bile against LS 2050 is surprising. It’s almost as if some people were sharpening their claws in anticipation of this film.
Elizabeth: Yeah, I didn’t think it was based on any particular film, because this isn’t about “story” at all.
“So, then hasn’t the director failed in his goal if the primary romance doesn’t work” Well, I wouldn’t say it doesn’t work at all, but Aditi could have definitely been written better. And about the Socha Na Tha end, what’s marvellous is that even as he gets into the car, he’s still not sure. Hilarious 🙂
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dipali
July 7, 2008
Saw JTYJN yesterday and found much to appreciate in it, especially Naseer, Ratna and Prateik. I liked the way the relationship between Amit and Aditi is depicted. And the scene where Jai comes to meet Aditi’s parents- that was a total riot. Overall, a happy-making film. Silly though it was, Pappu Can’t dance was great fun!
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Sid
July 8, 2008
OMG BR! You hit the nail on the head about Meghna. It was my favorite character in the film — in fact one of the best written in any film this year. She made the film for me – Showed that this wasn’t just another teeny-bopper film!
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Bhargs
July 8, 2008
Though I am a regular reader of your reviews,this is the first time I am posting here.Nice review
I loved the movie. From the start, the director made his intentions clear that this would be a light-hearted film and carried on with that aim till the end..Ah, the climax…superb..the inspector singing the song to his higher authorities..ROFL
Ratna was superb..the oneliners..Phone pe beta,phone pe and mera pati ka beta were really really hilarious..
kabhi kabhi aditi song was a letdown…i expected it to be picturised on a better occasion rather than over a cat’s death..
nazrein milana song, i felt that it was a tribute to DCH..
Aditi and Amit’s conversation is my fav moment from the movie. Genelia did complete justice to her role (even though a little shallow). It was a much better performance than Hasini in Bommarillu( part of the blame,though, can be attributed to the atrocious dubbing)
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brangan
July 8, 2008
dipali: “And the scene where Jai comes to meet Aditi’s parents- that was a total riot.” What’s even better is that after that hilarity, the scene doesn’t end. They take it inside where the practical aspects of Jai-Aditi being so close are discussed. There’s just so much thought that’s gone into the writing of this film.
Sid: Yeah – that character really lifted the film to a different level, didn’t it?
Bhargs: “Ah, the climax…superb..” I guess that’s when you know you’ve taken a movie to heart, when you stop carrying about “logic” like how he got past security and such and simply accept whatever is happening.
“It was a much better performance than Hasini in Bommarillu( part of the blame,though, can be attributed to the atrocious dubbing)” – It was the same in Santosh S. I cannot stand watching performances with bad dubbing.
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bollyviewer
July 8, 2008
Saw JTYJN and loved the treatment of the cheesy story – especially the “greek chorus”. Wonder if the movie is going to spark a new trend in dating – take the girl out to the airport, tell her a random romantic story and she is all yours!!!!
I think Love 2050 has great entertainment value – it has unleashed the most entertaining critiques I have come across for a long time!
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raj
July 8, 2008
“It’s a bad movie sure, but I’ve seen plenty worse ”
Like that one with a legend in 10 roles? 😉
I wouldnt be surprised if you thought so.
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Chaitanya
July 8, 2008
@Elizabeth: So, then hasn’t the director failed in his goal if the primary romance doesn’t work and you’re left rooting for the other girl to get the guy? Or was that just me?
Right from the first minutes, we were explicitly told who to root for. Aditi was the *heroine*, the movie was about Jai and Aditi discovering the true nature of their feelings for each other. The guy Aditi plans to marry was a negative character, and Meghna wasn’t; but that simply does not matter.
This is LOVE, and you do not love the best girl you can get. This may sound cheesy, but the the girl you love is the best one for you. Meghna could have been better than Aditi, but that is not reason enough for Jai to fall for her. Jai falls for Aditi, and then whether there’s anyone better than her does not (should not) matter.
IMHO. 🙂
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s
July 8, 2008
May be nobody got the Lovestory 2050 story:)
All that crores and the father couldn’t hire a better director!
In JTYJN, I like only Jai’s character!
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Elizabeth
July 8, 2008
“And about the Socha Na Tha end, what’s marvellous is that even as he gets into the car, he’s still not sure. Hilarious”
Exactly! It could’ve been turned into a typical, melodramatic, “let’s get together and ride off into the sunset” moment. Instead, they were just two kids who weren’t even entirely sure where exactly they were riding off to! I also loved that neither of them needed the other to make any grand declarations of love. He loved her, she loved him and they both knew it, so why bother with the drama? There was no insecurity about their feelings. It was just a given.
