Love Aaj Kal Movie Review  Love Aaj Kal |
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Production: Saif Ali Khan, Dinesh Vijan
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Rahul Khanna, Florence
Love Aaj Kal is a movie that is full of immense expectations. So it is very crucial for the movie to exceed those expectations. So let us see if it is there.
Love Aaj Kal is not an easy film to write and execute. Sure, it's a love story, but it's not one of those everyday love stories that talks of love and heartache. The movie is made up of the two stories, set in different eras, run parallel, but have a similar end.
For those who are not aware, let me tell you first that you will be seeing both Siaf and Deepika in double roles. Let me add that Saif is also playing the part of young Rishi Kapoor so that you will not have any confusion byend, when the transition occurs.
Love Aaj Kal is a director's show entirely. The relationships here are complex because the couple in love lives in complete denial. It is to Imtiaz Ali's credit that he has penned an offbeat story, developed a complex but comprehensive screenplay and extracted sensitive performances from the principal cast. At the same time, the script has not been written in such a way so as to appeal to all sections of movie-going audience. Besides, the execution of the subject and also the pacing in the first hour are retraining.
The movie goes something like this.
Love Aaj
London, San Francisco, Delhi - 2009.
Jai and Meera form a modern-day couple in London. They are very happy together but do not believe in marriage. So when life pulls them in different directions, they decide to go with the flow. "The Heer-Ranjha, Romeo-Juliet type janam janam ka saath type couples exist only in story books," Jai says. In the real life, we have to be practical.
Love Kal
Delhi, Calcutta - 1965.
For Veer Singh, it is love at first sight with Harleen. Soon after, he stands under a tree and swears that "is janam mein aur har janam mein... yehi meri votti banegi - Harleen Kaur." He travels a thousand kilometers by train to stand under her balcony only to have a glimpse of her face. And yet not speak a word with her.
Love Aaj Kal
Veer is not able to understand the way Jai handles the matters of the heart without passion, similar to a financial transaction. Jai does not understand how Veer Singh could have been so naïve and silly about Harleen in the days of his youth. But as both stories unfold, we realize that the process of relationship might be different in different eras, but the experience of being in love remains the same.
Love Aaj Kal travels multiple continents and different eras. The subject matter is totally new, never attempted before, but the material, the characters (Saif and Deepika especially) as also its execution is targeted at the youth in big cities mainly. As they say in filmi language, this is a hardcore multiplex movie.
Another area where Imtiaz Ali experiments is by depicting Saif as the young Rishi Kapoor. It's a novel concept, no two opinions on that, but the question is, will it cut ice universally? Will people tend to get confused when the sequences turn sepia?
The second hour is the soul of the film. Right from the time Deepika decides to marry, till the last reunion, the film is on an emotional high. The sequence of events that lead to the finale is incredible. Saif's interaction with Deepika at the marriage, or the gradual change in Saif's behaviour in the US in the course of a song, or the realisation that marriage was a big mistake... moments like these take Love Aaj Kal to dizzy heights.
There are no words to describe the work of Imtiaz Ali other than genius. The film bears the stamp of an accomplished storyteller. This is a forward-thinking film that handles the new-age relationships with complete understanding. The songs compliment the goings-on beautifully. This is amongst Pritam's accomplished works.
Both Saif and Deepika have done the career-best performances in Love Aaj Kal. Saif carries the most difficult parts with remarkable ease. Although we have seen him as the cool, urban guy in several films, but this one is the most demanding role and only a seasoned actor could have delivered it with such perfection.
Deepika looks very delicate. More importantly, in Love Aaj Kal, her acting skills are very well polished. Matching up to Saif is no simple achievement and she does it in several scenes. This should be the turning point in her career.
Rishi Kapoor is top notch. The actress enacting the role of Harleen is pretty. Rahul Khanna does well in a small, but significant role. Watching Neetu Kapoor in the end sequence is truly astonishing. She is still beautiful and full of grace.
On the whole, Love Aaj Kal is for the young and romantic at heart.
Before I conclude, one last word Love Aaj Kal makes you fall in love with love all again and again. Makes you value your loved ones all the more. This film is really special!
Hats off to Said & Imtiaz!!!!!!!!!
