'Jawaani Jaaneman' Review: Saif Ali Khan sure to make your heart go 'Ole Ole', Alaya F shows tremendous potential

Jawaani Jaaneman 

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Alaya F, Tabu, Kubbra Sait, Farida Jalal, Chunky Panday, and Kumud Mishra.

Director: Nitin Kakkar

Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes

Critic's rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars 

Jawaani Jaaneman Story: 

A 40-something single man, high on life, finds out that he has a 21-year-old daughter. Not just that, on top of it, she is also pregnant. Will he rise to the occasion or continue to live his free-spirited life in denial?

Jawaani Jaaneman Review:

Jawaani Jaaneman is a Saif Ali Khan movie and there are no two ways about it. The actor who is known for his quirky sense of humour and playing uber-cool rich guys from the start of his career does not disappoint. With fresh off his now megahit 'Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior' in which he plays the character of a ruthless antagonist, Saif is now seen donning the role of a 40-something father and the transition is unrecognisable. 

Director Nitin Kakkar does not have a lot of surprises when it comes to revealing the plot of the movie but that is a good thing and what essentially makes the film an easy watch. 

"Kya main lagta hoon unhappy married types? (Do I look like I am an unhappy married type of man?)" asks Jazz aka Jaswinder Singh (Saif) to 21-year-old Tia (Alaya F), following which he brings her home, tries to get steamy with her and in return, Tia drops a bombshell on him saying that there is a 33.333% chance that he is her father. 

Those are the first 15 minutes of the film!

The first part of the film flies by easy, marked by wild partying and Saif hooking up with girls that are half his age which reminded me of a grown-up Saif but very much in character, similar to his role in Salaam Namaste, a man, afraid of commitment and responsibility who wears his heart on his sleeve. 

Saif brilliantly portrays the role of a playboy with childlike innocence and vulnerability. Debutante Alaya F has a magnificent screen presence and the camera loves her. She shows great promise and potential and plays the firm yet cool, a modern-day kid with ease. Though I wished Tabu, who plays Alaya's mother in the film had a more prominent role, the actress for her 15-minute screen presence does a lifetime of justice to the character as a spiritually empowered hippy.

Saif and Tabu come together after a long time, and even just for a little while, light up the screen with their chemistry. Among the supporting cast, actress Kubbra Sait has a stunning screen presence. Her character of a young divorced woman looking for a mature relationship is bound to resonate with many, while, Farida Jalal, Chunky Pandey, and Kumud Mishra also lend good support and are well placed with the narrative of the film. 

The pace drops in the second half as it meanders towards predictable and slightly preachy parts but by the end of it Jawaani Jaaneman comes out as the winner with its non-judgmental approach and an up-to-date story that showcases complicated human relationships with all its peculiarities, firmly in place. 

There are moments in the film that stay with you long after you leave the theatre which is a difficult feat to achieve in a comedy-drama, however, Jawaani Jaaneman manages it. 

There is a time in the film where Jazz (Saif) tries to reconcile with his daughter, promising to change his ways to keep her with him and during that interaction, he, a flying solo party man, tells Tia (Alaya), "Mujhe kabhi pyaar nahi hua. Tu mera pehla pyaar hai. (I have never fallen in love with anyone, you are my first love)." 

The ease and vulnerability with which Saif delivers the line is a game-changer and would make you want to get out of the theatre and call your dad and simple moments like these are what makes this film what it is, an easy to watch, easy to recommend dramedy.

Verdict:

Watch it for Saif Ali Khan's performance, it is sure to give all the 90s kids major nostalgia, an actor who ages like fine wine and is capable of playing himself in his biopic someday. Also, watch it for Alaya F and Tabu, there are no two other actors who could have played their roles with such ease.