Socha Na Tha was so underrated when it was releseased. I liked Jab We Met just as much, but there was an honesty to Socha Na Tha that I didn’t see in JWM.
Chaitanya: “Right from the first minutes, we were explicitly told who to root for. Aditi was the *heroine*”
Yeah, that was why I said she’s a character that I know I’m supposed to root for just by virtue of her being the heroine, but I couldn’t help disliking. Being the heroine is not enough of a reason to like a character. I take it as the first sign of a weakly written character when the main incentive to like or care for him/her is only by default because, well, you just have to root for the hero/heroine.
When I compared Meghna and Aditi, I wasn’t referring so much to which was the better girl or who came of as negative or positive (Meghna was not presented as perfect). I guess I was just commenting on how well written Meghna was as opposed to Aditi and how that affected my investment in Aditi’s story and perception of her character. Meghna came off as very real. Flawed and well rounded. I felt that some thought had gone into the writing of the character and the formation of her personality. Aditi on the other hand came off as a half-formed idea that they just threw in at the last minute since they needed a heroine.
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Gaurav Agrawal
July 8, 2008
The movie was good but made me feel I was not part of it’s target audience(I am probably too old @ 28) 🙂
All the support characters in the movie were brilliant. ratna pathak shah, naseer bhai, paresh raval, prateik babbar, meghna(dont know her real name), khan brothers made the movie for me.
The movie started out really bad, slowly lifted itself and the climax was amazing.
Overall I m neither too happy nor too disappointed. Abbas tyrewala definitely seems a much better scriptwriter than director at present.
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Priti
July 8, 2008
hey wats all the fuss over socha na tha about?? have u written a review?
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raj
July 8, 2008
““Ah, the climax…superb..” I guess that’s when you know you’ve taken a movie to heart, when you stop carrying about “logic” like how he got past security and such and simply accept whatever is happening.
”
Idhu too much. How did he get past security etc? Dont tell me love conquers all blah blah. Yeah, I guess ‘so much thought’ has gone into the writing 😉
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brangan
July 8, 2008
bollyviewer: Guess I’m the only one who didn’t care for the framing device. Hmmm…
raj: Not getting into apple-orange comparisons here, especially when the Tamil movie is so high-concept and this one is so brainless, but if you do watch this film (if only for a laugh) see how stylishly it’s been mounted at almost the same budget. That’s something, at least.
And I’m so not getting into explaining why the climax worked for me. Because you’ll never budge and you’ll insist on accusing me of Bollywood partisanship, so let’s just agree to disagree and move on 🙂
s: Not even Meghna? Wow! I thought she was a standout character.
Gaurav Agrawal: For me too, the supporting cast made up for the relative blandness of the lead relationship.
Priti: Didn’t write a review of Socha Na Tha, but wrote this in my review of Jab We Met: “I WAS SO GOBSMACKED when I saw Imtiaz Ali’s Socha Na Tha – the director’s first feature – that I lost no time doing pro bono word-of-mouth service for the film. But almost everyone I spoke to came back saying that it was nice and all (that is, in an okayish way), but wondered what I was making such a fuss about. And in hindsight, I realise I may have oversold that modest romance.
What I should have said is: See, the director is new and the leads are new, so, yes, the staging is a bit off and the performances aren’t quite there – but notice the writing. Have you seen, in recent times, moments as real-life raw as the ones where the hero finally discovers that he’s in love with the heroine, and that happiness is undercut almost immediately by his awkward breaking of this news to the other girl he *thought* he was in love with that far?”
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raj
July 8, 2008
br, oh yes, we will agree to disagree but dont ask me to watch that hindi 2050 movie , even for laughs. 🙂
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raj
July 8, 2008
btw, I never (for Sagarika’s information in addition) intend to say that you are biased in favour of bollywood. I only say tht sub-consciously, sometimes,a nd only sometimes, you seem to find the kind of imaginary great-writing for bollywood films that Kamal fans have done for Dasavatharam with their Flethcer-kills-people-so-he-is-balarama-bhoovaragan-rescues-asin-so-he-is-krishna type theories. Sometimes, it could simply be that the director having named his film jaane tu ya jaane na used that song for his lead character. It is nice to imagine that he would have done that with the lead characters’ sensitivity and the possibility that hence he would be listening to Vividh bharati – that is kind of far-fetched. Yes, it might be true but to me, this is the equivalent of the imaginary merits that Kamal fans have thrown on Dasavatharam, To me , both of this come from a certain stockholm type syndrome. Maybe you just so want to believe that with Naseer, Pathak and so many other favourites of yours from other era involved and also doing a fine job, and Abbas Wala himself having a good record, maybe it just influences your reaction to the movie as well. Subconsciously. All I was saying was if only your mind applies the same patterns and buy-in to dasavatharam, you would outdo the kamal fans with your interpretations. I know that should be sub-conscious so it is not possible for you to actually view Dasa with the same engagement as you do with your imtiaz ali and tyrewala. But I am just looking at the imaginary possibility that if you did, Dasavatharam has enough little strings to excite while being terrible in (many) parts.
