Ahista Ahista

This highly critically acclaimed movie had been on my list for quite a while and finally last night I got around to watch it. Indeed Shivam Nair shows a lot of promise in his first outing.

The characters are well established. The construction of the scenes deserve special mention. For instance if you take the Marriage Registrar's office, the subtlety incorporated into it gives quite an authentic feel to it and you perceive almost being in there. Also the spirit of Dilli-6 is very well captured.

Ω Abay Deol:: As Anurag Kashyap rightly states "While actors are aspiring to become heroes, this guys is attempting to excel as a character". He forges his might over the "new-age cinema". Minor aberrations are his costumes which seem beyond the financial means of the character, but nonetheless it can be safely ignored. Should add that he looked great in his chequered shirts, flat-fronts & the golf jumper.

Ω Soha:: For the first time I noticed a performance which deserves special mention. Perhaps because of the character which is subdued owing to which she keeps her mouth shut in the initial few reels.

Ω Shayan Munshi:: Seemed misplaced here perhaps owing to his look viz. unkempt hair & unshaven, costumes.

Ω Music:: The songs though good were kind of show-stoppers to the narration. Having said that owing to the huge popularity of HR, I guess it did the job of marketing the movie well.

The interaction of Abhay with Kamini Khanna is well fleshed out. The Father does a good job as well. Abhay's friends lend adequate support.

And the ending couldn't have been better.

PS: And if you thought there are bits n pieces which resemble Jab We Met, it because of Imtiaz Ali lending help in the back-stage.

Ahista Ahista is one little small brilliant. I started watching it, and at the beginning I got a little bored since the pacing was slow and the main idea of one guy meeting a girl who is lost was not really new. But as the film went on, I started getting increasingly and gradually engaged by the film, the fantastic writing and the charming romance. The film was extremely simple and natural and after some time I felt I was watching a real documentation of one guy's life. There's one very good reason the film got this feel, and it's the fresh talent called Abhay Deol. He is extremely convincing as the simple, kind-hearted and struggling Ankush, whose new love motivates him to make amends and fight for a better life. Throughout the film, he is presented as an ordinary mischievous prankster, but also as a helping and loving person, who, like anyone else will do anything to protect his love. Deol portrays all the different shades of his character, whether positive or negative, naturally and with complete ease.

Shivam Nair's direction is very good. His depiction of the life of people in the rural neighbourhood is excellent, but what gets to be even more impressive is his portrayal of Ankush's relationships with the different people who surround him, including his friends and his love interest Megha who he is ready to do anything for. I also immensely liked the way Nair portrayed his interaction with his friend's loud and plump mother whom he calls 'khala' (aunty). He likes to drive her crazy and annoy her on every occasion, yet we see that she occupies a very special place in his heart and is like a mother-figure to him as evidenced in several scenes. Except for Abhay, the rest of the cast performed well. Though Soha Ali Khan did not stand out according to me, she was good and had some of her mother's charm. The actors who played Ankush's friends were very good as was the actress who played Ankush's 'khala'.

Apart from the performances, the film's writing was outstanding. The dialogues were sort of ordinary yet brilliant, and the script was also fantastic. That's mainly because despite a not-so-new story it was never overdone or melodramatic and there were no attempts to make it look larger-than-life. The film's biggest weakness was Himesh Reshammiya's uninspiring music which was unsuitable for this film. Otherwise, Ahista Ahista was a delightful watch and it got only better with every scene. The concept may not be new, but the film manages to look fresh and becomes increasingly heartwarming as the story goes by. The ending was bittersweet, kind of sad yet optimistic. In short, this movie really grows on you slowly, and this can be easily attributed to the wonderful writing, the moving moments, the charming romance, the realistic proceedings, and of course Abhay Deol's memorable performance.

'Ahista Ahista' comes like a breath of fresh air when romantic movies are becoming less frequent in Indian cinema when compared to before. It's a very loose and brilliant adaptation of Dostoevsky's 'White Nights'. Imtiaz Ali's writing is very down-to-earth as he tells the story of ordinary people and adds his own touch.

