STATUTORY WARNING : This reviewer will not delve too much into the story of the movie on review, reckons a one line description will do just fine. For filmophiles who have suffered for years at the hands of sadistic reviewers including yours truly, all SPOILERS are at the end i.e. are only for those already done watching.
STORY : In what is by now a standard template in almost all recent Yash Chopra films, JAB TAK HAI JAAN is also a ... no brownie points for guessing, a romantic triangle.
JAB TAK HAI JAAN - MOVIE REVIEW
The thespian Balraj Sahni serenading Achala Sachdev with the immortal ’ Aye Meri Zohra Jabeen ’; the powerful ’ Mere Paas maa hai ’ wala confrontation scene between Amitabh and Shashi Kapoor; the sublime scene by the side of a lake in DIL TO PAAGAL HAI where Karisma confesses her love to SRK . There are so many such moments from Yash Chopra films that we will all remember JAB TAK HAI JAAN. The same cannot be said about his last directorial effort. The tell-tale signs were all there- a lacklustre promotional campaign , a hugely disappointing soundtrack ( keeping in mind that it was first ever coming together of three geniuses, Yash Chopra, Gulzar saab and A.R.Rehman ) Yet one kept hoping against hoping. To be proven wrong. Alas !
The success of any romantic film largely depends on three factors - music, writing & chemistry ( as cliched as the word sounds ) And it is on these very counts that JAB TAK HAI JAAN suffers. The music as aforementioned is no great shakes. The other hitch is that after Honey Irani ( who wrote the brilliant LAMHE ) was denied writing credits for DDLJ & fell out with Yash Chopra, his films have just not been the same. DIL TO PAAGAL HAI rode to success largely on the back of a fabulous soundtrack. And the lead pair of SRK- Katrina Kaif are so uncomfortable with each other that it actually shows. In scene after scene. That Miss Kaif cannot stop blinking her eyes ( can someone please tell her about BOTOX ) and start acting does not help the cause at all.
Like Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna in their latter half of their careers, SRK ( especially post KABHI ALVIDA NA KEHNA ) also has become a parody of himself. His attempt at Hinglish seems unconvincing, his mannerisms are all so mechanical and he seems to sleep walk through most of the film. Katrina has perhaps the meatiest role in JAB TAK HAI JAAN but sadly is out of depth and cannot lend it the gravitas that divas like Rekha, Sridevi and Madhuri have. The only silver lining here is Anushka Sharma who breathes much needed JAAN into this strangely lifeless film ( like she did with the promos which got a kickstart only after her JIYA JIYA song went on air ) As Akira, she is simply superb and surely this role will push her into the big league. " Here’s looking at you, kid " to borrow the immortal line from CASABLANCA.
The writing by Aditya Chopra & Devika Bhagat is slip shod and cliche ridden. As in most recent Yash Chopra flicks, the parents are either done away with completely or are there only for a comedy track. The whole NAT GEO bit is very hard to stomach as is the RETROGRADE AMNESIA part and most supporting characters like that of Anupam Kher and Sarika are classic stereotypes (even the fab Rishi-Neetu pair is criminally wasted ) The editing by Namrata Rao is loose & leaves a lot to be desired. The production values as expected are first rate. The dialogues by Aditya Chopra are good at places ( Anushka has all the best lines ) A.R.Rehman’s background score is thankfully better than the OST. Anil Mehta shines behind the lens and is a saving grace here.
What can one say about Yashji’s direction. Out of sheer respect for the man’s body of work, all this reviewer can venture to say is " ROMANCE IS NOW OFFICIALLY DEAD, LONG LIVE THE KING OF ROMANCE " Would I recommend JAB TAK HAI JAAN? May be not to all but for all Yash Chopra fans, what better tribute than to watch the last hurrah of this great icon.
SPOILERS
THE SCENE : Strangely enough for a romantic film, the most gripping scenes are the ones that show SRK diffusing bombs. Yet the one which takes the cake is the SRK- Katrina kissing scene. It is perhaps the most awkward kissing scene of all time with both actors looking ill at ease and could clearly have been avoided. Is it possible that SRK who has always steered away from kissing on screen has become desparate for success?
THE SONG : The title song ( which appears with the end titles ) showing Yashji directing his last film is both touching and poignant . Long after JAB TAK HAI JAAN has ended, the visual of Yashji leaning back on a easy chair stays with you. Wish the rest of it did too.
THE CHARACTER : Though cliched and half baked, the character of SRK’s Lahori blundering room mate is one character that rises above the limitations of the role. Could some one please tell me the name of this actor ?