But then, yes, that is not bad. Good for you. Good for kamal fans that they can have that sort of imagination – I guess both you and them have great fun watching the movies you love – much more than what I do.
I am just saying that if I see the bollywood movies you praise for writing, from your perspective, maybe I will see their merits but I dont.Similarly, if you see it from the Kamal fans perspective, Dasa would be a masterpiece. It isnt. But if we could apply our imagination relentlesly, it could be.
I am not sure I can explain this clearly but Sagarika, take no offence – all I can say is your interpretation was wrong – I am not saying that applying one’s imagination to movies is bad. Which was the primary point of your fusillade in another thread.
My articulation is bad which is why I am just an entity in BR’scomment space while he is an accomplished writer
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brangan
July 8, 2008
raj: we’ve had these discussions a million times, and yet we continue… You don’t seem to have a problem when I say I liked Aalavandhan and Mumbai XPress or Vettaiyaadu, and when I pointed out the bits of great writing there — or in Paruthi Veeran or when I said I loved Thavamai… But you seem especially rankled when I say Dasavatharam didn’t work for me. And I’m not sure ANYTHING I say is going to help.
I’m sorry, boss, but the film just didn’t work for me. If I had written a review, I’d have probably said “So that Balram Naidu is funny in parts” or something. But the way the big ideas were woven into the film just didn’t work for me.
I can at least understand your angst if I claimed that Race and Love Story 2050 and Tashan and Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic were good films — but this isn’t about Imtiaz Ali or Tyrewala, as you put it, but about the FILM.
I’m not even sure I can begin to explain the things that go into the consideration of a film (especially under a deadline) and I’m tired of arguing, so I’ll stop here.
Just one point about: “It is nice to imagine that he would have done that with the lead characters’ sensitivity and the possibility that hence he would be listening to Vividh bharati – that is kind of far-fetched.” I’m not saying Imran DID INDEED LISTEN to Vividh Bharti. If I did that, I would be guilty of “imagining” as you put it.
I like to think that what a critic does (and SHOULD do) isn’t IMAGINE so much as INTERPRET (in his own way, of course.) And that’s a big difference. All I’m saying “it’s easy to think of Imran as someone who listened to old songs (PROBABLY from Vividh Bharti), which is POSSIBLY how he sang that number… he COULD be that kind of guy.”
It’s just a way of writing about a character detail in an interesting manner. The Vividh Bharti hook possibly came in instantly (as opposed to HMV’s Golden Collection tapes/CDs) when I was writing because it was a big part of my life at one time. That’s it. But as I said, let’s agree to disagree…
And boss, reg. “and Abbas Wala himself having a good record, maybe it just influences your reaction to the movie as well.” If an Abbas, who’s just been writing for a few years, can “influence” my evaluation of a film, then by default, Dasavatharam would have been one of the greatest films ever. For I’ve been an admirer of Kamal’s since my childhood 🙂
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Ramesh
July 9, 2008
Isn’t that smiley the easiest way to get out of an argument 🙂
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brangan
July 9, 2008
Ramesh: No, I’d rather look at it as a way of saying, “I don’t agree with you, but at the same time, I don’t want to kill you either.” 🙂
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Tejas
July 9, 2008
T & A movies!!!!! ROFL!!!
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raj
July 9, 2008
br, I have seen your photos so I am rather thankful that you dont want to kill me (no offence):-).
Yup, promise not to rake up this issue again. This whole thing, actually, you were and probably are more an admirer of Kamal than I ever was, am or will be and fair enough, dasa didnt work for you. But I had to say what I said. I have that theory and I will keep that one. I have said it now and I will move on.
One last thing – my point about track record was different. I mean, Anurag Kashyap has a great record but you still wouldnt appreciate that Suneel Darshan movie he wrote right? I dont know who SD is and my intro to him is through these columns only but I can fairly guess he would be rather atrocious. I am just saying small merits in a movie by a person who has impressed you in the past could lead you to infalting its small merit to big merit. And I do remember you saying you werent looking forward to Dasavatharam so maybe, that subconscious thing was there…chuck it I am not going to waste this column space any more on this
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Anil
July 9, 2008
Finally saw Jaane Tu… last night, only since it is getting all this attention. I was underwhelmed – maybe the expectations were higher.
That the direction was lackluster is understandable since this is Abbas’ first film. However, I was quite disappointed with the writing. Most scenes were cliched and fell totally flat.
