Director : Ayan Mukerji
Starring : Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Kalki Koechlin, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Farooq Shaikh
Was waiting for this film for 2 reasons, Ranbir Kapoor's next after Barfi! and Ayan Mukerji's next after Wake Up Sid. The crowd watching it was mainly college kids and older ladies. The house was full barring the first 2 rows. Perfect time for a rom-com considering exams are over.
The story is of 4 young friends, who spend the most memorable time of their lives trekking in Manali. We all remember the fun we had when we were young, with our motley group of friends. Bunny (Ranbir) is the charmer, the flirt, the one who keeps mouthing one funny line after the other, Naina (Deepika) is the studious one, with glasses to re-confirm that, Aditi (Kalki) is the tomboy with a fiery mouth, defying her petite stature and Avi (Aditya Roy Kapoor) is the trustworthy, loyal friend, but a bit of a loser who finds great company in a bottle. Then they grow up, well no rocket science there, we all do. Their lives take different routes, where Bunny gets a chance to live his dream of travelling the world when he gets a scholarship to go study in the US and then work as part of a travel show. By the time he returns to attend the big fat Udaipur wedding of Aditi, 8 years have passed. Naina who had fallen in love with him only to see him leave the country before she could even say the words is there, so is Avi, who now holds a big grudge against Bunny for not keeping in touch and forgetting his friends. Will Bunny be able to find his friendships back and will love find its way to his badtameez dil is what this film will tell you as it gains momentum in the final half hour.
The minus point of the film is the story, or rather the lack of it. You know exactly how it all will unfold. Now there is no problem there, a love story is a love story, specially in Bollywood, boy meets girl, they spar, they fall in love. Happens all the time. But the films that tell this uniquely are the ones that stand apart. This one doesn't. It opens threads in theme, which it doesn't fully explore. The father son relationship, which was also the prominent layer in Wake Up Sid, returns here, but is not given its due. The conventional parents, and an over-burdened medical student (Naina), another theme, touched and then let go...
For me this is the weakest character Ranbir has ever played. It is so sketchy that even his excellent dance moves and adorable good looks can not salvage.
I was expecting much more depth in Ayan's second outing, because Wake Up Sid went to tough spaces for a debut director, the characters went beyond cliche.
Having said that, Ranbir is in great form, its so easy to love him on screen. Deepika is gorgeous, a bit predictable in the expression department, but she shares great chemistry with ex lover Ranbir. The surprise package is Kalki Koechlin. I have a feeling she is just playing herself, fun, impulsive and adorable. Looking forward to more of this Kalki. Aditya Roy Kapoor is decent and plays his part with ease. Farooq Shaikh, he is so good, subtle and spot on in his role as Ranbir's father, a pleasure to watch. So is Dolly Ahluwalia as Naina's mother, who has such a small role yet you will remember her scenes clearly.
The length of the film is another downer. It just goes on and on. even if I admire films where pace is not hurried because you are setting up chemistry and characters, this one has too many songs, too many set-ups and a tale that relies heavily on all scenes seen before.
Pritam's music is excellent though, thank god for that, because every now and then the film goes into a song. The choreography, the sets, the look, top notch. Manikandan's camera work is butter smooth. Money has been spent, and you can see the Karan Johar stamp on the film very clearly. And if you are wondering, yes there are homosexual references, with Aditya Roy Kapoor teasing Kalki that she is a lesbian.
There are definitely some nice moments, specially in the last few minutes, including a heartwarming and tear inducing one between Ranbir and Farooq Shaikh.
There are certain elements in the film that will make sure it does good business and touches the chord with both youngsters and elderly. We all have friends, and we all miss the days gone by, and then the ultimate power of love.
It is definitely worth one watch.
My rating 2.5/5
Starring : Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Kalki Koechlin, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Farooq Shaikh
Was waiting for this film for 2 reasons, Ranbir Kapoor's next after Barfi! and Ayan Mukerji's next after Wake Up Sid. The crowd watching it was mainly college kids and older ladies. The house was full barring the first 2 rows. Perfect time for a rom-com considering exams are over.
The story is of 4 young friends, who spend the most memorable time of their lives trekking in Manali. We all remember the fun we had when we were young, with our motley group of friends. Bunny (Ranbir) is the charmer, the flirt, the one who keeps mouthing one funny line after the other, Naina (Deepika) is the studious one, with glasses to re-confirm that, Aditi (Kalki) is the tomboy with a fiery mouth, defying her petite stature and Avi (Aditya Roy Kapoor) is the trustworthy, loyal friend, but a bit of a loser who finds great company in a bottle. Then they grow up, well no rocket science there, we all do. Their lives take different routes, where Bunny gets a chance to live his dream of travelling the world when he gets a scholarship to go study in the US and then work as part of a travel show. By the time he returns to attend the big fat Udaipur wedding of Aditi, 8 years have passed. Naina who had fallen in love with him only to see him leave the country before she could even say the words is there, so is Avi, who now holds a big grudge against Bunny for not keeping in touch and forgetting his friends. Will Bunny be able to find his friendships back and will love find its way to his badtameez dil is what this film will tell you as it gains momentum in the final half hour.
The minus point of the film is the story, or rather the lack of it. You know exactly how it all will unfold. Now there is no problem there, a love story is a love story, specially in Bollywood, boy meets girl, they spar, they fall in love. Happens all the time. But the films that tell this uniquely are the ones that stand apart. This one doesn't. It opens threads in theme, which it doesn't fully explore. The father son relationship, which was also the prominent layer in Wake Up Sid, returns here, but is not given its due. The conventional parents, and an over-burdened medical student (Naina), another theme, touched and then let go...
For me this is the weakest character Ranbir has ever played. It is so sketchy that even his excellent dance moves and adorable good looks can not salvage.
I was expecting much more depth in Ayan's second outing, because Wake Up Sid went to tough spaces for a debut director, the characters went beyond cliche.
Having said that, Ranbir is in great form, its so easy to love him on screen. Deepika is gorgeous, a bit predictable in the expression department, but she shares great chemistry with ex lover Ranbir. The surprise package is Kalki Koechlin. I have a feeling she is just playing herself, fun, impulsive and adorable. Looking forward to more of this Kalki. Aditya Roy Kapoor is decent and plays his part with ease. Farooq Shaikh, he is so good, subtle and spot on in his role as Ranbir's father, a pleasure to watch. So is Dolly Ahluwalia as Naina's mother, who has such a small role yet you will remember her scenes clearly.
The length of the film is another downer. It just goes on and on. even if I admire films where pace is not hurried because you are setting up chemistry and characters, this one has too many songs, too many set-ups and a tale that relies heavily on all scenes seen before.
Pritam's music is excellent though, thank god for that, because every now and then the film goes into a song. The choreography, the sets, the look, top notch. Manikandan's camera work is butter smooth. Money has been spent, and you can see the Karan Johar stamp on the film very clearly. And if you are wondering, yes there are homosexual references, with Aditya Roy Kapoor teasing Kalki that she is a lesbian.
There are definitely some nice moments, specially in the last few minutes, including a heartwarming and tear inducing one between Ranbir and Farooq Shaikh.
There are certain elements in the film that will make sure it does good business and touches the chord with both youngsters and elderly. We all have friends, and we all miss the days gone by, and then the ultimate power of love.
It is definitely worth one watch.
My rating 2.5/5
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