Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na

Its been a long time since we've had a good bollywood movie. Well, JTYJN did a good job breaking the bad spell. I could go on about how good the movie is and how well it handles the tricky subjects of love and friendship and their wild interactions. But its not just about these, the film touches various other subjects with amazing expertise. We rarely have films which have the masala for the masses as well as being well made without too many clichés. JTYJN is one of those rare wonders. Imraan does a fair job for a debutant. Jenelia settles in as Aditi with total comfort, its almost as if she were really Aditi. The supporting "friends and co." do a decent job as well. I'd say, go for it - twice. Take along your friends, lovers, neighbors, and whoever you meet on the way to the theaters. Two thumbs up to this one!

To me, 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' surprisingly felt refreshing. I mean, from the looks of it (in teasers and trailers) and from the synopsis it seems like the clichéd love story with supporting friends and families. And you know what? That's exactly what it is. So what's new? Hmm, well it's the charming supporting characters who are wonderfully brought to life by the actors. But more on this later...

Let's start with the cons: 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' starts off with a group of friends telling the love story of Jai and Aditi. That's pretty much how the rest of the film proceeds (in a sort of flashback format). It could have easily done without this entire sequence. Not only does it resemble Aziz Mirza's 'Chalte Chalte' but the actors are simply annoying. At several points, the movie moves at a lethargic pace and this friends-narrating-story-outside-the-airport sequence only further slows things down.

Tyrewala does a fairly decent job with directing but an even better job with writing. For example, I loved how Meghna's character was written especially how Tyrewala cleverly shows the truth behind Meghna's 'What's this?' game. Initially, to the viewer, it looks like a silly game of visualizing one thing as something else but one realizes that this is Meghna's way of seeing things in life. There are many other scenes that I really enjoyed watching such as Aditi's relationship with her brother, Jai's relationship with his mother and many more and the sequences with Jai's parents were laugh out loud funny. But at the same time, here too, there are some flaws for instance, Aditi's boyfriend is portrayed as the typical violent insecure NRI. The scene where he slaps Aditi looks forced.

The background score is quite interesting as it varies from jazz (I liked that), to rock (seems a little out of place at times), to other things. I would never have thought that A.R. Rahman composed the soundtrack because this is totally different from anything he's done. Unfortunately, it's also one of his least memorable albums.

Imran Khan makes a confident start. I'm glad that unlike many of the newcomers who pump up themselves with steroids (perhaps to cover up their lack of talent), Imran with his simplicity allows his acting to speak. Let's see what the future holds for him as he's already made a fine start. Genelia D'Souza is loud and hyper in the beginning and her diction is quite awkward but her acting gets better along the way. Perhaps Tyrewala wanted to show her character transform from the bratty child to a mature young woman. It's just that the 'child' was a little too loud. Manjari Fadnis delivers quite a natural performance. Though her screen time is limited, she has a strong presence. Pratiek Babbar is quite likable as the goofy brother. Ratna Pathak Shah is simply amazing. What a comeback to the big screen!

Apart from that, there are some very welcome cameos. Naseeruddin Shah is hilarious. 'Just loved the interactions with his wife and he's talking to her from a painting! Sohail Khan and Arbaaz Khan are actually more than tolerable here, yes they too provide some fantastic comic relief. Anooradha Patel, this woman does not seem to get old, has a great presence. And, Paresh Rawal is back as a villain but this time with a pleasant touch of comedy.

The central love story feels a bit like the Rahul-Tina-Anjali story (of 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai) meets Akash-Shalini-Rohit angle (of 'Dil Chahta Hai') but it is the little moments that show the relationship between the mother and son, the brother and sister among other such fine moments that make 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' a refreshing experience. Overall, among the recent crop of films, this is quite a pleasant welcoming surprise.

Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na is a film that I have been wanting to watch ever since I saw the first promo with Imran Khan posing behind a cardboard cutout to make us believe that he is the next big hunk of Bollywood. That, until the lovely Genelia D Souza comes prancing in only to reveal that Imran is not much of a hunk, but rather cute. Seeing the Pappu can't dance promo was rather weird (did NOT believe that it was an A.R.Rahman composition), till I listened to it a thousand times in a row and absolutely fell in love with it! That said, I shall get to the point..

We've seen the rather unsuccessful launch of Ranbir Kapoor (No game, just fame! - so far). There's one more out this week itself - Read: Harman Baweja in Love Story 2050. Plain creepy if you ask me! (Well, so far - again). In comes Imran Khan who no one had ever heard of (Aamir's cousin who??) till we saw his chiseled face in the promos. And, to put it straight - He is indeed the pick of the lot (I don't even want to watch 2050! - Don't judge me by that).

Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na is another one of those mushy romantic films - yes. It's predictable - absolutely! It's boring - Not even close. Is it worth it? - Drop your books, dishes, whatever and run for the theatre! After Jab We Met, this is probably the movie that EVERYONE in India is going to watch. It's not only because of the launching of another 'Could-be' star, but also because it brings a whole package. Awesome music! Great looking people. All the sweetness that not even a chocolate cookie can give you..

