Dear Mr. Yash Chopra,
Forgive my prejudices if any that creep into this review - for I watched your epic love story Veer-Zaara sandwiched between two other epics: Schindler’s List (on CD) and Mughal-e-Azam. So how does your movie compare with Mughal-e-Azam? Hmmm, that’s a tough one.
Three days after watching the movies, I cannot recall any scene from your movie with the same fervour as Dilip Kumar caressing Madhubala with the white feather. Shouldn’t an epic love story have some tenderness as this? Yes, you tried your best making Shah Rukh Khan move an errant tuft of hair from Preity Zinta’s eye in mid-air, and it was a marvellously crafted scene. But when I close my eyes, why do I see Dilip Kumar and Madhubala before? You have paid the best tribute to Punjab ever in your film; both the Punjabs. But then did you have to show the board of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation and spoil the show?
There is warmth in all the scenes and there are beautiful emotions at play. Preity Zinta’s and Shah Rukh Khan’s scenes are quite passionate, but better is the camaraderie between Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. The one scene between Manoj Bajpai and Shah Rukh Khan at the Atari Railway Station is really unforgettable. And so is the scene between Kirron Kher and Shah Rukh Khan; though you had executed a similar scene better in DDLJ. But don’t even you feel you have dished out similar fare in the past? When watching the film, why did I have a sense of deja vu and why did I draw parallels with DDLJ and KKHH?
Your dialogues are really fantastic; they really moved the audience. I really loved the one in which Kirron Kher asks SRK: ’’Kya tumhare desh ka har beta tum jaisa hota hai?’’ and SRK answers: ’’Yeh to mujhe nahin pata, par haan, mere desh ki har maa jaroor aap jaisi hoti hai.’’ Encore when Preity Zinta asks: ’’Tum kitne baar meri jaan bachaoge?’’ and SRK replies: ’’Jitne baar tum apni jaan gavaaogi.’’ But you know what, I have seen all your previous films. And before SRK could mouth the replies, I knew what he was going to say. You may still fool the newer romantics, but I’ve been this alley before. Why do I still fondly recall Madhubala’s one-liner from MeA: ’’Kaanton ko murjhane ka khauf nahin hota.’’
You hyped the music to the skies. Music by the late maestro Madan Mohan. Pleasing to the ears. I really enjoyed and was also moved to choking emotions by the lyrics in ’Aisa Des Hai Mera’ and the lilting ’Tere Liye’. I felt ’Jaaneman Dekh Lo’ passable. But why did I not appreciate the other tunes. Let me tell you I am the last person to dislike any genre of music. Why did these other tunes not seem like Madan Mohan’s at all? Why am I still humming ’Mohe panghat pe Nandlaal chhed gayo re’ and ’Pyaar kiya to darna kya’?
The reason I feel is that your Veer-Zaara lacks passion. It is a great film, no doubt, and will be a money-spinner also. But I am sure in your heart of hearts even you accede that Veer-Zaara is not DDLJ. The romance is there, the story is there, so is the music and the romantic settings. Most of all, Shah Rukh Khan is there and he is still aces. If at 40, every Indian could be so romantic, we’d never have a problem in our nation. But something is seriously missing. There is something of a businessman like approach in the film; with the right melange of things you get the right product. Though I supremely renjoyed the three-odd hours at the movie hall watching Veer-Zara, my appetite wasn’t whetted. I think I’ll have to watch DDLJ again to begin appreciating Yash Chopra productions once more.
Therein lies the difference between Veer-Zaara and Mughal-e-Azam. Mughal-e-Azam is a masterpiece; Veer-Zaara is only a master’s piece.
Anticipating another masterpiece,
Thanking you,
Your ardent fan.