By himanshu gupta, July 15, 2011 - 07:58 IST
By
and large, after graduating from school/university, before one steps
into a fresh phase in life, friends do settle on having some fun… It
could be an extended bachelor party. It could be an excursion. Living
each moment to the fullest is what most of us are thinking at that point
of time. ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA is also about living each precious
moment, as if there's no tomorrow. It's a film that also deals with
surmounting and overpowering our personal fears. In this case, it
changes the lives of three youngsters who embark on a road trip to
Spain.
Zoya Akhtar represents the new brigade in Bollywood. But
the talented storyteller is mired in controversies pertaining to ZINDAGI
NA MILEGI DOBARA. Is it similar to HANGOVER? Or is it a present-day
adaptation of Farhan Akhtar's directorial debut DIL CHAHTA HAI?
Sure,
ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA is a buddy film like DIL CHAHTA HAI or like
any other film that focuses on friends. But comparing DIL CHAHTA HAI and
ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA won't be correct. For, the difference lies in
the fact that the individuals in both the films face diverse problems.
Aamir, Akshaye and Saif's dilemma is different from that of Hrithik,
Farhan and Abhay. Perhaps, people tend to draw parallels between the two
films because both focus on male bonding and are also produced by the
same production house [Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar]. While DIL CHAHTA
HAI was about the friendship between three youngsters and the
individual journey each of them undertakes subsequently, ZINDAGI NA
MILEGI DOBARA is poles apart in terms of content [screenplay: Reema
Kagti and Zoya Akhtar] as well as execution of the written material.
There's
concern that ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA caters to the urban centres of
India chiefly. People beyond the metros wouldn't be able to relate with
the goings-on. Sure, ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA is a refined film, a
metro-centric film primarily, so what's wrong with that? Yes, it's
unlike the masala films some of us relish with glee. But if masala means
entertainment, amusement, hilarity, escapade, emotions and drama, yes,
ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA has it all. Only thing, it's treated
differently. Everyone has his/her style of interpreting a tale, after
all.
ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA is real and can be rightly termed
as a slice of life film. The protagonists don't play 'heroes' in the
conventional terms; they are not presented as larger than life here.
Zoya's ability in bringing offbeat elements in mainstream cinema needs
to be applauded and appreciated. Zoya understands the intricacies of
human behavior, which was evident in her debut film, and ZINDAGI NA
MILEGI DOBARA strives to impeccably integrate authentic characters and
bona fide situations on celluloid.
But the film is not without
its share of blemishes. To start with, the drama is missing in the first
hour. In fact, the first half comes across as a collage of some well
executed sequences. Also, the comic scenes fail to evoke mirth. The
three protagonists' attempt to scare strangers in a restroom, bar and on
a lonely street doesn't gel well with their suave personalities
on-screen. However, if the intention was to evoke laughter, sorry, these
scenes fall flat. Besides, mocking at Doordarshan seems out of place
and also appears in poor taste. Most importantly, the first half comes
across as a showreel to promote Spain Tourism.
Another aspect
that goes against the film is its running time. One tends to get
restless after a point. In addition, the pacing is lethargic at places
and it also gets talk-heavy. Zoya could've been ruthless in bringing
down the length of the film. It would've only been more impactful.
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!
Kabir, Imraan
and Arjun meet up in Barcelona and set off on an adventure that not only
make them iron out their differences, but also face their fears, alter
their perception, unravel their fabric, force them to break out of the
box and teach them to seize the day. This holiday changes their lives
forever.
A travel film is tough to shoot. And it gets all the
more difficult when you have a story involving multiple characters.
Unlike LUCK BY CHANCE, Zoya does something visually and thematically
diverse this time around. In ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA, Zoya chooses an
attention-grabbing story and garnishes it well with moments that may
seem straight out of a person's memoirs. In fact, it's a completely
novel take on comrades and camaraderie. While the first half has several
wonderful moments [the strain between the two friends is well
presented], the post-interval portions -- right till the well-thought-of
culmination -- keeps your attention arrested.
Reema and Zoya
have penned the script with a lot of care and concern, borrowing
incidents from real life. Besides, the fresh dialogue [Farhan Akhtar]
augment the impact of numerous sequences. The exquisite cinematography
is another aspect that catches your attention. The spectacular locales
of Spain have been captured on celluloid with dexterity by Carlos
Catalan. In an era where earsplitting and tawdry tunes are working big
time, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy come up with tunes that the youth would take a
fondness for instantaneously. The songs that appeal the most are 'Ik
Junoon' and 'Senorita'.
The film boasts of an exuberant
on-screen ensemble cast. As a matter of fact, it's an unusual mix of
actors who are not prisoners of any image as such and one is curious to
see how well they coagulate in this film. Hrithik takes up challenges
for himself with every project he chooses to do and tries to outdo
himself by pushing his limits. He is in terrific form here, interpreting
an extremely intricate and exceptional character fluently, channelizing
every emotion in the book through his eyes. The much-talked-about
kissing scene in the film is also aesthetically filmed.
Farhan's
character is totally different from his previous roles since he is
playing the funster here. But beneath all the fun and jokes is a person
who's looking for answers. He's concealing something even from his
buddies, something that's disconcerting him persistently. Again, for
someone who's not a veteran at acting, this is a character that needs to
be handled with a lot of understanding and Farhan, thankfully, gets it
right. In fact, Farhan is quite a scene-stealer on more occasions than
one.
Abhay's choice of roles has always been offbeat and ZINDAGI
NA MILEGI DOBARA reaffirms his stand on the kind of movies he wants to
be associated with. Enacting the role of a rich, well brought-up
youngster, Abhay is in supreme form, striking a super balance between
light and dramatic moments. In fact, Abhay portrays the role with
plentiful charm and magnetism.
Katrina is a revelation. In fact,
the actress continues to surprise you with her performances in film
after film. Besides making an impact as a glamour girl, she's all out to
prove her mettle as an actress of substance with ZINDAGI NA MILEGI
DOBARA. Kalki plays a Mumbai girl belonging to the upper crust and
though it's not a typical 'heroine' role, Kalki infuses life into the
character, fitting into the conceived character accurately. Naseeruddin
Shah is remarkable in a cameo and so is Deepti Naval. Ariadna Cabrol
doesn't get much scope.
On the whole, ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA
has its share of plusses and minuses, highs and lows. It's definitely
not for ardent fans of kitsch or those with an appetite for typical
masala entertainers. This one's more for spectators with refined tastes
and sensibilities. It's a film for a more evolved, mature and
cinema-literate audience that's geared up to embrace and support newer
genres of cinema.
Friday 15 July 2011
::: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara - Movie Review ::: Rating : 3.5 Stars by telecominfo.in
Posted by Just Watch All Over World on 13:15
1 comments:
It is a Feel Good Movie... Just fall in Love with it... Don't Miss it Guys... You can identify yourself with the characters and with their story.
"Pighle neelam sa behta ye sama, neeli neeli si khamoshiyan, na kahin hai zameen na kahin aasmaan, sarsaraati hui tehniyaan pattiyaan, keh raheen hai bas ek tum ho yahan, bas main hoon, meri saansein hain aur meri dhadkanein, aisi gehraiyaan, aisi tanhaiyaan, aur main... sirf main. Apne hone par mujhko yakeen aa gaya." -ZNMD
Post a Comment