What worked were the two relationships – mother/son and brother/sister. Ratna Shah steals the film with her wonderful, funny and tender performance. Pratiek was good too. The two Khan brothers were also very good and that track worked wonderfully in the film. Naseer was having fun. Paresh was fine too.
Sadly, the four friends just did not register. Neither did the lead pair. Imram was just about average. I am not sure what in his performance made you think he was the next best thing to sliced bread. Have we gotten so used to bad Bollywood stuff that even a half-way decent performance gets such praise? Genelia was average and so was the girl who played Meghna. Meghna’s character was a bit more fleshed but that is really not saying much. All these main chacters were underwritten and just not interesting.
Were it not for the supporting performance and the cameos, this would be a bad film…..Wonder what happened to the good writer that I thought Abbas was….
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Srini
July 9, 2008
Hi Baradwaj
Nice review as always. And, the discussion in the comments section is always fun to read as well.
Btw i dont know if anyone else pointed it out but arbaaz and sohail khan are called bhaloo and bhageera. a bit of jungle book thrown in :)..guess that makes jai mowgli 😛
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Aditya Pant
July 9, 2008
BR: Believe me when I say this…the ‘evil man” did not put any subliminal ‘worms’ here 🙂
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Ramya
July 9, 2008
Srini: The Khan brothers actually do call Jai Mowgli when they meet.
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raj
July 9, 2008
i dont know if you noticed this before but RGV blogs and here’s his post on the making of AAG(yeah, that one!).
Actually, you know what, it seems like ‘much thought has gone into its writing’ as well!
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Kiruba
July 9, 2008
BR: The review rocks as always. Haven’t seen J2YJN yet,so no comments. Still no gyaan on happening? or was it shifted from sathyam b4 you could watch it?
Raj: May be I have no rights to interfere, so sorry.. But man, Aren’t you ever going to stop? you’ve stretched this toooo far.. If at all you had a point, I think you made it long time back.
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Pavitra
July 9, 2008
I guess its time for your next post :)..
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Shankar
July 9, 2008
raj, don’t worry, BR will not kill you. He is one of the sweetest people you could ever meet!! 🙂
But I agree, sometimes we all tend to over analyze what Baddy writes. He’s just presenting his interpretation of a movie…whether we agree with it or not. I’ve said it before, read it, appreciate it, discuss it (a little!!) and move on…:-)
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brangan
July 10, 2008
Kiruba / Shankar: If you think about it, raj is reacting to my interpretation of the film. And you guys are reacting to his interpretation of my interpretation of the film. Now, if someone takes to decoding your comments (i.e. your interpretation of raj’s interpretation of my interpretation of the film), we could set up some kind of neverending chain of interpretation 🙂
Kiruba: Did finally see Happening. Was awfully disappointed. Writing about it in next week’s column. Wanted, by the way, rocks 🙂
Anil: “However, I was quite disappointed with the writing.” That’s interesting. Because I felt it was the writing that made the film.
Srini /ramya : I caught the bhalu/bhageera bit but missed that mowgli bit. Is that in the jail too?
Pavitra: Soon…
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Srini
July 10, 2008
BR: Yeah it is in the jail too ..watched the movie again to catch it. (thanks to ramya of course)
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Ramya
July 10, 2008
Srini: Woah, you watched the movie again just to catch this?
Brangan: Incidentally, I remember reading somewhere that Naseerudding Shah launched his play production company with the Samuel Beckett play referenced here.
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Anil
July 10, 2008
Yup BR…I thought the writing in this film was not upto Abbas’ other screenplays.
For example (and there are several), the scene with Mehna’s parents tells the audience everything about Meghna’s state of mind…but then the writer had to put in that scene with Meghna and Jai where she “explains” why she is the way she is and then she goes on to say she wants to continue like this for “some more time”….what crap!!! …I guess he is writing for brainless audience….
The dialogues also did not work well in many cases….but in other scenes they were wonderful. That “phone pe beta phone pe” was just brilliant!!
However, maybe it is just me who feels this way about the writing in this film and we will have to just agree to disagree 🙂
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raj
July 10, 2008
shankar, oh yeah that is easily seen from these columns 🙂
Who else will patiently respond to rants of all kinds – and dont think I am dumb enough not to realise that yours truly is a huge contributor on that front 🙂
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Chaitanya
July 10, 2008
Could someone please explain the very last scene in JTYJN – what we see is a man with a slate in his hand with something written on the slate. what is it?
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Deepak
July 10, 2008
Hey Rangan,
Have you stopped reviewing tamil films?? Its been a while I think. Id like to know what you think about Subramaniapuram!!! Come on!! Get bacl to tamil I say!!! 🙂
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Ramesh
July 10, 2008
Trivia qn of the day: What’s the max no. of comments that a BR review has reached?.
