Movie Info
Unlike the original poster of this movie which was inspired from Lords of the Dogtown, this movie isn’t anything like any other movies you’ve seen before. Yes – it does remind you of Dil Chahta Hai and The Bucket List at times but only minimally.
The script is well-written and the plot is rather simple; Kabir (Abhay Deol) is getting married and thus, with his buddies Imran (Farhan Akthar) and Arjun (Hrithik Roshan), he goes on a road trip involving three adventure sport surprises around Spain. They face their inner devils, fall in love, resolve conflicts amongst themselves and learn lessons of life along the way.
Director Zoya Akhtar scores brownie points for this one because unlike her debut, Luck By Chance, this movie has a wider reach thanks to its storyline. The setting is urban and it suffers from the all-Indians-are-very-rich syndrome with almost every character driving around in a Beemer and living in London. Zoya plays with the theme of living for the moment pretty well and it doesn’t seem to bog you down like other movies in this genre like The Bucket List.
Carlos Catalan’s cinematography reminded me of the 60s counter-culture film Easy Rider – the open landscapes, panoramic scenery, long, endless roads, flip-angle camera movements and the almost-omnipresent aerial shots. A special mention should be given to the underwater shots also. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music is reminiscent of many international musicians though you don’t seem to mind it since it blends beautifully with the visuals.
As far as the performances are concerned, Hrithik Roshan is not surprisingly the weak link though he manages to pull his character off since it’s well-written. Abhay Deol is himself – like how he is in all his movies. For the first time in her career, Katrina Kaif’s performance didn’t give me a headache – and there is no lame Akshay Kumar dancing around. Kalki is a brilliant actor. However, casting her as an over-possessive fiancée undermines her talent though she does the job well anyway. Farhan Akthar steals the show with his perfectly-timed performance and he is at ease when it comes to portraying emotions; he is so god damn real. Did I already mention that he is funny?
As a spectator, the story manages to immerse you in the movie in a realistic manner. Nothing seems superficial or overdone. A lot of people will complain about the movie being slow but it’s purposefully paced in that manner because it gives you the feeling of journeying with the characters themselves. The first half therefore builds up to a faster second half.
Indian cinema has come a full circle; it was Farhan Akthar’s Dil Chahta Hai in 2001 which changed the way movies would be made here. This movie caters to the same audience that DCH created: the urban Indian multiplex movie-goer. This movie has a good vibe about itself and it manages to make you smile if not laugh with absolutely no slapstick humour or buffoonery.
Go watch it.
