Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na

By Subhash K Jha



Starring: Imran Khan, Genelia


Written & Directed by Abbas Tyrewala


Rating: ***



A blessed week at the movies. If this week we get Harman Baweja as the full filmy package of an all-rounder, we also get Imran Khan…Fesh - faced original and possessing a natural screen presence that immediately connects him with the audience.



Abbas Tyrewala's directorial debut has a certain sparkling spirit, a zest for living life quirk-sized and a certain zing thing about the way the characters look at life and love.



It's not only about the way the characters' exuberant yearnings connect with the audience. It's also about the casual free-flowing downloading of events and dialogues in the narrative that give the characters an edge over other urbane youngsters who have come and gone in the past creating a spirit of lingering joie de vivre.



The bunch of collegians here take their cues from Farhan Akhtar's Dil Chahta Hai, Rakeysh Mehra's Rang De Basanti and even Karan Johar's Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

Echoes from these iconic youth -films fill out the outer edges of the 'cool' canvas creating for the characters at-hand a sense of wondrous and informal perpetuity as they go from humorous heartbreak to sober selfrealization in a plot that accommodates both impulse and pre-meditated thought in a mix that is engaging endearing and fairly original in spite of the derivative echoes.



While the supporting cast of friends are both real and tangible, at the core of this romantic musical are Jai (Irfan Khan) and Aditi (Genelia) who are "best friends" in the coolest sense of the term.

Bantering bum-chums at the surface but sharing a much deeper bond underneath, all their friends can see that the twosome is made for each other.



But they can't.



It's an exceedingly old formula for a romantic comedy given a fresh new spin by a storyteller who picks on moments from ordinary lives and converts them into a celebration of life and love.



Old songs (R.D Burman mainly) and new original music (A.R Rahman) coalesce with the minum fuss while Jai and Aditi's love story goes through several turns and twists until they arrive at that traditional end-game for romantic films: the grand reunion at the airport seconds before the girl is scheduled to take off for good.



The flurry is charming, though a little to selfconsciously designed at times.



Peep underneath. And you see the narration covering a lot of familiar ground.



The freshness lies in the way the characters respond to the familiar material often exceeding the domain created by the script.



Every actor pitches in at just the right volume of vivacity. There are stand-out supporting performances by Naseeruddin Shah (playing the hero Jai's dead father in a portrait), Ratna Pathak (superbly skilled as Jai's mom), Paresh Rawal (flawless as a boorish cop) and Arbaaz and Sohail Khan (as a couple of outlandish cowboys they supplant the believably urbane love story with a touch of the surreal).



Then there's Manjrai Phadnis as the hero's could-be love interest. Living in perpetual denial she thinks her embittered parents (Rajat Kapoor and Kitu Gidwani) actually love each other under the acrimony.



The characters never claim to be extraordinary in their desires. It's their ordinary dreams and down-to-earth desires which give the narration a spirited spin.



And then there are protagonists. Not just young Imran Khan and Genelia. But their friends. Each one played as though the wall dividing the actor from the characters had disappeared.



While Genelia is a natural in most scenes, Imran's unassuming boy-next-door personality lends itself with picture-perfect precision to the mood and tenor of the narration.


Here's a young actor who has a long innings ahead. He doesn't think before he acts.



It's not about how deep he goes into his character. It's more about how much at home he's occupying the space provided by the script.



The same is true of the other actors.



Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na exudes an urbane cool. It's not really trying to be anything. It doesn't have an earthshattering message for the masses.

What it has is an honest story about a bunch of credible characters told in a fashion that's casually trendy and warm.

Manoj Lobo's cinematography and Shan Mohamed's editing assist the director in making this a film that you'd probably like to watch again just to see if you missed out a vital bit of the characters' lives while they were looking for love.

Singh Is King

Rating: ****



Just a word of caution before you watch this film: Singh Is Kinng is not for the intellectuals or those pretending to be one. It's not for the hard-nosed critics either.



Now read on…



Vipul Shah. Anees Bazmee.Akshay Kumar . Katrina Kaif. Four names for whom success has become a habit. That makes Singh Is Kinng the most awaited movie of the season. Must add, the wait was worth it!



You know the rules when you watch a hardcore entertainer: Just don't look for logic. If you do, too bad for you, for you would never enjoy a film of this genre and more specifically, Singh Is Kinng.



Anees Bazmee's films are very high on entertainment. The plotline may be paper-thin, perhaps ludicrous and farcical, but when did Bazmee ever promise a SCHINDLER'S LIST or a SAVING PRIVATE RYAN? Singh Is Kinng works because it delivers what it promises: Full on entertainment!



Bazmee has the knack of making immensely watchable fares that cater to the aam junta. Singh Is Kinng isn't a laughathon in entirety. Comedy, romance, action and drama, everything is well synchronised in those 2.10 hours here.



