All Talk and No Action

This isn't a review of Jab We Met. It's way too late for that.

Last night, JWM, was again being featured on a movie channel.

And I, yet again, sat down to watch it !

I think this is the only movie after Andaz Apna Apna and Swades that I might have watched for God knows how many times.

My fixation with the movie is a source of irritation for people at home.

Faaltu ladki, zindagi mai koi kaam nahi bacha kya ki fir se yehi movie dekh rahi hai...? is often muttered by my brother.

So, I will try to dissect what it is about the movie that I can't get enough of it.

I remember watching JWM while in HK. My brother and cousin had watched it in India and thought it was a good time paas and could be enjoyed for its sweet moments.

Even though they recommended it, I wasn't very keen to watch it, primarily because it had two of the most irritating actors of that time ! Yeah, I thought Shahid & Kareena were an irritating couple.

Two factors, Imitiaz Ali and Shahid & Kareena's separation, led me to watch the movie.

Since then, every time I watch the movie, I come back with a new discovery, a nuance missed while watching it on previous occasions.

I love the movie because of :

• The love story. It is not your girl meets boy routine. It's your girl "in love" meets the boy "lost in the battle of love". The most appealing part of the story is that both, Aditya and Geet, do not set out to impress and patau each other. That they see each other with their inherent differences of opinion and yet fall in love is what makes the movie click for me. Both have certain notions of their "perfect" match and yet come to like and respect each other is endearing. Neither character sets out to "change" the other. Accepting each other as they are is what makes JWM a gem. Obviously, that love can be found in the least expected of times and places also makes it a worthwhile watch
  
• The friendship. That Aditya and Geet start out as friends makes the story more rooted
  
• The dialogues. The "no frills" and simple dialogues make it easy to connect with the characters. No flowery words, no "chaand taare tod laaunga", no zor zabardasti. In fact, nowhere in the movie does Aditya profess his love to Geet. The undercurrents of romance are what make JWM an exciting experience
• The performances. I was surprised to watch Kareena and Shahid come up with such a spectacular act, despite undergoing their break up pangs while the movie was being shot !
  
• Aditya. Shahid Kapoor. No doubt that Kareena brought a new life and meaning to the Sardarni's role. The naive and talkative girl from Bhatinda was an instant hit. Yet, Geet is incomplete without Aditya. I was floored by Shahid, in what I can safely call his best performance till date. He has never looked so handsome, smart, sharp, melancholic, cynical, innocent, brave, wise and playful ! I felt bad when Kareena walked away with all accolades for the movie. Shahid deserved an equal treatment
  
• The "Kutte, Kameene, Keede ki maut marega, Teri Maa Ki...!" scene which remains my favourite till date
  
• The Chota Sardar who runs to Dadaji every time Geet does anything worth some masala. Such a Chuglikhor bachha !
  
• The Dada ji who is always ready with "I told you so"... "Hamari umar mai..." dialogues. Just how much fun can it be to have such a Dada Ji around !
• The jerk boyfriend, Anshuman. Remember the scene... "Yeh Launde mujhe Ganne ke Khet dikhana chahte hain...Kyun dekhun mai ganne ke khet, kya hai ganne ke khet main? Nahi dekhne mujhe yeh Ganne ke khet !!" Just how could any girl fall for such an idiot? :D
  
• The "aa aa aa aa" in the song Tum Se Hi
  
• The lyrics of Tum Se Hi
• The snow of Shimla/Manali combined in Yeh Ishq Hai
• The authentic use of a Washing Machine in the song Mauja Hi Mauja. Yes, if you observe closely, the Lassi being served to guests is being churned in a washing machine ! This is what is actually done in rural India and Punjab, specifically
• Hotel Decent
  
• A clean romantic comedy which one can watch anytime one wishes to
  

I love Weekends....They allow me to catch up with Reading and Movies....just the other day "Lakshya" dekh rahi thi....although its an out-and-out Hritik movie...I was mesmerised by Preity's portrayal of Romilla Dutta..this set me thinking about characters that have influenced me...and streaks I can identify with...Herein I list them down at the risk of sounding haughty :-)

Gita (Swades) : A true beauty with brains! Gita treads an unusual path...Being an Ekkisvi Sadi ki ladki doesn't deter her from pursuing a Non-Glam Job - Teaching! She has no qualms about dealing with a non supportive panchayat or doubting villagers...Bandi bas apne mann ka sune jaa rahi hai... She is intelligent, yet innocent; ladaku, yet sharmili; seedhi saadhi, yet with a mind of her own! She can step back and let the "Man" enjoy the limelight...at the same time can rant about "Hatheliyaan sirf mehendi ke liye nahi hoti..." She can be a die-hard romantic and sing "Sawariya.." as well as be detached enough to let her guy chart his destiny. In fact it is this very subtle feminism which scores her brownie points from our hero Mohan.Way to Go Girl!

Romilla Dutta (Lakshya) : Romilla is your quintessential crusader. A woman who is well read, knows her mind and stands up for things she believes in. Her love for Karan is sincere and heart-warming. She isn't bothered by his "lakshya"less life...Rather its his NOT respecting himself that irks her. Agar tum khud ki izzat nahi kar sakte..toh duniya tumhaari kya kadar karegi..this seems to be her logic. The lady is courageous enough to cover wars and tender enough to provide loving support... She believes in walking the talk...Her love for Karan has a "Forever" and an "unconditional" quality which is hard to come by in these times of infidelity.

Naina (Dushman) : This one made an impression on me at a very young age. Naina is a sweet and caring choti behen with a heart of gold. She suffers a cruel blow when her sister is raped and killed mercilessly. Its her transition from a dependent, innocent and vulnerable girl to a tough, independent and valiant woman that interests me. Her story provides immense courage to all females out there to fight their battles bravely...My fav dialogue from the movie is "Aisa kya hai ek mard mai jo tum mai nahi hai Naina?..." Apno ki hifazat karne ke liye yeh bandi kisi bhi musibat ka saamna kar sakti hai....The role resembles that of a Lioness..and a beautiful one at that ! :-)

Sujata (Guru) : I was bowled over by Ash in this movie. Though the movie belongs to Abhishek, Sujata's character had an immense integrity and strength of character. She is no push-over or doormat. She takes pride in what she does and lives life on her own terms. Having said this, she is secure enough to step back and let her man bask in glory. She isn't fooled by the glamour attached to Guru's success. On the contrary, she is her husband's best confidante and worst critic. Its takes inner strength and confidence to deal with ups and downs that are a part and parcel of being a high profile man's wife. Its she who has un-wavering faith in Guru and who nurses him back to good health. "Barso Re.." shall always remain a special song as it gives face to this free-spirited yet traditional woman. Definitely a girl-next-door I can identify with :-)

All these characters I have written about have one common quality - Perseverance ! The "zidd" to chart their lives their way...There is a very fine line between Perseverance and Obstinacy...I hope we all find the difference.