First, let me spell it out loud and clear: Jaane Tu .ya jaane na(JTYJN, in short), the new release that I had the good fortune of seeing on the first day itself, is **supercoooooooooooooooooL!
It is really a daunting task to make a romatic film that is intelligent as well. But finally, Bollywood has woken up to a whole new genre - intelligently crafted romances. I must say, Bollywood’s romance with this new genre rocks!
Jab We Met, Ahista Ahista, Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd and Pyaar Ke Side Effects have done it in the recent past, and JTYJN is the latest addition to that list! It is such a welcome break for viewers like us to see scriptwriters like Abbas Tyrewala carve a niche with a film like this! He, and music composer A R Rahman are the real superstars behind’JTYJN’, and of course the gutsy producer Aamir Khan!
What could easily have been yet another formulaic take on opposites’ attraction, college romance, the friendship vs romance funda, and the usual make-believe misunderstanding and making up, has given a really smart execution. One can feel the genuine youthful exuberance. The newcomers, including the leading guy Imran, exude such warmth that it is hard not to be enthused by this romantic caper. The film is a tale of friendship, bonding, and love. It is about discovering love in one’s heart, in a way that it rings true.
Jai(Imran) and Aditi(Genelia) are diametric opposites in terms of distinct personalities, but they are the best of friends. Everybody, from the peer group to the parents, thinks that Jai and Aditi are perfectly made for each other, despite the superficial contrasts. But Jai and Aditi take a long time to warm up to the idea, to really believe that they are meant to be a couple in the truest sense.
The storytelling is just perfect. Thec characterisations are nearly believable(a rarity in Bollywood), the comic elements are mostly flawless(I am not going to spoil the fun by dissecting them in detail) and the two stalwarts, namely Naseeruddin Shah and Paresh Rawal, prove their mettle once again(their cameo performances are a treat to watch).
Finally, a brief mention must be made of Manjari Fadnis, who plays a very pleasant, very sweet girl(I am intentionally not revealing the character), and Pratiek Babbar, who has some brief but brilliant moments in the film as Aditi’s brother, Amit. The heroine Genelia is too loud, and she sadly retains her pathetic diction, even in her third Hindi film. Ratna Pathak Shah, Anuradha Patel, Rajat Kapoor, Kitu Gidwani and Jayant Kripalani are apt. Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan are brought in for the excesses, and they do their job.