Jhoom Barabar Jhoom

I saw Jhoom Barabar Jhoom while travelling in Rajasthan, in the Raj Mundir in Jaipur, which is, with some justification, described as the best cinema in Asia (and it certainly beats watching a film in a 'Multiplex' on a screen the size of a large TV in London).

As the film ended and the huge audience of all ages rose, making its way into the grand, pretty foyer, I turned to an Indian man in his thirties next to me and asked him in Hindi if he liked it. He said he loved the songs, particularly the song of the title, which he thought would get even the most unlikely person in the cinema dancing in the aisles. Then he added,

'But the the rest of the film is nonsense'.

I certainly agree with him about the infectious song of the title, having badly hummed it often. However, I don't think the rest of the film is nonsense. What I believe many people mistake for nonsense is actually a playful, kitsch, knowingly referential film revolving around the desires and problems of self-mythology, and the power of Bollywood fantasy.

The film is set in Waterloo station where a young Indian man and woman of Pakistani origin bump into each other and form an acquaintance while waiting for infamously late English trains. But their talk about themselves, we come to see, may not quite be so credible and ingenuous. Not only this but there is something magical in the air at Waterloo Station, for a wondering busker, Amitabh Bachan, looking like a sixties drop out, is somehow mysteriously involved in the lively plot.

The two leads, Bachan's son Abishek, and Preity Zinta, make engaging leads and, alongside the wonderfully outrageous Laura Dutta and Bobby Deol handle the film's sense of fun and comedy vigorously (though perhaps the nods to the famous Bachan/Deol partnership in Sholay goes too far).

Another thing about Jhoon Barabar Jhoon is its sure sense of place, something few Indian films set in Britain can claim. Preity Zinta's Alvira is an NRI and the film makes a playful but genuine attempt to engage with the London Indian diaspora.

My 2 cents: This movie was highly recommended to me by a friend. He "sms'd" me the previous night and told me that it was an awesome movie... something that I should see the very next day. Taking his advice, another friend and I bought tickets at a "premium charge" (being newly released and all). Halfway through the movie, I wanted to tear my arm out and beat myself to death with it. The movie has an abysmal storyline. The intended "plot-twist" most moviegoers can predict when they are 30 mins into the movie. We stayed back after the intermission coz after all, a movie cannot be _that_ lame and boring.... Well, to our horror, it actually was. So USPs of the movie: 1) Lara Dutta looks hot 2) Nice song (only one... but after the 100 billionth repetition, it actually becomes really irritating) 3) Big B in a cool outfit.

Why you should not see this movie: 1) Extremely boring and slow. 2) Very lame jokes - courtesy small B. (Ash's man-toy) 3) Predictable storyline. 4) Big B needs to buy a ticket to Pluto and come back after a gazillion years... somebody needs to tell him about something called "OVER-EXPOSURE".

Conclusion: DO NOT SEE!

I can't understand that many people don't like the movie ....I think many peole didn't understand it..

You can sense the joy that went into the making of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom right from the time the title makes its appearance....Amitabh has a great cameo, Abhishek is different but good too - Preity is always beautiful...in this one i like here better than KANK...Lara and Bobby are great ..I've always like this couple...but I was surprised that i enjoy Bobby's play most...

he plays this character with a lightness...and I have really enjoy it when he was on screen...have wait all time that he appears...

I can only say go watch it!!!! ...it is different Bollywood but thats good ....can only say very Entertaining Movie...don't listen to the reviews ...last but not least you will enjoy it..

I have never seen worst movie then this. Waste of time, energy and of course money. Why do people make such movies just for petty gains by robbing millions of anticipating audience. The crew involved in making the film and star-cast should be punished to watch the movie 10 times and I'm sure they'll also become unconscious.

All the stars have been wasted of their potential, no screenplay, poor direction and confusing all the way. Cinematography is good, nothing much to say about choreography, title track is good but when it appears in movie 5 times, you loose the interest from that also..What is the need for Amitabh to play a joker ? So, don't waste your weekend watching this movie, instead take your family to some garden, museum, restaurant or even zoo is better. However, if still you want to see zoo of human beings this movie is for you. I have wasted my Saturday evening watching it and me and my wife continue to repent even today morning.

I love Bollywood films. Ravishing, well-invested musicals, song and dance, dialogues which are larger than life, wonderful actors, strong characters. The song numbers have been an artistic tradition Hindi films, and what particularly amazes me about all these films is the complete irrelevance of the song numbers to the film's story itself (unless it's a film like Dil To Pagal Hai, where the music is part of the script).

I think Jhoom Barabar Jhoom is a brave attempt to make a film with the songs being part of the screenplay. But even then, it just doesn't work. Why? Because there is NO screenplay. The entire film is a big dance show. And it shouldn't be like this. When there are no songs, the film consists of silly jokes and plastic "acting". Some sequences are so ridiculous that you start hating anyone who's been ever involved with this film. It is intended to be funny and crazy, which is a good purpose, but this film manages to be neither this nor that and instead, it sadly ends up being a big silly show. I do admit that the songs are well danced and catchy, but they become tiresome at some point, mainly because most of them are actually the same song in different versions.

The acting (not that it can be called acting in this case) is bad. Abhishek is annoying and miscast. Pretentious performance. Preity, an actress I like immensely, is her usual bubbly and vivacious self, but here, somehow lifeless. The fact that a great actress like Preity could even think of appearing in this film makes me want to slap her. Bobby and Lara are terrible. They ham, overact, and even in the dance numbers get overshadowed by the leading stars (at least here they make some sense). Lara is particularly horrible as a prostitute with her fake French accent. All in all, I do recommend to watch it if you intend to go and dance through the entire film. Quite a special watch buhaaaa...