There are love stories and love stories, and then there’s Veer- Zaara...Directed by the man known to have produced the best romantic epics for more than three decades now, Yash Chopra is undisputedly the crown prince of romantic film making.
But I must confess, before I proceed any further that Veer -Zaara is somewhat of a let down both in terms of movie making and gratifying the desires of audiences who truly adore Yash Chopra for the enigmatic portrayal of romance in his movies.
A release after more than 5 years and an insatiable appetite of hungry audiences to watch another Yash Chopra classic proved too heavy to match the expectations of a mediocre Yash Chopra movie. Having said this, there is no denying in the fact that Veer Zaara is a Yash Chopra special. Impeccable performances, heart wrenching dialogues and the real surprise package of the movie-Raani Mukherji as Samia Siddiqui, give the audiences something to cheer about.
The Plot:
Flashback: Veer Pratap Singh, an Indian air force pilot crosses paths with Zaara Hayath Khan (on her visit to India to bury the ashes of her beloved ?Bebe?) during a rescue operation, and in turn saves Zaara’s life?.
Well then it?s the pretty mundane; boy meets girl?girl meets parents, the boy is about to propose and the girl?.well here?s the twist?...Zaara hails from Pakistan and belongs to the family of rich politician , striving to achieve the zenith of success in the world of politics which requires the merger of two families. And how?
Well the answer is typically filmi, marriage of Zaara with Raza Ahmed played by Manoj Bajpai?.Zaara is already engaged to Raza and the poor boy is left stranded?what next? What else but love! Veer confesses to Zaara about his feelings for her, not expecting anything in turn and then begins a saga of struggle?both for Veer and Zaara?
Life certainly isn?t a bed of roses in Hindi films, is it??Zaara returns to Pakistan to marry Raza?does she marry or doesn?t she? I leave the job of finding that out, to you.
Back to present?as Samia Siddiqui hears Veer?s story (serving a life term in Pakistani jail), her heart writhes in pain and she decides to fight for Veer ?what happens next and how does it end is anybody?s guess?
Drawbacks: the script undoubtedly?.the weakest link in the movie followed by a not so heart touching music?.. too many things happen without too much logic and this is where the audiences are left confused?. ?Veer?s confession of the charges (that he is an Indian spy in Pakistan) only to give Zaara a life full of bed of roses?
spending 22 years in jail without knowing the whereabouts of Zaara and his assumption that she is alive and rocking, are just to name a few loopholes in the script? somehow the viewer is not convinced makes one wonder whether it?s a pragmatic display of life in general or whether the character of Veer exists in an unreal world who is so selfless and sacrificing.The music is below par, apart from a few numbers which are catchy and peppy? ?Main yahaan hoon? and ?do pal? top the charts, followed by ?tere liye.?
Strong points: here we go?u bet I ve been waiting to write on the strong points of this movie ever since I left the theatre?great performances and more importantly incredibly penned dialogues (I m sorry I m mot too sure who wrote them but I m sure Yash Chopra would have had some contribution along with his son Aditya Chopra) ?..
Sharukh Khan: in a stellar performance which I think marks the beginning of a new innings for sure?I say this based on the fact that he is bound to enact roles having greater maturity and understanding ?watch out his performance to understand what I mean?be it the debonair air force pilot or qaidi no 786 who has almost given up on life and is fighting a losing battle he is outstanding.
The scene during which he confesses to Zaara about his feelings for her or the one when he promises Zaara?s mother that he will convince Zaara to marry Raza are electrifying .And how can one miss the grand finale when he speaks his heart out in a short poetic verse when the judge acquits him; Sharukh convinces and capitulates the hearts of the viewers which is so true of his style of acting?never for moment can u put ur eyes off when u see him play the 50 year old , be it the when Rain meets him in the jail for the first time or when he comes to the court for his first hearing clean shaved , SRK has given a humdinger of a performance?.
Preity Zinta: I must admit that I m not a great fan of Preity Zinta but she has done justice to the role?sweet, bubbly and lovable r the terms one would associate with her, but I would like to add one more, sublime?I say so cos she has given her best performance in this movie, bettering ?kal ho na ho?
Amitabh n Hema Malini?.awesome is what I would term this pair. the more u watch them on screen the more u fall in love with them?thumbs up to the brain behind bringing them on screen for the first time in ?baghbaan?, which continues to spark in Veer Zaara ?.and I don?t need to dwell on the performance of Amitabh Bachan?we know it all, don?t we?
Manoj Bajpai:A highly underrated actor who has done tremendously well in a miniscule role and leaves his mark. His performance aptly proves, ?quality and not quantity matters.?
Rani Mukherji: And this is where I feel the film has been lifted a few notches above than where it would have been?Rani Mukherji as Samia Siddiqui in mind-blowing. What strikes the viewer on seeing Rani on screen is the conviction and the strong beliefs she displays as a lawyer?a woman fighting for a noble cause but helpless as she makes her debut with Veer?s case.
Her demeanor and gait every time she walks, the emotions she displays on knowing that Veer?s taau and maati(amitabh and hema) are no longer alive , the scene when she gives the guard in the jail a piece of her mind when he maltreats Veer makes sends shivers down your spine?.be it her portrayal as a defiant lawyer who will not give up at any cost or Veer?s bon vivant who lifts up his spirits everytime they meet and ignites the desire within him to live once again, Rani Mukherji is miles ahead of other actresses of this generation?this actress rocks!?.watch Veer Zaara for performances par exallant!....