Review: 'Break Ke Baad', a ‘rom-com’ that gets it right

Film: Break Ke BaadDirector: Danish AslamCast: Imran Khan, Deepika Padukone, Sharmila Tagore and othersRating: ***The producer of Break Ke Baad, Kunal Kohli, remade the quintessential romantic comedy – When Harry Met Sally – as Hum Tum almost a decade back. Since then, the genre has seen sparse success among Hindi films, hitting an all-time low with last month’s Anjaana Anjaani.With Break Ke Baad, debutante director Danish Aslam tries his hand at the rom-com genre, and – barring the clichéd climax – manages to make a breezy film with some sweet moments thrown in and the running time kept to an ideal two hours.The film starts with a small boy and girl mouthing off Mogambo’s dialogues from Mr India. The imaginatively shot title sequence draws references from various Hindi films of the 90s, from Tezaab to Jeeta Wohi Sikandar to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Abhay (Khan) and Aaliya (Padukone) grow up together in an era of love stories, and are in a relationship for close to 10 years. Abhay, the more sensible and the less ambitious of the two, is stuck with his dad’s cinema business and leads a mundane life. His only dose of adventure is in the form of an outgoing, bindaas girlfriend – Aaliya. Going against stereotypes, it’s Aaliya who’s commitment-phobic in this case, while the boy is the more traditional one who wants to settle down. Aaliya wants to explore the world, become an actor if her divorced mother (Tagore) allows so, and lead an uncomplicated life without having to worry about responsibilities.She decides to go away to Gold Coast, Australia to pursue a course in mass communications, even though she actually wants to run away from all those who are close to her and pursue a career in acting. The two lovers try to make the relationship work over a long distance, but insecurities creep in. When Abhay lands up in Australia, it pisses off Aaliya who is feeling stifled in her relationship and she breaks up with him. The film then narrates the story of the two ex-lovers after their break up.The problems of space in a relationship, that Break Ke Baad explores, is something that is instantly relatable and the dialogue between the protagonists (by Renuka Kunzru) are very real too, seeming more like conversation than words rehearsed from a script. At times, the film reminds you of last year’s Love Aaj Kal, also about a couple breaking up and their life thereafter. There are some really endearing moments between the two lovers, and the chemistry between Khan and Padukone is cute. While Khan is the more restrained among the two, Padukone gets to flaunt histrionics, which she does quite confidently too. It’s definitely the most notable performances of the two actors in a short career so far. Vishal-Shekhar’s songs compliment the film’s theme well – 'Dooriyan' being the best of the lot – and director Aslam does well by not making the actors lip-synch to any of them. The supporting cast, made up of Tagore, Shahana Goswami and ex-veejay Yudi, pitch in with good performances too.The film, though, could have done without the predictable climax where Aaliya realises she ‘loves’ Abhay. And is gate-crashing the other’s wedding – or landing up at the airport, for that matter – the only way to end all fairy tale romances?However, Aslam stays away from over-the-top antics, keeping the narrative simple. The film may not be among the best love stories ever made, but it delivers two hours of decent entertainment and leaves you with a smile at the end of it. Watch Break Ke Baad for a mushy, sweet outing at the multiplex, preferably with a date. Its a 'rom-com' that gets it right.