ALL OF last week, I had been trying to make a pact with the
filmi god (and I do believe there is one) all of last week: ‘let Jab Tak Hai
Jaan be a Yash Chopra classic,’ I prayed fervently, ‘let me not have a chance
to critique the last film of a filmmaker who’s no more, let me not dislike his
love saga when I equate everything romance in real life off his films’. Alas that prayer went unanswered, JTHJ is
not what you want it to be, it’s not that epic Yash Chopra story, it’s not a
fitting end. That’s painful but that’s the truth.
I am at a loss to figure why JTHJ was made
in the first place. Veer Zaara was a good film for Yashji to hang up the
director’s hat with. It wasn’t his best once again, but it had those
glimpses…of those mustard fields, dialogues that left you misty-eyed or giddy…that
feel-good feeling of unbelievable love that lasts forever…when we get foolishly
optimistic about the concept of soul-mates.
All this is missing from JTHJ. And in a three-hour-plus film that offers nothing (no humour, no action, not even great songs)
but romance, a weak love story was never going to amount to anything. In the
first half, its 2002 and Samar Anand (SRK) is a struggling musician/waiter/odds-and-ends worker in London
Before you have a chance to say hmm, the two
fall in love. But Meera can’t commit to Samar
because she has to marry the guy her Dad (Anupam Kher in his most miniscule
role ever) has chosen for her. Why you ask? Because Meera’s mom left them when
she was 12 and her father has always given her everything. Uhh, ok. So here I’m
thinking, right so this is going to be a ‘lets convince the dad saga’. I was
wrong. Meera still pursues her romance with Samar
and one day finally musters to tell her dad the truth. But Samar has an
accident, so Meera makes a deal with God and gives up Samar
in exchange for his life.
Fast-forward ten years later, Samar has become Major Samar Anand, part of the Indian
army’s bomb disposal squad. His antics are legendary, he defuses bombs without
even a bomb suit. If you can forgive the bloopers of SRK keeping a stubble
through most of his bomb-defusing jaunts (army officers are not allowed to) and
the fact that the number of bombs he defuses in a day makes it seem that we’re
in a state of terrible war, this is the decade you’ll enjoy.
And a lot, actually the complete, credit
goes to Anushka Sharma. As the spunky 21-year-old aspiring documentary
filmmaker, Anushka as Akira is freshness, fun and frank.
Now this love story I could have got.
In terms of acting, Katrina does a Kristen
Stewart through most of her parts. Happy or sad, confused or
passion-struck…there’s one solitary expression that lasts the entire saga. SRK
as a 25-year-old is not young enough. The age is catching up and now so should
the roles. But we forgive him for donning those combats, keeping that stubble
and wearing those aviators. Oh heart, calm down…
In his filmmaking, Yash
Chopra captured pulsating hearts and dreams of lovers transcending generations.
Love does transcend a lot in JTHJ too but I fail to
understand why. Why does SRK love Katrina? Why does he love her so much? Why is
Katrina such a fool? Why does it take her 10 years to understand something that
at best required 10 seconds? Why did the hurdles of love seem so easily
solvable? Why indeed.
Loving Jab Tak Hai Jaan is fine…but what if
one falls asleep before that! Is it a film badly made? No, but it does break
your heart for all the wrong reasons.
Note: This review first appeared in the 15 November edition of FW
Personal Note: I shall now go and curl up in my quilt for actually not liking Yash Chopra's last film...
