ज़िंदगी ना मिलेगी दोबारा

Director Zoya Akhtar's debut "Luck by Chance" was a perfect film. Without a single thing amiss, the clear-eyed unsentimental tale of a couple of strugglers in the Hindi film industry stayed with me for days. Of course, there was some irony that a child of privilege with access to Hindi cinema's biggest and brightest talents should make a film about newcomers scrambling for their lucky break: Zoya is the daughter of screenplay writer/lyricist/poet Javed Akhtar and his former wife Honey Irani. Her stepmother—known internationally—is Shabana Azmi; her brother Farhan Akhtar—a successful director—made another foray into acting in Zoya's film, and the slew of boldface names in cameos announced that this was no ordinary debut. But one can hardly fault her for the accident of birth; what was noteworthy was that she put her connections to excellent use and crafted a truly fine film.

I couldn't wait to see her sophomore effort: "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", which I enjoyed much as one might a mousse au chocolat. It was tasty and fattening and very good to look at. I'm still pondering whether it has any major cinematic merit. My friends and I agreed that it was very much an NRI-friendly film: most of the action takes place in a breathtakingly beautifully-photographed Spain, with a few scenes in London. The characters speak English for the most part, along with sporadic bursts of flawless Spanish and Japanese, and the occasional lapse into Hindi.

ZNMD could also be looked at as the armchair sociologist's handbook on the complex mating rituals of the rich and gorgeous. The cast, without exception, is privileged, affluent, and beautiful; their major problems in life would make a Mumbaikar or Delhi-ite burst into derisive laughter. In fact, if a dehati (villager) were to see the film, he might scratch his head in befuddlement and wonder what the hoopla was about. From his point of view, these folks had hit the jackpot, but the ingrates persisted in whining. Still, even the rich have problems which cause them enough angst to require much soulful gazing at Spanish oceans at sunset, and conscientious filmmakers owe it to them to handle them with sensitivity, good lighting, and hypoallergenic makeup.

With this film, Zoya Akhtar appears to have joined the ranks of the School of Aspirational Filmmaking. Its foremost proponents are Karan Johar and 99% of the directors ever employed by Yash Raj Films. Their films—set predominantly in foreign countries—are made for the new consumerist India. Their characters are upwardly mobile non-resident Indians, and the message to every brown person seems to be: you, too, can escape India's shores and live in a 50,000 square foot mansion on a fifty-acre estate in the country of your choice, drive fast cars (or a beaut of a vintage one, as here) and romance impossibly beautiful chiffon saree-clad damsels. How is never addressed.

ZNMD has a surfeit of good taste; Zoya's cast—all beautiful—lives abroad in chic monochromatic minimalist apartments, is multi-lingual, dresses impeccably, and can tell the varietal and vintage of a wine from the merest whiff of its cork. The slim story line concerns three college buddies who set out on the bachelor trip to end all bachelor trips. They had intended to take this vacation four years earlier, but two of the friends had a spat and the scars remain. Now one of the trio is getting married and the other two must give in to his emotional plea to resurrect their foreign travel plans. So off they go to Spain in all its sun-drenched glory. They run into Laila (Katrina Kaif), an athletic diving instructor, who stays on for most of the trip. This is the first film for me in which Katrina Kaif did not jar; she plays a mixed-race woman—half American, half Indian. She speaks English most of the time, some Spanish, and a few words of accented Hindi, but it works here, and she exudes well-being and sportiness. Perhaps from now on, anyone looking to cast her believably should make her a person of mixed ethnicity with only a smattering of Hindi. But wait—isn't that all she has played for the past dozen years? Surely, you'd think she'd want to grow as an actor and add to her skill set by learning Hindi properly, and taking some diction and acting lessons. Maybe her cynical response is I'm doing very well without any of that, so why bother? And everyone agrees she's punctual and professional…

Hrithik, after a long time, is not doing all the heavy lifting. He has two buddies for company, and it's a pleasant change seeing him as just one of the guys. The sun glints off his highlights as he strives to achieve optimum work-life balance, dances with game senoritas, and gets drunk with his amigos. Abhay Deol is not as well-muscled but he does some appealing work, wrestling with the dilemma of the perfect girlfriend fast morphing into a harridan fiancée. Farhan Akhtar's character, once again, is glib and a bit of an asshole, and tosses off bon mots with a studied insouciance. He, too, needs to broaden his range. We've seen him do this shtick in "Rock On" and "Luck By Chance", with minor changes of shading in the undeservedly little-seen "Kartik Calling Kartik". Kalki Koechlin is pretty and funny as she makes the most of a small role. Naseeruddin Shah is pure gold in his cameo, speaking harsh truths with sympathy. Deepti Naval, too, is lovely in her two small scenes.

Zoya has her cast articulate some admirable sentiments: Carpe diem; face your fears; follow your bliss, but it all passes by in an inconsequential, golden haze. So you won't waste time or money watching this movie, but you're not likely to remember it the following week or even perhaps the following day. For Zoya Akhtar's sake, I wish this film every success, for it will enable her future films that will, hopefully, have significant things to say.

"Seize the day", is the whole and soul of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. I was actually quite low on expectations with this movie. But this movie has turned out to be a vagabond of friendship, love, adventure, emotions and above all, LIFE.