But, wait, Singh Is Kinng isn't a foolproof product. It has its share of flaws, the turn of events aren't captivating at times, but Singh Is Kinng moves so fast and packs in so much, there's no time to think or analyze.



The final word? Singh Is Kinng is a delicious and scrumptious pav-bhaji served in the finest cutlery. Your taste buds are sure to relish it... and ask for more!



Lakhan Singh aka Lucky (Sonu Sood) is the King of the Australian underworld, accompanied by his associates (played by Javed Jaffrey, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Pahwa, Yashpal Sharma, Kamal Chopra and Sudhanshu Pande). Far away, in a small village in Punjab, where Lucky was born, there exists someone more notorious than him - Happy Singh (Akshay Kumar).



The village is fed up of Happy's magnanimity, which has resulted in a number of hilariously disastrous situations. Out of desperation, they decide to send him on a long trip (that will keep him out of the village for a while!) to bring Lucky back to Punjab, as his despicable deeds were maligning their image in Australia.



The happy-go-lucky bumpkin, taking his mission a bit too seriously, embarks on his journey, accompanied by his friend, Rangeela (Om Puri), who hates Happy for dragging him into it.



The high point of his journey is his chance meeting with Sonia (Katrina Kaif), with whom he falls in love, but upon reaching his destination, things take a precarious turn as he runs into a series of comic misadventures, leaving him penniless. He is fortunate to find warmth and affection in an elderly lady (Kirron Kher).



>Following the altercation, Lucky lands up in hospital paralyzed and Happy, unexpectedly, finds the tables turned on him when he is expected to assume the role of the new King.



Few minutes into the film and you know that Singh Is Kinng is a lavish spectacle that's high on entertainment. Sonu Sood chasing a gora assassin at the very start or minutes later, Akshay chasing a hen - Singh Is Kinng starts with gusto.



And Bazmee doesn't let you wear your thinking caps all through the first hour. From India to Egypt to Australia, from the comforts of his home in Punjab, to the humble abode of a woman selling flowers in Sydney (Kirron Kher), Singh Is Kinng involves you in the journey.



And then Akshay becomes the King. Oh, how he becomes the King is equally hilarious. The sequence at the hospital (Sonu Sood is diagnosed with a weird disorder) is simply hilarious. There's a twist in the tale at the intermission point and the second hour, therefore, shifts gears - it changes from kabhi funny, kabhi drama to a prem kahani.



It's smooth sailing till there's another twist towards the pre-climax (wouldn't like to reveal it, since it would act as a spoiler). But, frankly, the film could've done without this track. The narrative, thankfully, is back on tracks soon after.



Anees Bazmee has a flair for writing great entertainers that work big time with the masala-loving junta. If you've loved NO ENTRY and WELCOME, you'd love Singh Is Kinng too.

This time, Bazmee shares the writing credits with Suresh Nair and the duo come up with some real wacky episodes. In terms of production design, this is Bazmee's most lavish fare so far. It's a grandiose product.



Pritam's music is already popular and it compliments the goings-on completely. 'Bhootni Ke', 'Jee Karda' and the title track stand out, while 'Teri Ore' is easy on the nerves. Ben Nott and Sanjay Gupta's cinematography is top notch.



Akshay Kumar takes rapid strides with Singh Is Kinng. Sure, you've seen him in comic fares time and again and perhaps, there might be a doubt, Will he carry it off yet again? Oh yes, he does!

There's no saturation point as far as this actor is concerned. He holds your attention in every sequence, irrespective of how strong the scene is, and that's the biggest compliment for any actor. Singh Is Kinng without Akki is like an ocean without marine life. Akshay rules!



The camera loves Katrina Kaif and it shows in Singh Is Kinng too. She looks bewitching and enacts her part with tremendous confidence. Kirron Kher is superb and so is Om Puri. Terrific performances!

They compliment Akki so well. Ranvir Shorey is first-rate. Sonu Sood is another actor who's finally getting his due in Hindi films. Javed Jaffrey's character works big time till he does a somersault in the pre-climax.

Neha Dhupia is engaging. The nok-jhonk between Sudhanshu Pandey and Yashpal Sharma is perfect. Manoj Pahwa is good.



On the whole, Singh Is Kinng lives up to the hype and hoopla. Want a joyride without taxing your brains? Board the Singh Is Kinng wagon.

At the box-office, the film will fetch a hurricane-like start. The paid previews, the opening weekend, the first week business, everything will be record-shattering.

Notwithstanding the new oppositions in the weeks to come, Singh Is Kinng will rule the hearts of the aam junta (whose verdict matters the most) as also the box-office, proving a record holder in the final tally. Blockbuster Hit!