Old concept, fresh treatment
Aniruddha Guha
Friday, July 04, 2008 20:08 IST
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Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
Director: Abbas Tyrewala
Cast: Imran Khan, Genelia, Prateik Babbar
Rating: ***
Let's get one thing clear – 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' (JTYJN) isn't a
great film. It had potential, but a lengthy second half and unwanted
sub-tracks act as hindrances. However, the film deserves a watch for
the following: A great lead pair, amazing cameos, one of the most
humorous tracks written in a Hindi film and writer-director Abbas
Tyrewala's fresh approach to filmmaking.
The story is about Jai (Imran) and Aditi (Genelia), best friends
since the first day of college but unaware of the fact that they may
actually be in love with each other. 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', you say! No
marks to 'JTYJN' when it comes to an original concept.
Jai and Aditi insist that they are 'only friends' while the rest of
the world is waiting for the two to realize that the two are made for
each other. When Jai starts going out with another girl, Aditi realizes
that she has feelings for Jai. Unable to deal with the emotions, she
agrees to get married to a suave, rich and what seems like a perfect
guy. What follows is anybody's guess. Or is it?
'JTYJN' may have a predictable story line, but Tyrewala has spiced
it up with a great script. Jai's equation with his mom, the back story
about Jai's Rajput roots and the one-liners among the friends are all
immensely enjoyable. The tracks about Jai's mother (Ratna Pathak Shah)
talking to his dead father's (Naseeruddin Shah) portrait and the two
rodeo-like Rajput brothers (Arbaaz and Sohail Khan) are hilarious and
among the highlights of the film.
Other enjoyable sequences include the ones involving Aditi's brother
and his interactions with her friends. Scenes where he insults Jai,
Aditi beating him up and the confusion over Jai-Aditi's relationship
status are entertaining.
The film could have done without focusing too much on the individual
affairs of Jai and Aditi in the second half. In fact, there are too
many scenes where either Jai or Aditi are missing and that is a put
off. Besides, in comparison to the breezy first half, the second seems
like a drag. The romance has not been very well-developed and could
have done with a few more scenes between Jai and Aditi.
Tyrewala shows maturity in handling comic scenes and keeping
everything as real as possible. In fact, the performances he has
extracted out of his actor belie the fact that this is his debut as
director. AR Rahman's music elevates the film greatly and you'll
probably be humming Pappu can't dance saala long after watching it.
However, who the hell is Pappu?!
All performances are superior. Imran Khan makes a decent debut. He
may not be your conventional hero, but the guy is remarkably easy going
for a first-time effort. Genelia is sweet and has the childlike quality
required for the role. With better dialogue delivery, she could go
places. The film is livened by cameos by Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak
Shah and Paresh Rawal. Arbaaz and Sohail Khan get the best roles of
their lives and come out with flying colours.
But the biggest surprise packet of the film is Prateik Babbar. Son
of the legendary Smita Patil and Raj Babbar, the boy is one of the most
natural actors lately. In fact, every scene the actor appears in is a
memorable one. Watch out for this guy. The casting director deserves
special mention.
In the end, 'JTYJN' is probably one of those films you would like to
add to your DVD collection. Belonging to the Basu Chatterjee kind of
'natural cinema', the film is as fresh as it comes. Definitely worth a
dekko.