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brangan
July 10, 2008
Chaitanya: The board he’s holding up says “waiting for Godot,” which is a play in which people wait for this character that never shows up. As I said in the review, this is a “too-clever Samuel Beckett reference at the end of this film that’s all about “waiting” “.
The interesting part is what to make of this. Is it simply a PhD level PJ? As in, is the tramp simply waiting for Godot, like the others are waiting for Jai and Aditi? As in, even Jai and Aditi land up, but he’s STILL waiting for Godot? Or is there something deeper? As in, something thematically related to the play?
I think it’s just the former. Any other — ahem, sorry raj — “interpretations”? 🙂
Deepak: Not doing a “review” of S.Puram, but writing about it in a future column (like I did with Anjaathey.)
Ramesh: A slow day at the office, yeah? 🙂
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Shuchi
July 10, 2008
@Ramesh: 74?
@Baradwaj: I’ll preempt your comment: I worked really hard at office today and deserve a little trivia break 🙂
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Shankar
July 10, 2008
BR, I wasn’t specifically responding to raj or his comments. It was more a general observation. BTW, I do think raj brings a lot of value with his “rants”…I enjoy reading them and find a lot of sense in what he says usually. I also think that his articulation isn’t that bad either, as he claims 🙂
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Aditya Pant
July 11, 2008
BR: The board simply says “Mr. Godot”. The ‘waiting’ is implied. 🙂
You’re right that it’s just a “PhD level PJ”. I don’t think there’s is any deeper interpretation. The way I saw it, the writer/director reserved the last shot for his self-indulgence. The shot was meant to tease the audience, with “do you get it?” written all over it.
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raj
July 11, 2008
shuchi, no way. 74? When others can get 300 comments, BR actually deserves much more but as is the way with this world, there are more asses than intelligent people so he doesnt. However, I remember two occasions when it tipped over 100, and predictably, both occasions involved a huge contribution from me and Sagarika, and equally predictable, one of those had a huge contribution from Vijay as well.
Yeah, I can be crowned the king of the jobless now 🙂
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Anil
July 11, 2008
The Godot reference at the end made me think it was an inside joke. After all, many of the character artists in this film (all of them wonderful – and because of whom the film works) are a bunch of friends from the theater world of Mumbai. Naseer had done Godot on stage in Mumbai and I suspect many of these artists were a part of that play too.
I really don’t think there was any esoteric meaning to it at all.
Cheers
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raj
July 11, 2008
br, I know you understand this but have to say that I dont question ‘interpretations’ as such. (Not that dumb enough yet!)My point was different and I guess you know it – just had to say this for those who dont get it 🙂
Shankar, thanks man. some good comes out of everything 🙂
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V
July 11, 2008
Regarding the Godot part, could it be that Naseer, who until now was waiting for his son to prove himself a Rathod,and now that he has,has to wait for Godot to take him to the other world?
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Pavitra
July 11, 2008
next post please. i come everyday to ‘work’.open my gtalk, cricinfo. and this site..plsss update it!… 😦
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priya
July 11, 2008
The structure of this movie is a blatant copy of Forget Paris. Can’t believe no one pick it up.
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raj
July 11, 2008
br, you SHOULD publish my comment on the maximum number of comments. C’mon, you dont have to be nice all the time. And in any case, it is just your comment space not your piece so the blame’s not on you!
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raj
July 11, 2008
ah! I see you did. But you cut out the keyword. So, if you may, atleast let out that I specifically mentioned a blogger who calls himself great, no?
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rahul
July 11, 2008
its really sad that someone like harry baweja got access to 50 crores to make this “blockbuster” movie and there is an army of directors waiting for a chance to direct their first movies
but jane tu was really good and this review is one of the best i have read
i think u have stopped reviewing hindi movies which are not so old,there were some reviews last yr ,i watched RISK only after u reviewed it,i wish u start those reviews again
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brangan
July 11, 2008
V: Now there’s an explanation that needs an explanation 🙂
Pavitra: gtalk, cricinfo, blogical conclusion – just curious, but what is the nature of the work you do exactly? 🙂
priya: It’s not just Forget Paris. You can find this in a lot of other plays and films (though FP is probably closest in tone to this one). Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite had an actual, honest-to-goodness Greek chorus.
raj: wow – maybe I should ask *you* that question. just curious, but what is the nature of the work you do exactly? 🙂
rahul: Thank you. Those are reviews I bring up from my older site. Haven’t been doing that for a while. I should start again.
