Jab We Met: A review

Jab We Met is a refreshing decamp from the typical hindi movie romantic plot that I had in mind before I saw the movie. To my pleasant surprise, it was a crackerjack of a movie with not one moment where the storyline seemed to be extravagant.

So, Aditya Kashyap is a heartbroken and messed up heir to a huge yet falling business empire. Played with quite maturity by Shahid Kapur, his charm wins over the crowd even with some tit-bits of overacting here and there. This aimless millionaire kid, left incoherent after the marriage of his beloved to another man, on top of business dilemmas, decides to dash it all and leave everything behind. Gets on train, apparently to get killed or go ‘far away from the maddening crowd’. Meets Geet, a mindblowing performance by Kareena Kapoor. Chatter box or talkative would be an understatement of the character that Kareena played, a chance wonderfully used to act in a full-blown comedy role by the glam queen.

Boy meets girl, but hang on, I told you this movie is different. Sad Shahid gets off the train while ‘Bhatinda ki Sikhni’ thinks it appropriate to help this mindless soul; in an attempt she is stranded alone in a lonely station. Finds the sad man, threatens him to help her and take her home. And their journey together begins. Misses her train again, finds him again, together they find a place for the night and ultimately their way back home. Every bit of it sounds unbelievable, but nothing actually is. The screenplay, dialogues, the chemistry and the cinematography, take care of the apparently fantastic propositions. One is so enthralled that such details seem to be meaningless and is waiting for what happens next.

Imtiaz Ali weaves humor and drama even into intense and emotional moments, making the movie all the more intriguing. We have a laughter riot in a lot of occasions with bubbly, chirpy Kareena making seemingly pointless remarks and declarations with bewildered yet smart Shahid trying to drive logic in the ‘Bhatinda girl’.

The two wannabes reach home (Geet’s) where everyone is planning Geet’s marriage with childhood companion Manjeet. Geet is not party to this and plans to sneak away at night. Aditya is somehow convinced and apparently elope together. Intermission again is well timed with Aditya leaving Geet at her boyfriend’s resort in Manali.

Now, the movie has some really amazing songs, shot in exotic locales with touchy and soulful lyrics. The one en route to Manali is especially a treat to the eyes. Pritam, I hope, came up with some original scores!

The movie also has some thoughtfully jutted in wisdom about life, not necessarily true but beautiful at least. This aspect adds that extra zing to this movie that can make one to see it again. Not forgetting the superfluous scenes brimming with laughter.

Mr. Sad becomes Mr. Happy while Geet’s boyfriend disowns her. Played by Tarun Arora, I couldn’t help notice how his character was assassinated. Well that brought up some laughter though. And how can he even think of taking the girl when cute and cuddly Aditya (Shahid) is around. He has to be dumb. Dumb, dumber, dumbest. OK. So, Aditya learns Geet is not home for months from her family and takes the onus of getting her home. This chase ends up in a lot of soul searching for both Aditya and Geet, whom Aditya finds in the scenic mall road in Shimla. Follows her and then meets her. Convinces her to come with him and infuse life into the skeleton of this erstwhile bubbly, chirpy, chatterbox of a girl. As she did when he was on the run.

Bad guy aka boyfriend aka Anshuman comes back and plays spoilsport by complicating the otherwise settled state of affairs. Geet is left wondering and Aditya, who by now is surely in love, agonized. In hindsight, otherwise the movie had to be ended right then without much of the ensuing drama, comedy, romance and making-an-ass-of-the-ex-boyfriend concert.

Somehow the girl gets a brainwave about what she wants and chooses Aditya over Anshuman. And what else? ‘Mauja hi Mauja’.

Kareena’s (Geet) seesawing was justified given the situation but her method was not convincing enough. But again, the chemistry of the duo is a class apart, finally and we are enticed into the way the story unravels.

A few thoughts. The train chase scene could have been done better and realistic which was ancient at best. Anshuman’s character could have been made more intelligent. In order to maintain the hatred of the audience, evilness could have been used. Aditya could have been a tad less distraught than what he actually was initially, not at all harming the movie’s essence but increasing the believability. A poorer Aditya would have been more real.

Most of the comic scenes are carefully carved in the screenplay and laughter comes spontaneously. The ones that dominate attention are, the scene when Kareena (Geet) meets Shahid (Aditya), Geet convinces ticket collector, shouts at the stationmaster, meets and hugs Aditya on the dark alleys of Ratlam. The entry into evidently indecent “Hotel Decent” (an ironically introspective name), inside the hotel room, Geet using Aditya to get rid of Manjeet, Geet abusing Anshuman, and the ones where Anshuman plays dumb.

In retrospect, the steam is lost a bit in the second half and the story meanders its way to arrive at a suitable end. Which it almost beautifully arrives with the all-essential item song at the end, in this deviating-from-the-conventional storyline. But even that is foot tapping and exciting with the Kareena-Shahid twosome putting in their best act together.

The movie has a fresh outlook on generic issues facing all lives, family problems, jilted love, dreams, passions and most importantly, an inclination towards being happy and spreading happiness. A movie filled with positivity. A must watch!