I always believed that Farhan Akhtar is a good showman. Right from Rock On!!, Luck By Chance and the duh Kartik Calling Kartik. But this movie has proved it that he has all the elements that are needed in an actor. He can dance, can cry (can sing of course) and now, he can make you laugh. Abhay – Farhan – Hrithik are the three mesquiteers.

Zoya Akhtar is one more reason to watch this movie. The way she directed Luck By Chance was not all serendipitous, and she has proved it. ZNMD is all her baby. The male bonding penned and filmed by her is pleasant.

The Spanish locations are exotic. Dialogues (By Farhan Akhtar) are real and spontaneous. Movie runs with its own good slow pace, which is very much needed for the road movies.

Many scenes halt the heart and literally put you on an adventure mode.

Movie would have been a way better if songs were good. Editing needed a bit more stitch. I have no complaints regarding the length of the movie, as I can watch this Spanish odyssey for more than two hours with a tub of pop corn and a coke.

Overall, this road movie is a trip to remember.

"Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" (ZNMD) is a complex, honest, and thoroughly refreshing story about friendship, about love, about choices, about ... well ... the journey of Life (lit. 'zindagi'). Writer-Director Zoya Akhtar takes three characters we might think we've seen before ... but deftly makes them original, fresh, and unexpectedly engaging. Her intelligent script perfectly balances the very real, even painful, personal transformation of each character with moments of joy, wit, charm, and humour.

No one's Life Journey is ever quite what one plans!

Our protagonists? Three best friends since childhood: Arjun (Hrithik Roshan), now an investment broker in London; Imraan (Farhan Akhtar), an advertising copywriter in Delhi; and Kabir (Abhay Deol), a construction architect in Mumbai. Ten years after college Kabir's imminent wedding impels 'The Three Musketeers -- all for one, and one for all!' -- to finally embark on the many-times-deferred adventure challenge they'd always planned.

ZNMD explores whether three grown men can survive a 3-week road trip together *and* still remain friends *and* still be the same people.

Think you've heard similar, before? Guess again! Ms Akhtar elevates the basic 'road movie' premise into something rare and sublime: brilliant character-driven comedy never cheap but often laugh-out-loud funny, and so true to life and people each of us actually know that it genuinely moves the heart as well as the mind and funny-bone. As each ZNMD character in turn challenges his own fear, whatever personal demon that has been holding back his life, it becomes our victory, too.

See ZNMD and discover: *your* life may change, too!

Such strong story and plot would be lost, without great acting.

Farhan Akhtar just gets better and better, as an actor, every time out of the gate. Already one of India's best young directors, his deceptively brash but sensitive and layered acting in ZNMD is quiet excellence ... and deliciously funny.

Abhay Deol is not exciting, but I like his potential. A good foil for the other two.

However the real revelation in ZNMD is, most surprisingly, he whom we might have *thought* most familiar. Hrithik Roshan we see so often in heavy dramatic and/or demanding multi-part roles -- because, let's face it, he's that rare actor who CAN do them, and do them brilliantly well -- that it's easy to forget just how plain damn funny and versatile he can be. Casting one of the world's more notorious compulsive workaholics as, well, a compulsive workaholic? Absolute genius!

On the distaff side ... Katrina Kaif. Wow! Where did this performance come from? She's always been beautiful, of course, but in ZNMD for the first time she shows subtlety and depth as an actress. Easily, her very best work to date.

Cannot finish without special mention of the fantastic music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy, long my favourite Hindi film composers. Their ZNMD soundtrack perfectly backdrops the film's emotional journey. Irresistibly hummable music spans the full range of moods and emotions, much like our three main characters: everything from amusingly lighthearted ('Senorita', sung by Mssrs Roshan, Akhtar, & Deol) to cool and modern ('Ik Junoon -- Paint It Red') to reflective ('Der Lagi Lakin') and even unabashedly romantic ('Khaabon Ke Parinday').

But the rocking 'Dil Dhadakne Do' seems to capture the very Joy of Living ... and that is the ultimate spirit of Zoya Akhtar's ZNMD.

Perfect summer movie! 10/10

Best film I've seen yet from anywhere in the world, thus far in 2011.

Just saw Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.. beautiful,adventurous,funny​ ,i m a big Hrithik fan who excels the movie,all the characters are excellent.

Three young men take a holiday that changes their lives forever. Kabir (Abhay Deol) is engaged to Natasha (Kalki). Kabir decides to go on an extended bachelor party, before he gets married. A 3-week road trip with Imraan (Farhan Akhtar) and Arjun (Hrithik Roshan), his two best friends since school. The only problem is Arjun is too tied up with work. After much emotional blackmail and cajoling, the boys set off on a journey they were meant to take four years ago. A fantasy holiday they had planned to take after college, which never happened. A road trip where each one gets to do the ultimate sport of his choice and the other two just have to do it with him. Whether they want to or not!

STRAIGHT INTO FAVOURITES..:):) Awesome work by Zoya..:) HR,Farhan,Abhay mass...Hrithik and Katrina adds spice to the romantic scenes in the movie..Farhan Akhtar shows a refreshing flair for comedy and has impeccable comic timing...Kalki Koechlin is excellent in her bitchy role of a possessive girlfriend. Naseeruddin Shah is impressive in his cameo. ..superb Love + friendship movie..don't miss..:)

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