On ne vit qu'une seule fois

I have seen the film this morning and all the efforts put in are worth the movie. As expected, this is a good movie about grown up men and their emotional problems, which is naturally expected from the team that gave us Dil Chahta Hai and Rock On.

A group of three friends (Hrithik, Abhay Deol and Farhan Akhtar) embark on a road trip in Spain as a part of a bachelor party for Abhay Deol, who is getting married to Kalki, and confused. Hritik and Farhan have their own personal issues too.

The movie is a joy ride with subtle comedy. Farhan Akhtar's comic timing is impeccable. The comedy that was written just out of a ladies hand bag is too good.

The wafer thin story line is beautifully put on screen with a superb screenplay. The performances are nothing less than your expectations with Hritik in the ensemble. Deepti Naval and Naseeruddin Shah add up to the list of artists.

The movie portrays very heavy topics like marriage, love and Work. Yet, due to the sublime comedy you are never bored. I guess that is a mark of excellent script.

Here is one line I want to pick up from this movie. Kalki says this line to Abhay Deol, her fiancé. "You enjoy your bachelor trip. Aakhir shaadi ke baad you wouldn't feel like going around with your friends any more." And you should see the expressions on the faces of the three guys...

And yes, La Tomatina festival, Spainish beaches, and Katrina Kaif were a treat to watch.

When was the last time you saw a feel good movie? When was the last time you laughed at simple silly conversations, when was the last time you remembered your bachelor days (only if you are married), when was the last time a movie made you think about your life, when was the last time a movie inspired you to enjoy the simple things in life, when was the last time a movie inspires you to let go off your fears..... Well not in the near past, definitely not from Bollywood.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara takes you through the simple moments of life, the life that every one miss out due to their busy schedule, commitments, etc..etc... and the movie does it through the life of three friends and their extended bachelor party trip. The beauty of the movie is that it concentrates on the life of the friends and how they let go their resistance to themselves and their fears rather than showing obscenity that normally rules movies which are based on bachelor party trips.

Zoya does a fantastic job in making the viewers feel every part of the movie with a beautiful blend of nature, good camera work, good script and three gifted actors. There is not a moment in the movie which feels out of place, no songs which you feel is there to enhance the marketability of the movie, everything flows smoothly, everything blends so nicely which gives you the feel good factor that you expect from the movie.

All the actors were fabulous and were perfect fit for the roles. To start in alphabetic order i will start with Abhay. What to say about this actor, he brings life to his roles and he has proved it over and over in his movies. I couldn't think about any actor who could have blended so well with the character in the movie like Abhay did. There is no replacement for him. I cant enhance on his character as it will give away the plot. The scenes where all the three friends make fun of people through their silly childhood act under the leadership of Abhay can only be carried out well by Abhay.

Hritik is an actor who can do wonders when he lands the right roles. When even the new entrants avoids multi starrier movies, he has taken a role where other actors share more or less the same screen space, with no insecurity and no ego. In the movie you get to see a completely different Hritik, with a script which does not glorify him, he is just a friend among the three and he brings life to the movie with his charm and charisma.

Farhan was bit of a surprise to me. He has grown as an actor from "Rock on" and "Karthik calling Karthik". I always found him to be more fit for a serious character than for the joker in the pack act. He does it extremely well. Probably its because of my prejudice that it was hard for me to take him in the role, but i had to let go my resistance.

Katrina portrays a character which is similar to her real life, a mix breed of Indian and Brit, a freedom loving, "live today" kind of girl. Her combination with Hritik is electrifying. Kalki is such a good actress. Her expressions helps you relate well to the character.

There is nothing to give out as a story, its all about three friends on a trip and trying out different things that they never tried before and how those things change there lives. But the beauty is in the details and climax. I think how the movie ends could have been better but song at the end of the movie with the credit makes up for it.

Overall Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara impressed me and lived up to my expectation and above. I hope you would like the movie too. But 'hey', everyone has different opinions, the general review by the critics for the last two movies i reviewed were totally against mine. So don't go for the review rather go for the movie and decide for yourselves.

Read my reviews on the site www.Movierecycle.com

Really this movie is a lot different than normal Bollywood movies . It contains humor , emotions and most of all a message which says "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" . Really hats off to all those who have acted in this movie . Loved it with all my heart .

What i see in normal movies is a poor storyline , a poor narration but this is really an exception . Going against the normal way of film making this is an innovative and different attempt and angle to Indian film making . Also one thing to watch out in this movie are the poetry written by The Legendary Javed Akhtar . Hats off to him as well .

All in all a must watch movie for everyone who loves life but has forgot it for quite some time ....

No Farhan Akhtar movie has disappointed me - whether he stars in it or directs it. I am not claiming that he makes great movies - I am merely agreeing that his films are funny, intelligent and definitely entertaining.

The Hrithik-Farhan-Abhay trio have done a fabulous job. Incidentally, Katrina too is associated with a movie that makes more sense than all her prior films put-together. There are many instances in the movie where it appears that the actors are being themselves rather than actually acting - which is also the underlying theme of the movie. Be yourself and follow your heart, wherever you go, whatever you do.

