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Director-writer Abbas Tyrewala’s Jaane Tu … Ya Jaane Na is a refreshing, frothy romantic tale. In fact, it has been ages since such a film, with great characters and a good balance of candid and mushy moments, has hit the silver screen.
There is nothing great about the story but it is the freshness and the simplicity with which it has been narrated that gets you hooked to the film.
The film itself is best described as a celebration of youthful love that many of us might have experienced or are experiencing.
Innocent ignorance
Jai (Imran Khan) and Aditi (Genelia D’Souza) are inseparable buddies, part of a close bunch of friends.
Jai and Aditi are unaware they are in love with each other until Jai gets a new girlfriend, Meghna (Manjari Padhnis), and Aditi starts feeling jealous.
A miffed Aditi decides to get married to Sushant (Ayaz Khan). But true love gets the better of the duo as the film reaches a clichéd but entertaining climax at the airport.
Tyrewala, in his debut as director, is supported strongly by his well-written script. He manages to create finely etched characters irrespective of how short their roles are in the film — and this is where the film scores.
The film does remind you of many similar Bollywood flicks, yet manages to create its own aura. The realistic dialogues and candid moments can easily be a chapter from our own college days.
However, the second half could have been crisper. Imran is the perfect chocolate boy and plays the boy-next-door impressively.
He comes across as a natural in a character that suits him completely. No wonder girls can’t stop drooling over him.
D’Souza is a livewire and brings a lot of spontaneity and spunk to her role in the film. The fact that she has played similar roles in south Indian flicks seems to have helped her.
The supporting cast is amazing. Ratna Pathak Shah, as Jai’s mum, is terrific. Paresh Rawal, as a cop, reminds us how good he can be in small roles as well.
Jayant Kripalani and Anuradha Patel play the loving parents to perfection. Naseeruddin Shah does a fine job in a cameo. Arbaaz and Sohail Khan are wacky in desi-cowboy roles.
Among the younger lot, Karan as Rotlu, Alishka as Bombs, Nirav as Jiggy and Sughanda as Shaleen share a great chemistry and have you in splits throughout the film with their one-liners.
But the show-stealer among them is undoubtedly Prateik Babbar, as Aditi’s loner brother. Babbar, in an unconventional role, is brilliant and deserving of a scene close to the climax. Nevertheless, he does a great job.
Many lifelines
Pakhi Tyrewala, the casting director, deserves kudos for getting together such an amazing cast.
The other lifeline of the film is A.R. Rahman’s haunting musical score. The tracks Aditi and Pappu Can’t Dance set the ball rolling in the first part of the film.
Technically, the film is polished and should make Aamir Khan (the producer) proud. In fact, with this film, an Aamir Khan production can be eagerly looked forward to as quality cinema.
Tyrewala can pat himself on the back for giving us one of the best movies centred on youth.
In the meantime, youngsters, and anyone who has had an engaging youthful past, rush to the cinemas before the tickets are sold out.
And those of you who have already seen the film, don’t hesitate to watch it again — you may have to wait, God knows how long, to catch another such refreshing Bollywood film.
— Abdulla Mahmood is a UAE-based freelance writer
BAROMETER
Jaane Tu ... Ya Jaane Na
- Critic’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Rating parameters:
1 star — Poor;
2 stars — Average;
3 stars — Good;
4 stars — Very Good;
5 stars — Excellent
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