Jab Tak Hai Jaan has too many strong competitors.
Chandni,Daag,Silsila,Kabhi Kabhi, Lamhe, Darr,Dil to Pagal hai, Veer Zara to
name a few in the romance genre. This film just about manages to live up to the
illustrious filmmaker, Yash Chopra’s image and body of work, notwithstanding
the never ending, old fashioned script.
The Chopra elements are all there: beautiful landscape, the
faith in undying and unforgotten love, beautifully cherished women ,a hero who
loves like none other, a stellar star cast. However, the film lacks the one important factor which made Yash
Chopra films special: boldness in thought and character. Here it falls totally
thanks to Aditya Chopra’s story and dialogue
stuck in time, marathon screenplay(Aditya Chopra,Devika Bhagat) and the
dragging sentiment of Rab Ne Bana Di
Jodi and Veer Zara.
The film is set in London (where else).The snow falls. Samar
(Shah Rukh Khan) digs snow for a living. His eyes fall on Meera (Katrina Kaif)running towards a Church. Cupid
strikes…”Pehli baar barf mein pari ko tairte hue dekha tha..” He follows her to
the Church. Enters the main villain, Jesus Christ. Meera believes in making
pacts with her God .Every time she wants something, she lets go of what she
loves the most. So after some guitar strumming, serving as a waiter and giving
gyan to Meera near a dustbin, dancing wildly with her, winning her over, he
meets with an accident. Meera makes another pact with Jesus and the lovers
separate for life. Samar, miraculously is now in the Indian army, diffusing his
98th bomb because he is “the man who cannot die”.
Between the 98th
bomb and his 108th,he meets Akira (Anushka Sharma)who has a 'fitoor’
of getting her first break with Discovery Channel with Samar’s crazy love
story. She belongs to the new wave ”instant
make out, instant breakup” generation who wants to know what intense love is
like. Several convoluted twists in the script later, Samar meets Meera again.
The film gets longer than ever.
Shah Rukh Khan, well into his late 40s,has mastered both
lover boy charm and intense passion. He slips easily from the playful Samar
with Meera to the cynic Samar with Akira. Unfortunately neither Yash Chopra’s
direction nor her silly characterization can help Katrina Kaif deliver any of
the intensity required. Anushka as the sprightly and spunky Akira can win any
heart over and sustains one’s interest in the film.
A.R Rehman’s music
and Gulzar’s lyrics fail to match
their own genius as well as the magic of
Kabhi Kabhi and Lamhe. Aditya Chopra’s much hyped poem ”jab tak hai jaan” is as
much an attempt at intensity as his script. Anil Mehta’s cinematography reflect’s Yash Chopra’s love
for the grandeur.
Jab Tak Hai Jaan despite little jaan, may work for Yash
Chopra loyalists, Shah Rukh Khan’s ample charm and his somewhat shy first
screen kiss.
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