Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani: Spend your money on a better movie!
Verdict: YJHD is as mindless as Ayan Mukherjee’s first film Wake up Sid was riveting.
Stunning locales, gorgeous people with well-sculpted bodies, a big fat Indian ‘destination’ wedding, the predictable song and dance routines and an item number with the heartthrob of the yesteryears, Madhuri Dixit, squeezed in for good measure; Yeh Jawaani hai Deewani (YJHD) has all the makings of a Bollywood blockbuster.
By that definition, what it lacks is a good storyline/script and any semblance of originality. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is a cocktail of similar stories that Bollywood churns out ad nauseum, the only variant being the actors of course.
The movie has elements of the oft repeated tale of school buddies embarking on that one trip that will forever transform their lives (you have watched Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayengay (DDLJ) , Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Dil Chahta Hai, haven’t you?).
It’s the story of a nerdy, bespectacled, obedient desi girl who has led a rather cloistered life under strict parental supervision and is now out to have her share of fun. She ends up falling irrevocably in love with the quintessential flirt (too reminiscent of DDLJ). This holiday, which our leggy lasses and their love interests are on, is not just any holiday; it’s a Himalayan trek to a peak situated 16,000ft above sea level! And in true Bollywood style, the director, in his infinite wisdom, has deemed miniskirts (in certain shots) the right attire for his heroine to scale the aforementioned peak.
That was my first clue as to the cinematic ‘treat’ that lay in store for me.
Naina Talwar (played by Deepika Padukone) goes on to fulfill her (or was it her parents’) dream of becoming a doctor. Bunny Aka Kabir Thapar (played by Ranbir Kapoor) realises his passion of becoming a photographer/journalist that enables him to trapeze his way around the world.
Eight years later, their paths cross again, and voila, after spending a few days in each other’s company, Bunny has an epiphany of the romantic kind. He does a complete U-turn, vows to mend his flirtatious ways, let go of his job as a globe-trotting travel show anchor and decides to settle into comfortable domesticity.
To be fair, there were some fun moments in the film that brought back memories of my own travel experiences. However, these were not enough to sustain the movie as a whole. The brilliant music of the film is the saving grace even though there is no discernible link between the narrative and some of the songs. So weak was the storytelling - especially during the second half of the movie - that I found myself impatiently longing for the impending song breaks.
Verdict: YJHD is as mindless as Ayan Mukherjee’s first film Wake up Sid was riveting. It has nothing new or extraordinary to offer. You won’t lose out on anything if you give it a miss.
PHOTOS: https://www.facebook.com/YehJawaaniHaiDeewani
Read more by Bhakti here.
By that definition, what it lacks is a good storyline/script and any semblance of originality. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is a cocktail of similar stories that Bollywood churns out ad nauseum, the only variant being the actors of course.
The movie has elements of the oft repeated tale of school buddies embarking on that one trip that will forever transform their lives (you have watched Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayengay (DDLJ) , Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Dil Chahta Hai, haven’t you?).
It’s the story of a nerdy, bespectacled, obedient desi girl who has led a rather cloistered life under strict parental supervision and is now out to have her share of fun. She ends up falling irrevocably in love with the quintessential flirt (too reminiscent of DDLJ). This holiday, which our leggy lasses and their love interests are on, is not just any holiday; it’s a Himalayan trek to a peak situated 16,000ft above sea level! And in true Bollywood style, the director, in his infinite wisdom, has deemed miniskirts (in certain shots) the right attire for his heroine to scale the aforementioned peak.
That was my first clue as to the cinematic ‘treat’ that lay in store for me.
Naina Talwar (played by Deepika Padukone) goes on to fulfill her (or was it her parents’) dream of becoming a doctor. Bunny Aka Kabir Thapar (played by Ranbir Kapoor) realises his passion of becoming a photographer/journalist that enables him to trapeze his way around the world.
Eight years later, their paths cross again, and voila, after spending a few days in each other’s company, Bunny has an epiphany of the romantic kind. He does a complete U-turn, vows to mend his flirtatious ways, let go of his job as a globe-trotting travel show anchor and decides to settle into comfortable domesticity.
To be fair, there were some fun moments in the film that brought back memories of my own travel experiences. However, these were not enough to sustain the movie as a whole. The brilliant music of the film is the saving grace even though there is no discernible link between the narrative and some of the songs. So weak was the storytelling - especially during the second half of the movie - that I found myself impatiently longing for the impending song breaks.
Verdict: YJHD is as mindless as Ayan Mukherjee’s first film Wake up Sid was riveting. It has nothing new or extraordinary to offer. You won’t lose out on anything if you give it a miss.
PHOTOS: https://www.facebook.com/YehJawaaniHaiDeewani
Read more by Bhakti here.