Jaane Tu – I found myself.
Shashank Walia , Delhi: Jul 8 2008
Made Popular Jul 8 2008

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Well am I a film lover or a film reviewer? This question flashed into my mind when I was fifteen minutes in to Abbas Tyrewala’s Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. I don’t know why this question crashed in to my mind, maybe I was trying to review the film rather than just sit and enjoy. Thinking about it after I finished watching the film I found myself again – a true film lover who got lost in over-analyzing every single frame of the film he used to watch. Well why we expect a Lagaan or a Taare Zameen Par or a 400 blows in every film that promises us to provide something it. We had expectations from Jaane Tu …but then Aamir Khan himself knows the very fact that every film he produces can’t be a masterpiece. So comes a halka fulka mast bole toh true hindi drama film which we all enjoy no matter how intellectual we may become after watching Truffaut or Kurosawa or Godard.

One must be wondering that why I got such a thought while watching a film like Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na ? May be because it was not a film where we go in expecting great aesthetical and technical values or may be my expectations from the film broke up during the first fifteen minutes or maybe I intentionally does not wanted to criticize the film or maybe it’s a natural reaction that occurred due to coincidence while watching this film. One major aspect can be the reason I didn’t felt like reviewing or criticizing the film because of various reasons.

Reason 1 – Lead pair and the support cast.
The lead of the film Imraan Khan and Genelia impressed me to the core with their acting skills as well as screen presence. Special mention about Genelia – The girl is a superstar, every frame in which she is present glows up due to her smashing screen presence and timing. Imraan Khan too shows potential of becoming a very good actor but a superstar value is not attached to him. The expression, the portrayal and the dialogue delivery by both of them is of supreme quality. The rest of the cast faired very well in the film especially Prateek Babbar and hats off to the casting director of the film for providing fresh faces with excellent talent. Ratna Pathak Shah proves her metal by giving a power-packed graceful performance.

Reason 2 – Outstanding Music
Well words can’t express the maestro – A.R.Rahman. The music of the film is fresh, fizzy and brilliant. The music gels amazingly with the film and gives it a true feeling of freshness. Every song in the film is just excellent.

Reason 3 – Freshness Ka Tadka
Abbas Tyrewala does not provide us with anything new. The film inspires from its former counterparts such as Chalte Chalte, Socha Na Tha and Jab We Met. The structure or the narrative was an average stuff at its maximum but the execution and the presentation was something that impresses. The storytelling impressed me strictly because of the tadka of newness in it. The cinematography, editing and even the art direction was just Ok.

But still there was something in the film which made me happy. What was it? Was it the performances by the new cast? Or was it the so talked about freshness or was it the production company value or was it just the desi masala which was present in the film. I think all of the above contributed. What I felt after watching the film is that it’s a film by its actors where director’s contribution was strictly average.

Coming back to my own self, I don’t know why I decided not to over analyze a film again. I think all the film lovers should appreciate the hard work and the level of commitment thrown in by a whole team in making a film. A film lover should take the best out of the film and should leave the rest for the so called film reviewers of our country. A film lover is different from a film reviewer and that what I felt is wrong with certain people at PFC who gave their review of the same film just after the release of the film making loads of film lovers confused. I think we should better form opinion and should discuss them rather than blasting out at the film. Same is the case with one of the reviews given by a certain person on Love Story 2050. Ok the film is bad but why should you talk rubbish about the film rather than writing something which can be discussed upon sensibly and genuinely.

So I can only say that Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na gave me a great set of new talent and me myself.

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1 Stars
Arjun
NCR, India
Hey great points.

But I disagree with you a bit.
Disclaimer: I haven’t seen the film.

I watch films or read novels so that i can get a different or new perspective.

Such crass commercialization is really bad or on your face. TZP or DCH was different as they really had a way of touching you.
I am not a film studies student so don’t know much about technicalities, but yesterday I was watching 8 1/2, and without knowing any terminology of films I was impressed. The movie touches you, forces you to think and everything what a good piece of art should do.

So of course there is a difference about the viewer’s intention or need from the film. If you are there for entertainment of course such films are good. But still the role of film critic is more to understand that whether the piece of art justifies the time of the viewer.

So I wish to always wait for Aamir Khan’s masterpiece because I expect him to go away from a project if he himself doesn’t feel it is going to gratify people’s intellect. Fellini repeated the 8 1/2 in real life where he walked away from a project wasting Producer’s money, as he did in the film.

Hoping I find more of your reviews and articles on Instablogs.
1 Stars
Shashank Walia
Delhi, India
See the point is how much Aamir Khan be an intellect he cant always manage to make great films. As far as 81/2 goes, its a film of all times. Such films are made once in a lifetime and directors like Federico Fellini belongs to an intellectual and artistic family whereas Abbas Tyrewala is just a debutant.

It touches me but doesn’t make me think about anything or so but I enjoyed. Films are not always there to make people question or think but entertain them also.

SO ROCK ON
1 Stars
SHAHWAR K
kolkata, India
MOVIES ARE MEANT TO ENTERTAIN!

BUT SOME AIM TO GAIN SOMETHING OUT OF IT
AS WELL, and that’s fine.

Arjun, for example.

I agree that ”serious” movies stand on a much higher pedestal.

But commercial movies, are not that trivial also. They unite an entire nation, provide unified emotion.

Even I was sceptical regarding the worth and weightage of commercial movis before.

But now having to play the game and the task of making movies, be it only college level, I can understand that making even a 10 minutes movie is no mean game.

So now even I have softened towards commercial cinema, coz theres some hard work put in there!
1 Stars
I loved the movie...its a cute romantic flick which im sure everyone will love!
1 Stars
Sasmita
pune, India
Whenever we watch a movie, it’s certain that we develop some liking or disliking for it. There is no surprise Shashank why you start reviewing every movie. I do also feel like you often. I have not yet seen the movie Jane Tu....., but i’ll watch it soon. Thanks for giving it good marks, I hope to enjoy it, at least as a light fun based movie. That’s good yaar! Every film does not need to be of high theme and high funda.

We need just entertainment at times. I enjoy such movie at leisure time.
1 Stars
well its true that the ultimate success or failure of a film is decided by the viewer whether it justified taking the viewer’s time or not but in reality when we watch a film, we merely do not watch for the heck of it, specially if we talk of film students or more particularly, ”film enthusiasts” , they tend to judge the film n there’s no harm in that. so shashank u needn’t worry bout this new habit of urs.
but there r always pros n cons attached to a film, as in u tend to judge a film depending on the shoes u get into it: a viewer or a film student.
wen in the viewer mode, u will neglect the minor/major faults n concentrate on the feel good or the entertainment factor n wen u r a film student ur judging will b absolute opposite...
so ultimately the judgement of a film depends on the audience.

secondly, ur article has instigated an urge in me to go n watch the film asap which m surely gonna do now .,..
1 Stars
A good one....

We so rarely go into the theatres without any expectations from the film. Suppose, if we are going in to see a film by Aamir Khan, we always have very high expectations from it. And in such a situation, if the film is not upto our expectations, we give negative reviews.

According to me, this is unfair. First we should let the film play itself, and at the end only, we should arrive at the conclusion how good/bad the film was.
1 Stars
SHAHWAR K
kolkata, India
I was already planning to watch the movie.

And your review does nothing to change my mind.

I mean, nice write up.
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