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Ramesh
July 12, 2008
BR: I have diverted attention from your reviews to the commments section :). Yay
Shuchi : To quote Rhett Butler “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn!” . I was absolutely jobless that day. But again this is the 79th comment 🙂
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Vishal
July 13, 2008
Caught up on JTYJN…cute movie, cliched but not cliched at the same time, if you know what I mean. Found Imran not-as-good-as-the-hype and actually liked Genelia’s performance. The elder cast was uniformly superb (Ratna stealing the movie) but I found the younglings a little stiff (understandably) , with one exception. Pratiek Babbar’s was the character who clicked for me. It was like seeing Smita all over again (oh, how I miss her!). And this kid has mom’s acting chops as well. Did anyone else get a gay vibe from Amit’s character? Sensitive, artistic, likes sister’s company…and there is that scene where both Amit and Jai are chasing his mouse and Amit says “come to *mommy*” while Jai says “come to daddy”.
🙂
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brangan
July 13, 2008
Vishal: “cliched but not cliched at the same time” I know exactly what you mean. That’s why this proved another struggle when it came to giving a star rating for the paper. I settled for a three-star rating – the upper end, perhaps, the “much above average” category.
About the gay vibe, I thought it was intentionally there in that scene for comic effect — as opposed to something that needed to be “picked up.” The minute they say these words, they stand up and look at one another 🙂 I didn’t get the vibe from the “character” as such and I saw it more of a situational construct, but now that you point it out… Hmmm…
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Arif Attar
July 13, 2008
I have come across your column just yesterday and I must say that this is brilliant stuff. My only problem is that your reviews are meant for people who have alseady seen the film. You should have a spoiler warning or something.
Coming to the film itself, yeah this is a film which makes you wonder why the director didn’t go that extra centimetre or two that would have made this a classic. Or may be it is, and at 31 I am just out of tune.
Certainly agree, the character of Meghna is one out of the most beautifully written ones I have seen on screen. Just wished the character of Shaleen meri kaleen, had a bit more to do than just give a wry smile everytime she noticed some hidden undertones in the various relationships and a line asking ‘Jaana hai?’ to Aditi towards the end.
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Pavitra
July 13, 2008
umm..u know..im in the print media…so i hafta..keep in touch with people (gtalk :P)..and..there’s ‘sports’ (a.k.a cricket in india)..and um..hafta be updated with the cine-ulagam too you see (thats where this site comes in!) :)..
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brangan
July 14, 2008
Arif Attar: Thank you, and yes, I do think reviews are better read after watching a film.
Pavitra: Just curious, but how do reviews help you “keep in touch” with the cine world. Wouldn’t you find more information (about what stars are up to, about what films are underway, etc.) on snippety sites like sify?
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raj
July 14, 2008
BR, Ah! We do exactly those things that you described as having pushed you out of the corporate world into this romantic, wonderful world of arts…see, there’s some perks in what you left behind as well – and I dont even have to watch god-awful movies and write reviews on them. Win-Win? Nah! When it gets bad here, it really gets so and thats when we envy you…
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Pavitra
July 14, 2008
“about what stars are up to, about what films are underway, etc.” – yes i do find info on all that on snippety sites. sorry..cine-ulagam was the wrong word :)..i meant just info on cinema.
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jkaloor
July 15, 2008
Abbas Tyrewala has given an interview in gulfnews-dubai stating that he developed the story and all, where as the truth is Janee Tu is the remake of an old Malayalam hit movie “Niram”.
He should have displayed a little more respect to the original writer.
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rahul
July 15, 2008
jkaloor: hey pls,u shd also start respecting hindi movie wallahs,all are not copy cats,abbas is a talented guy,the wrier of maqbool,main ho na,salam namaste and many more original moves ,he doesnt need to copy from others,though i am from punjab,i watch movies from all languages without any bias and appreciate them but i have seen this tendency among certain section of ppl who always claim that hindi movies are rip off from one or the other south indian movies,
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sunshine
July 15, 2008
I can’t believe you liked Jaane tu…..horrible boring movie I ever saw!! People who have not yet seen it-Save your money!!
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sunshine
July 15, 2008
Read a few more comments- this whole movie and its “praise” has become a case of the emperor has no clothes. BAD MOVIE. PERIOD.
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siddd
July 17, 2008
i dont know if i liked the movie but i am sur ei didnt hate it but what i ahte is that people ar emaking it out be thebest movie that has come out of bollywood …and comparing it to little classics such as ‘ socha na tha’ …it is a very very ok film . and the performances are also good enough but not great . infcat the best thing abt the movie is its music and lyrics. and pappu cant dance sala.
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Sagarika
July 17, 2008
brangan: There’s this one topic that’s been gnawing at my insides since your Genelia-related comment to Suchi on the “U Me Aur Hum” post. And I see it rearing its head again here, in your response to Bhargs above.
