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Friday, July 31, 2009 15:31 IST

If you are the kind who has regularly watched Hindi movies over the years, you can summarise the storyline of most movies into one line: boy meets girl, boy loses girl and boy wins girl again. Most Hindi films are essentially versions of this story line (or what the director of the movie may tell you treatment bilkul alag hai.)

Now what would you say about a movie which twists this entire logic on its head. Boy loses girl in the beginning, boy loses girl at the interval, boy loses girl again after interval and boy wins girl, finally, in the end, after the girl has gone ahead and married the second hero.

Well that it is different. Hmmm, almost. In a nutshell that is the story of Imitiaz Ali’s much awaited Love Aaj Kal. The movie works over most its two hours running time except towards the end when it really drags and of course whenever Deepika Padukone tries to act.

What works for the movie? Some semblance of a new storyline.

Great visuals (human as well as natural. You know what I mean.)

Great music backed by some real good lyrics. My favourite being the song Chor Bazaari, which has some brilliant lyrics.

Rishi Kapoor is excellent as usual (For a guy who barely acted for most of his career as a hero, he is having a real good second innings in Bollywood, with some excellent roles in movies like Hum Tum, Luck By Chance and now Love Aaj Kal. For the record he won a National Award for his debut role in Mera Naam Joker, when he was barely 18).

There are some real good oneliners in the first half, which I won’t reveal here.

Then there is the Brazilian model Giselle Monterio playing the young Harleen (the girl who Rishi Kapoor’s character is in love with and who some movie reviewers referred to as Shweta Gulati), who looks fantastic. She has been kept under the wraps, so don’t know what her name is. But she clearly reminded me of Bhagyashree in Maine Pyar Kiya. (How many hearts fluttered when she said hota hai, hota hai)

Oh and you must look out for this yesteryear actress, towards the end, who makes her comeback, after nearly 30 years away from the movies.

What doesn’t work for the movie?There is very little chemistry between Saif and Deepika. Now that means two things. Either Kareena should have been the heroine or Ranbir should have been the hero.

Some really corny lines in the second half. Sample this: “Love-who knows what love is. I haven’t figured out that one as yet.” In these portions Imitiaz Ali who has written the movie as well, has clearly been inspired by the Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar school of film making. (Remember when Shahrukh Khan says in Dil To Pagal Hai to Madhuri towards the end “Rahul,naam to yaad rahega na” and when he tells Kajol in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai “Tum nahi samjhogi Anjali Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”. That for me is the corniest line written ever.)

The major weakness of the movie is : Deepika Padukone, for sure. She can’t act for nuts. Her first film Om Shaanti Om did not need her to act. Her second movie Bachna Ae Haseeno had two other non acting heroines (Minisha Lamba and Bipasha Basu) which of course allowed her to share the blame.

But this movie rests solely on her and Saif Ali Khan. Saif is pretty decent continuing with his Hum Tum act. Deepika though is a disaster, and that makes what would have been a very good movie, a pretty average movie.

You can make out how much difficulty she has had just mouthing her dialogues. As friend who works in the film industry puts it “These days we say cut as soon as the actresses are able to complete their lines without any mistakes.” So that rules out any space for them getting their emotions right as well, while acting.

Deepika Padukone clearly belongs to that category. You can make out that she tries hard to emote, but her dialogue delivery clearly lets her down. I guess we can safely say “Deepika is the new Katrina.” And given that, she has a bright future. Who wants heroines to act anyway?

12 comments

Appreciation doesn't come easy to me. Yeah, this is the sort of lousy, staunch, obstinate critic I am. Excuse me sir, however, the movie did not click for me at all. Reasons? Plenty. This movie tried too hard to demarcate itself from the usual run-of-the-mill kind and ultimately ended up in that rut only.

But, having subsided all the disdain I have for her speech, which reminds me that she must take some therapy in that department, she is an actress with some potential. She can act, whether she already does or not is not the point I would want to make here.

I seriously hope you do not belong to the acting school of the 60s where theatrical performances, ridden with wooden dialouge delievery, were given preference.
"Who wants actresses to act either way?" True, the way "who wants men to think anyway?"

I almost laughed when you said Deepika is the weakness in the movie. I think she acted pretty well and looks gorgeous on screen. She played pretty natural, specially in the last scene when Saif returns to her finally and she cries. Overall it's a fantastic movie. Citizen Kane!

Dude, that Harleen girl is a Brazilian. Don't fall for this — Shweta Gulati — publicity gimmick. Poor review.

Never ever have any of your previous blogs had such hilarious comments! :) You must be having a ball.

Saif, I guess, is an old actor by now. Please try the other hot actors in love stories like this. As for Deepika, she is quite a good actress.

I am sorry you didn't enjoy the film. I do accept that it is very easy for me to "love" a movie. As long as I enjoyed it, I realize I loved it. I think Imtiaz Ali has spun his magic again, and this movie, I THINK, will be enjoyed thoroughly by the Jab We Met fans... I also happen to love the Karan Johar films, and am a huge fan of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai...

Deepika as an actress is developing. I think she did a good job though the award for acting totally belongs to Saif... I am a little shocked that you think actresses are no longer asked to act. I do understand what you mean by the change in actresses' roles, but I think your comparison is as unfair as it is untrue.

Your opinion is rather stupid. Every Bollywood actor is an apology for entertainment, leave alone delivering a good movie. Kareena is annoying, Preity looks idiotic and can't act, Rani is ugly and has no class — so forget about good actresses. And yuck, Kajol... ewww. Makes me puke. And most male actors look like eunuchs in this industry. So why waste money watching a bunch of retards singing and dancing on screen?

OK... Deepika is not a very good actor, but man, she is hot! Who goes to watch her act anyway? And I would care less about an old Saif trying to act young.

Why did you bring Bipasha's name here? She can act quite well. Please keep to the topic. It seems you are a woman hater. Maybe you like the Bobby Darling types. You do look kind of desperate. Don't worry, dear man(?), they de-criminalized Article 377. Cheers...

I guess we can safely say “Deepika is the new Katrina”. And given that, she has a bright future. Who wants heroines to act anyway?

... beautifully said!

Bar Kajol, Deepika is not too far distant from all other actresses. You are probably trying to measure her thinking of Kajol in DDLJ or KKHH, or KKKG.

I wrote a message about Padukone and it's all deleted... Gawd! She is a witch for sure. Bottom line: I completely agree she is a non-actor and looks very ugly, just like an incomplete skyscraper (which, by the way, is never going to be completed). I wish Saif had taken Priety Zinta instead. I completely agree with this review!