Here is a movie that deals with stereotyping in its own way. You have the old 'boy and girl can never be best friends without eventually falling in love' bit. You have the 'boy will find girl boyfriend and girl will find boy a girlfriend' bit. You have the father (played brilliantly in four short cameos by Naseeruddin Shah!) who is wise, preachy, fun, and also dead (sorry about that). You have the mother who is simply trying to protect her son and ensure that he does not become the rebel that her husband was (Read: I quote - 'That was my husband's son!' - you will know exactly what she means, and how effective a line that is when you hear it for yourself). You have the brother who is a git outside, but very very caring on the inside (Great performance from the guy who played that part!). Then there are the villains who are made to be hated by everyone (Recall Ishaan's father from Taare Zameen Par - same technique used. I hated that man enough to start abusing in the theatre!). The fiancé (a lesson in how to be a creep!), and the police inspector (Paresh Rawal is still the most hilarious man in Bollywood!). It's saluting stereotypes when it comes to predictable Bollywood movies. However, it's the way it is done that deserves all the credit..

The slow, yet never boring pace of the film; the songs, added in at the right moment; the background music, absolutely engrossing; all add up to two and a half hours of great fun! Don't go for this one alone. Take someone you truly love with you to watch this. Preferably your best friend or your partner! You'll find yourself wanting to comment about a lot of things in it. The film shows events which you can criticize and relate to very straightforwardly. That is single-handedly the best thing about the movie (Don't get me started about the music. I could literally write a full scale review like this one on the music itself. It's only THAT good!). However, the film, like Aditi herself, suffers from extremities. It does not take much to make you feel the good part. The comedy and love is done wonderfully. The sadness and pain needs extremes to get you believing. A slap or a punch! The performances from the youngsters is, however, not a strong point in the film. Imran is good. Genelia overacts in parts. The girl who is listening to the story is just not believable. They could have picked a rather BIG actress to fill those shoes. The group of friends are just too cute to criticize. Be it Jignesh (Heaven knows how he transformed from spiky hair dude to moustache village-lookalike! Yes I'm stereotyping, I know), or Rotlu and Bombs who fall in love under the most relatable circumstances. Naseeruddin Shah is the pick of the lot. From the moment he turns real from his painting, he makes you pay attention to him.

Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na is probably going to be the biggest hit of the year so far. Both commercially, and critically; Jodhaa Akbar being the runner up. Whether it is the witty dialogue (Bond, James Bond), the friends (Rotlu, Jiggy, Bombs, Shaleen - you'll love everyone!), Pappu - who really cannot dance, or even the horse riding eve teasers - Sohail and Arbaaz Khan(with a whole 'other' story!); the predictability factor simply disappears from your mind once you listen to the first song. You'll be enjoying it thoroughly. That is a guarantee! Here is a movie made with a lot of care by Abbas Tyrewala. A great directorial debut written with the utmost attention to detail. The camera-work, the settings of the songs, the comedy.. It's a well spent 150minutes that redefines what Bollywood is all about! 8/10 for technique. 7/10 overall! - They should have given 'Tu bole, main bolu' a slot. That song is a gem!

You just need two words to describe the flick. Truly Amazing! It's a movie which has already carved its own niche on the first day of its release as a very low budget movie getting an opening the superstars can also dream of. This is the advent of the new age bollywood where superstars don't matter. What matters is performance.

The performance is surely above the par in all sections of this project. The highlights of the movie are script and music. The fundamental story is not new to the bollywood cinema-goer but the treatment is truly unique. The urban, youthful and honest adaptation reinstate your faith in Hindi cinema. It is the perfect combination of friendship, love, and comedy bollywood has long forgotten. Abbas Tyrewala must be applauded.

A R Rehman continues to prove himself. The music has a simplistic honesty to every tune and suits perfectly. "Kabhi kabhi Aditi..." and "Pappu can't dance.." will be remembered.

Every actor/actress is appropriately cast in their role and is fantastic. Imran Khan in the role of Jai Singh Rathore is believable and does complete justice to the role. Genelia D'Souza is fresh, beautiful and natural in every frame. Both the lead actors have surely secured a place in the industry. Naseeruddin Shah in a cameo is excellent and takes the movie to a different level. Ratna Pathak Shah should surely replace the bollywood mother. Everybody else has given an up to the mark performance.

Amir Khan is setting a new benchmark in bollywood. This is maybe the best movie to come out after Dil Chahta Hai in last seven years in that genre.

As a long time fan of Imran Khan. I loved this film. It's a silly but impact movie with a predictable yet beautiful plot. I think that the characters were a little over the top and silly. They weren't realistic by any means but for a younger audience. This movie is a banger. I loved the expressions made by Imran Khan. The songs in this movie are also very meaningful to me. I feel like the creative team have done a fantastic job in making the characters likeable. The story is also very light-hearted and fun. Perfect for children and teens. I think that characters could have been a little bit more realistic and the dialogues were a little fake-ish but all in all it is a great move! 7/10! Perfect to watch with family.