Imtiaz Ali beautifully captures the flaws of his characters and makes them likeable at the same time...
[Lots of spoilers ahead, tread with caution!]
There's something about an Imtiaz Ali film that leaves me stunned! Completely! And it generally happens due to the way his movies conclude, be it Socha Na Tha or his latest offering Jab Harry Met Sejal. One of the moments that seems recurrent in his movies (especially in Rockstar and Tamasha) is when the protagonist longs to meet his beloved in a world that is "dil aur duniya se pare". Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma's Jab Harry Met Sejal meets you there.
Both the characters are flawed in their own ways. They're aware there's something missing in their lives but don't know what exactly it is. While Harry (SRK) seeks it in every other woman he comes across, Sejal (Anushka) seeks it in the excuse of looking for her (supposedly) lost ring! Imtiaz beautifully captures the essence of their flaws and takes you on a journey which ends in making you fall in love with them.
Jab Harry Met Sejal abounds in some very basic, yet inexplicable moments that stay with you when you leave the theatre after watching the film. Here, I've tried to jot down (with utmost difficulty and at the risk of leaving out few gems from the film owing to the restriction of time and space), seven such scenes that continue to linger in my mind and heart:
1) Harry's introduction
(Image via Twitter)
Nothing like the way we're used to being introduced to Shah Rukh's character in his previous movies. He's seen taking a group of tourists to the various places of sight seeing, doing his job with utmost diligence. His mundane activities are portrayed against the backdrop of Safar song, giving you the feel of his nomadic life. There are times when you see the emptiness of his life being reflected in his intense, brooding eyes (goosebumps guaranteed). Shah Rukh had tweeted "Apna Dil saath le ke jaana", urging everyone to take their heart along when they're going to watch JHMS, I ended up losing mine to Harry in the first 60 seconds of the film.
2) Sejal's introduction
(image via YouTube Screengrab)
Instantly reminds you of Jab We Met's Geet, only here she's in the Gujarati version. The banter between Harry and Sejal just outside the airport where Sejal insists that only Harry and nobody else will help her find her lost engagement ring brings back "Tum mujhe Bhatinda pohochaoge, mere ghar tak, woh bhi mere poore samaan ke saath, ji haan! Koi doubt mat rakhna..." dialogue by Geet. You instantly connect Punjabi Geet with Gujarati Sejal. The scene that follows is Anushka's favourite (watch the movie to know what it is) and in her words, "super intellectual types".
3) When Harry says "Baad mein pata chalega tujhe..."
(image via YouTube Screengrab)
This moment when Harry appears to be the Mr-know-it-all is so subtle and ironic. He tells Sejal that she's so engrossed in fooling around while looking for her ring that she's unable to see what's going to happen when the two of them will eventually part ways. SRK's mind-blowing expressions as he utters the dialogue "Hans le hans le! Baad mein pata chalega tujhe" speaks volumes of his acting prowess. Just that one look from him is enough to convey complex emotions.
4) The jadoo ki jhappi
(image via YouTube Screengrab)
There's this scene when Harry and Sejal are travelling in a train and Sejal tries to coax Harry to go back and visit his hometown (Noormahal in Punjab). Just when the conversation seems to be turning into a heated banter, Harry asks Sejal if she could give him a hug. Again, reminds you of Rockstar, when Nargis Fakhri asks Ranbir Kapoor to hug her a couple of times in the film. We don't blame Imtiaz for using hugs to bring solace to the troubled minds. In fact, we do believe in the magical, healing power of a hug from our loved ones! Thanks for reinstating our faith in simpler moments of life Imtiaz.
5) When Harry shouts out Sejal's name loudly
(Image via Twitter)
After watching a ballad performance in a restaurant, Harry and Sejal are amidst the meadows beside the sea and Harry screams Sejal's name, staring into the vast expanse of the sea and the sky. This happens right after he shouted the names of his loved ones from his native place, the ones who're long lost, the ones whom he hasn't seen in ages. He screams, "Sejal... Teri yaad aati hai yaar. Aaja phir se ring shing dhundte hain." He says this, despite the fact that Sejal was sitting right behind him. The sense of knowing that she's his, only for that moment in the present, but won't be there with him in future has been beautifully encapsulated. This scene is hands down THE best in the entire film!
6) The proposal
(image via YouTube Screengrab)
When Harry finally expresses his love after learning that Sejal broke her engagement with her fiancé, he redefines the word 'proposal' for the current generation. It's not just about uttering those three magical words. No, he doesn't say 'I Love You' to Sejal even once (neither does she), but instead goes on to tell her that if she's ready to accept his one shortcoming (read void) then it'll be enough to take care of all kinds of voids, flaws, shortcomings of her life. The entire dialogue is complicated, agreed, but it's mind blowing indeed. It essentially highlights how Sejal has in her, what Harry has been seeking his entire life and vice versa.
7) The homecoming!
(Image via Twitter)
Though we do feel that Harry's back story and the reason why he actually left Noormahal needed better explanation (than mere flashes of the memoirs of his native place in his dreams and his wish to become a singer), but the manner in which SRK brings forth the feeling of homecoming is commendable beyond words.His yearning-meets-nostalgia eyes do all the talking while he's engrossed in taking a feel of every nook and corner of his actual home! Sheer brilliance and a delight to watch!
Honourable mentions
(Image via Twitter)
This article would be incomplete if I didn't mention how Harry and Sejal just hug each other and sleep, at several occasions in the film. Again, very simple yet significant moments in which their silences speak much louder than what words could have ever attempted to convey!
(Gif via giphy.com)
The way Sejal's expressions change on finding the ring - she tries to conceal her dismay when reality hits her hard, but her eyes betray her at the same time.
And how can I forget to mention the scene where Sejal asks Harry to enact how he would behave if he were to meet his fiancee in a cafe. It just proves once again that nobody romances better than Shah Rukh Khan or in the words of Imtiaz Ali, "Sir, aap aaj bhi romance waisa hi karte ho."
(Gif via giphy.com)
It's just that he gets better with every passing day and we can't get enough of him making us fall in love with love!
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Bollywood, Jab Harry Met Sejal, Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Imtiaz Ali, Rockstar, Nargis Fakhri,Ranbir Kapoor,Safar,Socha Na")
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}