Among the songs, the Qawali number and a solo that plays in the background stand out but the ones sung by Reshamiya in his usual ghastly voice. The songs should have been left to the background because the ones filmed as dream sequences aren't effective and they hinder the narrative flow. However the background score flows smoothly.

'Ahista Ahista' is carried by Abhay Deol. Deol is simply wonderful as Ankush and he gives a natural performance. His Ankush reminds me of Shahrukh's Sunil from 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa'. The characters are quite different but they face a similar dilemma. Soha Ali Khan isn't as impressive. Also we don't see much of Megha's final decision from her point of view. She appears to be weak and have difficulties with making her own decisions. In the beginning, Soha's expressions lack spontaneity and her responses look forced but she does a better job later on (except in the end). It's not a bad performance but one that could have been better. Shayan Munshi is alright, nothing great. Anyway, this is Deol's film so even though Soha and Shayan do not exactly hit the mark, it doesn't take away too much. The supporting actors who play Ankush's friends are good too.

Debutant Shivam Nair's direction is quite good but I wonder why he used slow-motion in some scenes, that too, so poorly (in stop motion format). Otherwise the director does a very commendable job and he makes great use of Delhi (where the film is set) by giving us glimpses of the busy streets, the small alleys etc.

Some of the moments that stood out for me was when Ankush impulsively kisses Megha which is followed by an apology, when a cheerful Ankush goes to visit Megha with a bouquet of flowers and is confronted by an unexpected surprise, the final conversation between the two...well there are lots of such little great moments. In a few words, 'Ahista Ahista' is a fine and down-to earth adaptation of a classic. This one's a gem.

Though I must have watched thousands of movies but this is my first ever review!

I think when you enjoy a movie and time just flows by, then that movie must be excellent, hence the high rating.

I read in a review here that the film stretches a short story, but then actual life moves at a more leisurely pace.

Abhay Deol carries the movie on his shoulders and what an effortless act it is. Soha Ali khan though has a slight problem emoting, but still does a decent job. The direction is also excellent and you feel that the story flows naturally till the end. Music by HR is good as usual, especially the track Ishq Mein Ishq Mein and the music goes with the flow of the movie.

All in all, I had a good time.

The story is about Ankush (Abhay Deol) - who is professional marriage witness, in short he acts as a witness for couples in marriage registration office - and Megha (Soha Ali Khan) who ran away from her home at Nainital to get married to her love interest Dhiraj (Shayan Munshi). The story starts with Megha waiting at the marriage registration office for Dhiraj to show up but for some reason he does not show up. So Ankush comes in the picture here, who had approached Megha with the intention of earning Rs. 200 for his Witness job and he ends up helping her by providing shelter to her. Ankush grows on his side by working in a bank as an Agent… Ankush falls in love with Megha and she too falls in love with him (or kind of love), both agree for the marriage and Dhiraj comes back in the picture. Unexpected circumstances happen, actually I should say, expected circumstances with unexpected reactions and then….

Actually the movie story is bit different than the movies we see and I do not think so it will be accepted by the masses but if you are a movie freak like me and love to watch something different, then you will definitely like the movie. The movie is just an innocent love story drafted very well by the characters of Abhay Deol and Soha Ali Khan. The characters are so natural that you feel as if things are happening to the guy next door. The background music of the film also plays a very good role, it is just too good. The way Delhi is shown is very good and gives a fresh feeling.

so let's cut it out and sum it up.

Story: A very common story carried very well and transformed to a wonderful experience.

Music: Well, as it was Himesh Reshammiya creation, so I did not expect much but still I liked couple of songs of the movie including the Qawwali.

Acting: Abhay Deol was the most impressive, very natural and innocent acting but he should stay away from singing in the songs. Soha Ali Khan, she is a doll, a very cute doll I must say. Again very innocent and natural acting and these both actors perfectly fit into their characters. Apart from these two, Shayan Munshi needs some acting lessons and may be few layers of fat to cover the bones. Other actors did their job well.

Stars: I would also give it 3.5 stars out of 5. You will enjoy the movie if watched in the theatre, I would recommend watching it in theatre if you are a movie freak and accept uncommon stories. Otherwise wait for the DVD to arrive. The movie will definitely won't be liked by the masses and the business it can do is from word of mouth publicity.