INTRODUCTION: In our day to day struggles of life somewhere we succumb to chaotic thoughts and an enervating routine. Thousand worries nibble at our peace of mind little by little till none is left to fall back upon. We do regularly breathe in and out but forget to ‘live’ the moments. At the same time we lose the courage to say no to whatever plagues us. We spin around the vicious rut that is most of the times self created. Zoya Akhtar in her second directorial venture tells us to live out of the box. Life is just a handful. Life is precious. Therefore, we should not waste our breath in stressful exercises and running after the mirage called happiness. Happiness is within ourselves. We should enjoy every nano second that has been bestowed upon us as divine gift. The suddenness of life is its most amazing aspect which we should cherish and cheer for. This is the core message of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobaara.
THE STORY: Kabir Dewan (Abhay Deol), scion of a well to do business family, plans a bachelor’s road trip to Spain before his marriage to long time friend Natasha (Kalki). The Three Musketeers, Arjun (Hrithik Roshan), Imraan ( Farhan Akhtar) and kabir embark on their ambitious and adventurous journey which becomes more of a process of self discovery for them. The three friends, as per pre-decided plan, select three different surprise stunts to be performed by each of them in three different places of their rRajeev_Vermactive choice. The stunts eventually transpire into dangerous games which impel all three of them to get over their personal fears and mental handicaps which have been incapacitating them for long.
During this remarkable journey, Arjun who is a financial broker and enslaved to his job, is re-introduced to the wonderful vastness of the star spangled universe and the mesmerizing secret world under the fathomless depths of the sea by his diving instructor Laila (Katrina Kaif) which transforms him forever. Imraan, who is a copywriter in an advertising company and a closet poet, meets his biological father, Salman Habib (Naseeruddin Shah) in a dramatic situation. During his interaction with his father he realizes that it is a mistake to pine for him who has actually denounced him long before his birth. Kabir on the other hand comes face to face with his fiancé Natasha, who, ridden by jealousy, lands up in their hotel to straighten things out. After much ado he also comes to term with the fact that he is unable to accept his over possessive would-be-wife as his life partner. The three friends decide to rectify their past blunders and start afresh in life but before that they will have to accomplish a formidable feat.
THE HIGHLIGHTS: The exquisite cinematography is the highlight of this movie. Capturing the breathtaking scenic expanses of Spain, the hypnotic beauty of the underwater sequence, the awe inspiring shots of paragliding when the three friends hold each other’s hands in air bRajeev_Vermaak a splendiferous job in terms of technology and aesthetics. Despite a few glitches, like the flawfull engagement scene of Kabir and Natasha, the direction is crisp. Editing goes hand in hand. But what leaves the audience spell bound is perhaps the performances of the three protagonists – Abhay Deol, Hrithik Roshan and Farhaan Akhtar. Hrithik’s extra ordinary good looks compliment his acting talent Rajeev_Vermacially the scene when he cries in anguish after coming out of the sea. His restrained emoting is ample evidence of his masterful histrionics. Abhay Deol is as natural as any natural actor can be. He is much ahead of his time like once Balraj Sahni and Ashok Kumar were. But who steals the heart with his humorous jibes and tongue-in-cheek retorts is Farhan Akhtar. For once his diction is clear and his repartees well timed and most hilarious. The make believe world that Zoya Akhtar has created is really scripted well to the extent that watching the movie one is able to forget the daily harp of subsistence and survival for a few hours. Javed Akhtar’s poetry warms the heart and wets the eyes. He pens his lyrics and poems (written by Imraan in the film) with equal fervour. The added charm of the movie lies in its free-flowing non-filmy dialogues. The lines are written more in the flavour of day to day, ordinary conversation that gen now are frequently heard of vocalising.
THE DRAWBACKS: My first and foremost question to Zoya Akhtar is, why Spain and why not India? There are ample panoramic views and picturesque spots in our own motherland which can be equally enamouring if captured in the frames. The only justification can be the outstanding song “Senorita” sung with great flair by the trio themselves. If it were India it would have been difficult to fit in this hugely hit song (out of all the other mediocre numbers) imbued with the aroma of the Hispanic soil. At times, in spite of the tight screenplay, the movie runs like a lavish statement on Spanish culture and tourism.
While the message comes out strong and clear, yet in the final analysis, the movie appears to be an extravagant and larger than life documentation of male bonding where money appears to be just no issue. The indisputable doubt that wriggles through the exuberance is whether such luxurious outlets from daily drudgery is meant for us/can be accessible to the common man. Most probably not! The man on the street, after a back breaking toil, will perhaps rest his back on the cold pavement, look up to the star studded sky and before falling into a dead slumber after a hard day’s labour, dare for a split second nurture a pang for an alternate life. Whereas the quintessential middle class, ever torn between ideals and aspirations, may as well spend its leisure under the CFL glitz glued to the idiot box, with a stifled sigh and wish that if only he could conform to such an exalting lifestyle. Thus we come to the next obvious question which niggles the mind non-stop i.e., for whom is the movie made ultimately. And the answer is as plain as water. Of course, who else but the ‘rich rogues’!!!
THE CONCLUSION: Nevertheless, if we for once choose to overlook the serious implications and inferences of the celluloid dream that Zoya sells, we may as well grudgingly admit that ZNMD is a colourful kaleidoscope of joie-de-vivre. An immensely watchable and enjoyable slice of life which is seldom available at hand but always oh so desirable on hindsight!! Till such time the sensory organs are ready to be tantalized by such vibrant visual imagery and buoyancy of youthful spirit the slogan will definitely be...Live Life King Size!!!
Cheerio!
My sincere gratiMr_customtakeouter to esteemed MSian @jmathur who through his review and tele talks presented me the vision to write this review