Imtiaz Ali is a very different kind of filmmaker. This does not mean that he has not tried his hands at making the usual kind of commercial cinema; Socha Na Tha, Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal being the few films he made in a typical Bollywood style, minting money and earning acclaim. However, he stands different because he seems to have a deep understanding of human emotions, the one we love seeing coming out in his characters.
Take the example of his first release, Socha Na Tha. The leading characters meet for an arranged marriage and yet, by the end of the movie, elope from their homes to get married. The whole confusion of Karen vs Aditi, playing in Naren’s heart and mind, displayed a human emotion which was never shown in Bollywood before.
In his latest release
The movie revolves around the lives of Ved and Tara, two people who meet in the faraway land of Corsica, France. Wanting to stay away from the clichéd romance that goes on, they decide to hide their identities from one another, and have fun for a few days, enjoying their lives and not crossing any limits.
However, once she returns to India, Tara seems to have fallen in love with the man he met in Corsica, but having no way to contact him, spends four years climbing the success ladder of her career. One day, when she accidentally meets Ved, she sees how changed a man he is, from the careless traveler to a responsible working professional.
The story then moves forward, telling us how Ved is inherently a storyteller, and how his love for the art eventually overweighs what the society expects from him.
Typical, yes! One should do what he wants to do, and not what others expect him to do, the same story that we have seen in many Bollywood flicks, including the super hit 3 Idiots. However, none of the movies showed what this one shows, as Ved is seen fighting his inner demons as well as his love, so much so that he fights them hard to continue being the ‘mediocre’ man that he has come to be, only to be rescued by Tara’s impact on his life.
This is what works in the favor of this film, its quintessential display of what can happen if one doesn’t listen to his or her heart. Ranbir and Deepika, under the wings of director, give one of their careers’ best performances. The cinematography is good, the screenplay could have been more crisp.
The movie picks up in the second half and we get to see stirring performances by both actors. The display of emotions preceding and during the song Agar Tum Saath Ho is articulate, and holds all of the viewers’ senses.
Music has always been an identity of Ali’s films, and this one is no different. All souls have been beautifully sung and come at the right moments in the film, especially Wat Wat Wat, which comes as a comic relief when the movie gets too high on drama.
Overall, the movie is a treat for the fans of Ali, Kapoor and Padukone, and for those who like to see the intriguing layers of human personality. However, for the average cinegoer who expects entertainment in every frame of the movie, this would turn out to be a disappointment.
The movie has earned Rs 38.23 crores in three days, and is continuing to attract cinephiles because of the director’s repute.
Pros:
Performances, cinematography, music,
Cons:
Script, length, less acting space for
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