Credit should be given to director Zoya Akhtar. This movie proves that her previous, Luck By Chance (2009) was not just luck. Cinematography and art direction have also been handled well. It was very refreshing to see Indian actors in casual street clothes holidaying in Spain. However, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are getting way too repetitive with their tunes, many songs give us a feeling that we have heard them before.

This is a summer movie that will give you what you seek - humor and entertainment. Wouldn't it be really fun if we could go on a nice little vacation and figure out what we want to do in life ? Wish life could be that simple.

Before going for this movie I was careful not to read anything about it, not watch a single trailer. This extremism mainly comes from my distrust on Indian Media which trashes movies that are comfortably awesome. Okay. If you are planning to go for it, do not read the rest of this. Come back and do it. This movie deserves an open mind. It shouldn't be that you go inside the theater with some invisible strings controlling how you perceive it. Let me tell you it is simple. It is also beautiful. And the combination makes it immense.

Right from the first scene, the director makes this his own. I wonder how many directors in this industry will be able to give a complete character definition of the protagonists through a sequence depicting their luggage-packing-styles for a 3 week trip. Zoya Akhtar does exactly that. She is a genius. I'll come back to her.

Lets look at the actors. Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar, Kalki Koechlin, Katrina Kaif and Hrithik Roshan. Abhay Deol is a stalwart. He has been a part of movies that have changed the face of Indian Cinema. Hrithik Roshan is another great actor. His movies have always contained a central theme of self-improvement. And for me, he is mind-blowing. Farhan Akhtar is a multi talented dude. Acting, singing, directing with equal panache. Any competitors? No. Kalki Koechlin has proved her worth in Shaitan and Dev D.

The real surprise in this movie comes from Katrina Kaif. She is amazing in this movie as the NRI diving instructor with high intellect. She embodies the role with such ease that she never looks the out-of-place girl she usually does. And she is hot in a very warm way. Her physicality is projected and used by Zoya in a controlled manner which enhances her beauty.

Hrithik is at his best, giving 100% to the role and carrying the transformations in his character so smoothly that at the end you feel happy for him. His journey across his life comes alive on screen through his facial expression. And eyes. The use of sunglasses by Zoya is absolutely perfect.

Abhay is the usual casual fellow you could find strewn all over India. But such is his expertise, he makes that guy stand out. Where Farhan and Hrithik have characters with a certain premise, Abhay's Kabir(a) is a free-bird. And boy, how he uses the freedom! A treat to watch, his dialogue throwing style adds a very important spice to the movie. It pierces you.

Kalki is good. With a limited screen-time, she fares really well. She has one shriek in the whole movie and one funny sequence while singing "I'm a hot chick in a hard rock world". These two scenes show us why she is different. Pretty powerful stuff. The perfect sugar coated knife.

Farhan. Hats off. You just blew my expectation ceiling with an atomic bomb. Perfect, infallible comic timing. Add to that the raspy, metal-on-wood voice, the casual sense of style, the few looks of soul-searching and the full blown expression of joy after Sky Diving. What you get is in my opinion the best performance I have seen in some time. Character constructed, deconstructed, resurrected with the absolute smoothness of a tequila shot.

Cinematography. The whole movie is pivoted on the use of short range focus. Pure genius. It makes the scenes look alive. Almost as if you are looking at the characters in reality.

Locales. Its one thing to choose correctly and absolutely another to use it. ZNMD sells Spain like Rafael Nadal and Barcelona. The azure blue ocean, the gray and dark plateaus, the vibrant green forests, the super sexy roads and a flaming yellow sunset. Breathtaking.

Songs. What lyrics. Perfectly picturised. Totally blends into the script.

Background score. I can't stop if I start on this. The use of the heartbeat promotes the signature sound from the murky depths of Kal Ho Na Ho to the actual surge of nervous energy it stands for. The use of the silencing technique while slowing up the screen pace creates magic moments. And whoever played the rapturous guitar chords did a great job. Awesome.

Dialogues. Great. General stuff mostly but again, the relevance and timing kills it.

All these factors combined with the finesse of Zoya creates the unforgettable experience of ZNMD. The movie is about a lot of things. About relationships, about self discovery, about losing control, about life in a microscopic view. But above all, it glorifies friendship, a virtue that is priceless. It will take you through a plethora of emotions, evoked by the various situations faced by Imran, Kabir and Arjun. The situations poised are some real problems the current society is facing like career v/s life, identity crisis, family pressure and relationship maintenance. And truly, they fit the characters.

The single thing that separates this movie from other hits is the creation of numerous magic moments. Directorial expertise blends with the awesome crew work to make you jump in mirth, look with awe, feel good from within, suppress a tiny tear drop, dance in your mind and applaud a timely joke. I would recommend this movie to everyone, just like Iqbal. It will give you wings. And it will give you the desire to take flight, to live your life like never before.

Finally, the idea of using shayaris to verbally emote key junctions of the movie is brilliant. In Farhan's voice, it adds to the overall positive vibration of the movie and moves you. Excellent. Thank you Bollywood, for making this movie.