Bhargs says, “It was a much better performance than Hasini in Bommarillu (part of the blame,though, can be attributed to the atrocious dubbing)” and you respond “It was the same in Santosh S. I cannot stand watching performances with bad dubbing.” All fine, except it didn’t jive with what you’d told Suchi prior, as the *thing* you couldn’t stand about that role.
Although (and only superficially, if I might add) it might seem like (a) bad dubbing and (b) your mental block from knowing that the actor does not understand the language he/she is mouthing the lines in, are one and the same thing, it’s my contention that they are separate issues altogether.
You say to Suchi, “It’s seriously such a shame that we’re seeing Genelia being lauded so much for her peformance in SS. I mean, she looks sweet and she looks the part, sure, but if you’re not convinced that she even knows what she’s mouthing in the film, what are we taking about, really?”
I have serious problems with looking at it this way. To me, who the director envisions in a certain role is as much a part of the “director’s vision” as how he/she “treats” the story (and you wrote an oh-so-beautiful thesis on the latter topic during your ReelTalk days, in your discussions of Black and Godfather with Samanth). I mean, MK simply blew me away in Mani Rathnam’s “Bombay” (that I watched on the big screen in Tamil) – I wouldn’t envision anyone else lipsyncing to “Kannaalane” (AND managing to evoke the same emotions in Arvind Swamy) for a million bucks. Their chemistry simply sizzled, and it wasn’t one bit diminished from our collective knowledge that in reality MK didn’t have a clue what she was mouthing in Tamil (or maybe she did, as Mani had already clued her in prior, in her own language, so she internalized it and moved her lips in such beautifully choreographed synchronicity, which made it look oh-so-natural. Do I know if that’s the case? Do I care? Heck no. All I know is the effect, the end-product TOTALLY worked for me.).
Ditto for Aishwarya’s role in “Kandukonden Kandukonden.” I thought it fit her like a glove. It didn’t bother me one bit that she was cast as this ebullient, day-dreaming “Tamil”-speaking gal…and I’m sure there’s many many stupid silly me’s out there who totally related to that character in a heartbeat. And hat’s off to Mani Rathnam and Rajiv Menon, I guess, for making MK and Rai seem believable beyond belief, in roles where the language barrier might have otherwise been their BIGGEST hurdle.
Net net, what’s language got to do with anything when we have directors who can wrest emotions out of an emu (bird brain and bird “language” notwithstanding) is really the point I’m trying so hard to make! 🙂 I’m with you if you said you HATED Genelia’s acting in SS (although it completely worked for me), but I don’t buy the “oh she can’t speak the language” argument, that’s all. (I get the heebie jeebies even thinking about that gal in that restaurant where this guy waits tables at, 30 or so minutes into Chennai 28…yeah she could speak Tamil all right, but could she act? Jesus no! She stopped short of staring at the camera and announcing “I’m about to read my lines, ok?” My jaw dropped as that DVD practically popped itself out of my player…yes, it was THAT annoying. And I never wound up finishing that movie ever. See, language has nothing to do with anything! It’s the acting, really, that makes or breaks roles, at least in my book.)
Now bad dubbing is a different (more technical) issue, don’t you think? You can have this problem (even when you have an actor speaking in their mother tongue) due to (a) (again) rank-bad acting (b) totally out-of-sync voice-recording/mixing…Or at least these two scenarios coerce you into paying particular attention to the issue, IMO.
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Sagarika
July 18, 2008
About JTYJN, “The ghost of Dil Chahta Hai, which plays Keith Richards to this movie’s Jack Sparrow” (from Ramsu’s review) makes a wonderful addition to the many movie allusions made here, IMO.
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raj
July 18, 2008
sagarika, it is reassuring to know that there’s someone else in BR’s comment space who would take up 1000 words to articulate a point worth 2 sentences 😉
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lax
July 19, 2008
I’m surprised why people are going ga-ga over this run-of-the-mill movie. North Indians, I can understand , but the southies have been exposed these ‘youth’ movies for more than a decade now, and better ones, too! The movie was severely lacking in comedy, they could’ve had a blast with the supporting characters, especially the Gujarati dude, hopelessly under-acted. Say what you will about the South movies, they know how to package the masala. Agree with others that the Aditi character was the most under-developed one in the movie, and didnt really care for her one way or the other. The Salman-brothers was some sort of take-off on the Chris Kattan-Will Ferell SNL skit, I believe, didnt work for me at all. The film could’ve used more of Naseer, Paresh etc. About Ratna’s lines that Rangan is going trumpeting, didnt Gopi Desai deliver a variation of that line before in Roop ki Rani…, “Mard, kahin ke”, dont know whats so exciting about. All in all, worth watching once, but nothing special.
