My kids had seen the movie 3 times within 2 weeks, and were raring to go 4th time! All around the movie was being discussed. There have been rave reviews all over including at MS, and even the stingy Khalid Mohd had been generous in TOI, I was really curious what is this all about, I decided to see the movie, kids were happy to join me again.
The cinema hall was full of youngsters, most of them on repeat visits, agitatedly discussing, chirping like birds, laughing and having time of their life. I wanted to pay equal attention to the film as well as the reactions and behavioral patterns of the young audience.
The movie is about three young men of Gen-X or is it Gen-Y already?, who apparently ( being in transition stage)have nothing to do except having fun, pulling pranks on each other, dancing and singing, running after girls, partying and merry making, no tensions of career planning, no clear direction or goals of life, no clear views on life as such, which is how the Gen-X is(?).
There is not much of a story or a plot, no cliches, no ’’message’’, no pontifications or bhashan baji, no melodrama, no rona-dhona, no violence, no wet scenes…in fact, there are none of those standard ingredients of a bollywood masala fillum! It’s a clean fun film, pure entertainer, a new format and a refreshing approach. It’s all about the Lucky generation of India, not much appealing to the Bharat out there beyond the Metros and mini-metros.
Though, all the three leading actors are fun loving youngsters of the same generation, the subtle differences in their character and persona have been very well developed and depicted.
Aamir as an audacious, bindaas, mishievous, loud, fun loving character has done full justice to the role. The makeover has given him a new look, which in my opinion was not really necessary at all.
Saif as a yuppy, confused, nervous bundle of energy, ever-romantic guy who doesn’t actually know what he wants has come out surprisingly well.
It is Akshay who as a ’’senti’’kind of a cool, composed, mild mannered guy who takes the cake with an excellent and sensitive performance.
Saif and Akshay have shown their hidden potential that has never been exploited so far.
Sonali is nothing to write about. Preity looks beautiful and has done well.
Full marks to photography, locales, costumes, dialogues, sound recording and excellent music by the new trio. The title song as well as ’’jane kyon log pyar karte hain’’ are excellent.
More than the film, it was the reactions of the young audience that was interesting. At every prank and every funny(?) one liner, they burst out laughing…seemed like I was watching my kids seeing ’’Friends’’ on TV! Even the slightly emotional scenes were too much for them to stomach, every prank was fully enjoyed, and youngsters seemed to enjoying the film all the way, each dialogue and each scene.
I couldn’t bring myself to laugh except for in a couple of scenes, many dialogues seemed silly and irreverent, (hum to cake khane ke liye kahin bhi pahunch jate hain), many sudden twists made me taken aback such as:
Aamir on verge of confessing his love to Preity, suddenly pulls a prank about the fat opera singer, Aamir menacingly advancing towards a villainous character, suddenly embraces him in a bear hug….were unexpted and funny!
At the end the film, I suddenly realized that there is so much difference and gap between India and Bharat, there is so much difference between my generation and the present day youngsters…for a moment I felt old and outdated!