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"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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.