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Elizabeth
July 19, 2008
Rahul: Salaam Namaste is a ripoff of the Hollywood movie Nine Months. Maqbool is not a “ripoff”, but it is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, so it’s not entirely “original” either.
You said “i have seen this tendency among certain section of ppl who always claim that hindi movies are rip off from one or the other south indian movies”.
Well, don’t shoot the messenger, but a lot of Hindi movies ARE ripoffs, not just of South Indian movies, but they borrow liberally from Hollywood as well.
For example, a scene in Love Story 2050 with Harman Baweja hanging off the front of a rollercoaster, asking out Priyanka Chopra on a date is reminiscent of a scene in The Notebook. Kismat Konnection is a version of Just My Luck and pretty much anything Priyadarshan does in Hindi is a remake of a Malayalam movie, Bhool Bhulaiya being the most recent one.
That’s not to say every South Indian movie is original (Ghajini for example is a remake of Memento), but the ripoffs or remakes or whatever you want to call them coming out of Bollywood are much more frequent and numerous. Just saying…
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R
July 22, 2008
Just wanted to add one thing- Jai’s father’s name is Amar Singh Rathod, while Aamir Khan played a character called Amar Damji Rathod in Baazi. Maybe there’s another nod to the uncle there.
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Anonymous
July 23, 2008
And didn’t AK play a character called Ajay Singh Rathore in Sarfarosh?
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Radhika
July 24, 2008
{Jai stops in his tracks and confesses to his mother about his newfound love, and a strange mix of joy and sorrow envelops Savitri’s face. She cups his chin and murmurs, “Silly boy.”}
Sounding a bit nitpickety, but I don’t think that is when she says “silly boy” – she says that later when he tells her Aditi is getting married.
I found some of the themes in the story internally inconsistent – Aditi calls her parents by nicknames (pumpkin?) and they are supposed to uber-cool. Yet, they worry about what biradari will say and are eager to marry her off at 20. The khadoos Mala in the Greek Chorus – was far more interesting when she was khadoos – her rapid meltdown was positively irritating. Why is everyone assuming that love at 20 years has to culminate in immediate marriage? Even the end – I wished they had just returned from an MBA or something, still together, and not from a honeymoon. The coolness is evidently superficial.
I think Jai likes his life relatively simple – and so Meghna, who may be more interesting is probably also too complex for him – he likes them bland and safe. He looks decidedly uncomfortable in her house at night and in contrast, Aditi’s family offers him another family – a father, a brother – he probably is in love with all that also.
Ratna Pathak Shah is fabulous – I love her in Sarabhai versus Sarabhai. Her character are so interesting and I loved that she is shown reading books of womens studies by Naomi Wolf and suchlike. Love the detailing.
There were some flitting symbols on the periphery – Sushant and Aditi romance in a victoria – later it is shown clipping by empty. Again, there is a riderless horse floating by when Jai and Meghna are breaking up.
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Biju
August 18, 2008
Is the PAPU CANT DANCE a joke on Aamir’s dancing skill? This is the rumour going on now. Is it true?
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Aravind
October 21, 2008
Finally having seen JTYJN, just managed to catch your review and also go over the 100 rather long comments.
I am surprised nobody mentioned this though. In that Aditi-Jai gang of 6, was it not obvious that Jiggy and Shaleen too were “made-for-each-other”? I was hoping that their characters would be developed eventually (and my hopes raised when Shaleen gets a call about her father in Aditi’s place) and that they would get together by the end! To me, this expectation was what kept these 2 characters afloat.
May be they are yet to realize it and that is what the “wait” at the end of the film signifies?
I know it is too much to expect a reply for the 101th comment on a review of a rather “old” movie but I hope someone will tell me that I am not the only one imagining a non-existent romance between 2 under-developed characters 🙂
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Fahim Farook
February 18, 2009
I found the review to be very insightful and interesting (and the comments just as interesting) 🙂 Very, very different from the usual review where you don’t carry away much more than when you started with (especially if you’ve already seen the movie in question).
I enjoyed JTYJN and thought it was a refreshing change. I don’t agree with some (OK, one …) comment here where it says the humour was badly done and that they know how to package it better in the South. In fact, the problem with most Tamil movies is that the humour track is separate – it’s a parallel story-line most of the time. In JTYJN the humour was part of the main story and I at least thought it worked – I was in stitches towards the end when Jai begin fulfilling the “three conditions” 🙂
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anindya
October 11, 2010
> And no, I don’t know why Cigars made it as opposed to, say, Tintin in Tibet.
Maybe because Ray had used ‘Tintin in Tibet’ in ‘Sonar Kella’ once (Topesh shown reading it while Feluda is deciding whether to take up the case or not)?
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