The swan song of the Eternal
Romanticist is as was bound to be an Ode to Luv. Times have changed and so have
perceptions, even from DTPH and Veer Zaara to now. Only Yash Chopra cannot over
grow his hang ups.
This is typical Yash Raj material, conflict here is never raw (go to Mahesh
bhat for that); it is not comical (Basu Chaterjee is no longer a trusted brand)
it is not real and boring (that’s for Anurag Kashyap and the rest). Like
hitherto it is romance soured for a while, in the midst of the Alps (Leh) and
you are called upon to endure 180 minutes of Hindi cinema’s salute to Mills and
Boon.
Yeah Yash Chopra has had a take the connect between romance and love. The track
record shows how he has always chosen to tell tales with two women vying for
celluloid space: Mala Sinha – Nanda, Sadhana — Sharmila, Sharmila – Rakhe,
Rakhe – Hema; Rekha – Jaya, Rani – Preeti…… In terms of actors, even the
talented were hidden in the star, the music, the style, the lyrical and musical
combo, the locales. So will it be at the last bow.
It is not the story of love, not the story of courage, a character declares.
True: it is a story of endurance: three hours of Shah Rukh Khan and the syrup
from the Yash Raj House. And that is the major undoing of the film. A love
story that survives two major accidents, a hundred bombs diffused but gets
damaged in a script that runs its whole course in about three hours and more.
The film comes close to a claim of being among his better outings, notwithstanding
the usual clichés and the commitment to a style: Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
Oh I forget: the evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred
with their bones. So let it be with Yash.
There is grandeur aplenty. There is the brand style. Locales and stars fighting
to be actors. Samar (Shah Rukh Khan) is a bomb diffuser in the armed forces. He
runs into this young girl Akira (Anushka Sharma) – half his age (!!) and she is
in love. She also gets to peep into his diary which tells us his past which is
about his love story with Meera (Katrina Kaif). Meera’s dad (Anupam Kher- a
regular in the camp) has grandeur plans for his daughter and is busy planning
her wedding with the son of his friend. She is in private conversation with
Jesus at a local chapel and keeps her social trysts based on her commitments
thereof. She is in love with Samar. However after the usual walks and songs the
love story gets a jerk with an accident and her promise to Jesus to walk out
from the life of Samar. Fast forward and now Akira is all over him till another
accident happens and this time his amnesia leaves him just where he had parted
with Meera. So we have the conflict between: Akira and Meera. The fully drawn
love triangle wants a solution as the audience wants the exit.
Katrina Kaif is her usual restrained self. Doing not a bit more than required.
A special appearance from Rishi- Neetu brings class to the film. The film truly
belongs to Anushka Sharma. Her vivacious exuberance adds energy to a dull
moving narration. The Gulzar-Rahman combo is a dud. It fails to deliver a
number worth a recall. This after Veer Zaara and the soulful remains of Madan
Mohan, is a huge disappointment.
Shah Rukh delivers. He does what he has not done in a while. He keeps his usual
mannerisms under control and does not go overboard. It is difficult to see him
romance gals half his age a la Rajendra Kumar with Saira and Babita etc.
History repeats itself with such mock propinquity.
JTHJ could have been much better if only it was trimmed to half its size and
did not last long enough to mock at its title.
L. Ravichander.