Everybody loves Ali

The singer-cum-actor’s latest Bollywood venture LPNY released in theatres on Friday.

KARACHI: Apart from the bond one feels with London, Paris, New York because it has "humara Ali Zafar" in it, one also feels compelled to watch this film because it gives audience the hope that the genre of clean, family-entertainments is still alive. In the awkward times when salacious photo stunts and glorified nuptial scandals run the show, a film like London, Paris, New York that is said to be one that the whole family can see has finally come to Pakistan and makes you want to believe that the long overdue movie Sunday family outing can finally take place.

A blogger Sami Saayer writes, “LPNY is exactly the way love stories should be made — trendy, urban and fairly realistic. It takes great courage to make an entire film for only two characters.”

Even Indian critics like Subhash K Jha have given two thumbs up to levity and freshness of LPNY. Bollywoodhungama quotes Jha as saying, “If only Siddharth Anand’s Anjaana Anjaani (starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra) was funnier, warmer, more kindred in spirit and less burdened by the responsibility of making the pair look at home on foreign shores, it could have conveyed the pleasure quotient of London, Paris, New York (LPNY).”

Jha adds that even though the film is predominantly focused on a boy and a girl, the audience doesn’t get claustrophobic by the tightness of variety or overdosed on the two leads faces. However, one, in their unreasonable quest for logic, does question the sheer absence of family and kin in the film, but then lets the thought pass without rancour because the film has so much else to offer.

Although the venture seems promising and Zafar’s fans are more excited than ever to watch him in his first big-budget lead performance, the film’s first day stats are a bit disappointing. A preview of Indian cinema statistics show that the response has been lukewarm on the film’s opening day.

Money talks

According to bollywoodhungama.com film critic Taran Adarsh isn’t too impressed by the film’s first day performance. The site quotes Adarsh as saying, “London, Paris, New York have opened to dull houses. Its business will have to show a big jump from Friday evening onwards, if it has to leave a mark in its opening weekend. An urban-centric film, London, Paris, New York is expected to perform the best at cineplexes of major centres.”

The film critic also tweeted the estimated business of London, Paris, New York on Friday. “The film made INR10.6 million on its first day of showing. Figures were picked up from evening shows onwards.” According to entertainment.oneindia.in, the film has been rated 2.80 out of 5.

Evidently, London, Paris, New York has the potential to do better provided it is shown to the audience it is actually meant for. The project is not one for the masses and is more tailor-made for urban gatherings.

The silver lining

The future seems bright for Zafar, who is seen sporting cheeky white sunglasses and an Elvis-inspired quiff in the title track of the film. Zafar himself feels extremely blessed to have been given this opportunity. “I think there is a lot of room in Bollywood for good talent. If you work with dedication, this industry will give you a lot of love,” said Zafar, who garnered praise for his work in his debut film Tere Bin Laden. He has also been roped in by David Dhawan for the remake of 1981-cult comedy Chashme Buddoor.

Synopsis of LPNY

Nikhil and Lalitha are two completely different individuals who are drawn to each other in spite of their differences or maybe because of them. The film follows their journey as they meet in fashion hubs in London, Paris and New York for a night out after every eight years. The film is divided in three chapter, with each chapters showing a new colour of progression in Nikhil and Lalitha’s emotions and mental states.  Music is an integral part of this film and is largely choreographed in accordance to the feel of the three cities the lead characters meet in.  One will get a taste of pop-romance in London, electronic-Sufi in Paris and Blues-rap in New York, according to lpnythemovie.com.

YOU WERE SAYING?

Celebrities tweets about LPNY’s release

I am off to see #LPNY today. Friends who have seen it can’t stop raving about it. Make it your weekend love viewing people!

Producer Karan Johar

A simple cute film with a BIG heart!! #havefunatthemovies #LPNY

Actor Abhishek Bachchan

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2012.