Jaane Tu……..I found myself!
iView Author:Shashank Walia
(Delhi, India)
EMAIL: shashankwalia [at] live [dot] com
Title: Jaane Tu……..I found myself!
Well am I a film lover or a film reviewer? This question flashed into my mind when I was fifteen minutes in to Abbas Tyrewala’s Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. I don’t know why this question crashed in to my mind, maybe I was trying to review the film rather than just sit and enjoy. Thinking about it after I finished watching the film I found myself again – a true film lover who got lost in over-analyzing every single frame of the film he used to watch. Well why do we expect a Lagaan or a Taare Zameen Par or 400 blows in every film that promises us to provide something in it? We had expectations from Jaane Tu …but then Aamir Khan himself knows the very fact that every film he produces can’t be a masterpiece. So, comes a halka fulka mast bole toh true hindi drama film which we all enjoy no matter how intellectual we may become after watching Truffaut or Kurosawa or Godard.
One must be wondering that why I got such a thought while watching a film like Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na ? May be because it was not a film where we go in expecting great aesthetical and technical values or may be my expectations from the film broke up during the first fifteen minutes or maybe I intentionally did not want to criticize the film or maybe it’s a natural reaction that occurred due to coincidence while watching this film. One major aspect can be the reason I didn’t felt like reviewing or criticizing the film because of various reasons.
Reason 1 – Lead pair and the support cast.
The lead of the film Imraan Khan and Genelia impressed me to the core with their acting skills as well as screen presence. Special mention about Genelia – The girl is a superstar, every frame in which she is present glows up due to her smashing screen presence and timing. Imraan Khan too shows potential of becoming a very good actor but a superstar value is not attached to him. The expression, the portrayal and the dialogue delivery by both of them is of supreme quality. The rest of the cast faired very well in the film especially Prateek Babbar and hats off to the casting director of the film for providing fresh faces with excellent talent. Ratna Pathak Shah proves her metal by giving a power-packed graceful performance.
Reason 2 – Outstanding Music
Well words can’t express the maestro – A.R.Rahman. The music of the film is fresh, fizzy and brilliant. The music gels amazingly with the film and gives it a true feeling of freshness. Every song in the film is just excellent.
Reason 3 – Freshness Ka Tadka
Abbas Tyrewala does not provide us with anything new. The film inspires from its former counterparts such as Chalte Chalte, Socha Na Tha and Jab We Met. The structure or the narrative was an average stuff at its maximum but the execution and the presentation was something that impresses. The storytelling impressed me strictly because of the tadka of freshnessness in it. The cinematography, the editing and even the art direction was just Ok.
But still there was something in the film which made me happy. What was it? Was it the performance by the new cast? Or was it the so talked about freshness or was it the production company value or was it just the desi masala which was present in the film. I think all of the above contributed. What I felt after watching the film is that it’s a film by its actors where director’s contribution was strictly average.
Coming back to my own self, I don’t know why I decided not to over analyze a film again. I think all the film lovers should appreciate the hard work and the level of commitment put in by the whole team in making a film. A film lover should take the best out of the film and should leave the rest for the so called film reviewers of our country. A film lover is different from a film reviewer and that what I felt is wrong with certain people at PFC who gave their review of the same film just after the release of the film making loads of film lovers confused. I think we should better form opinion and should discuss them rather than blasting out at the film. Same is the case with one of the reviews given by a certain person on Love Story 2050. Alright that the film is bad but why should you talk rubbish about the film instead of writing something which can be discussed upon sensibly and genuinely?
So I can only say that Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na gave me a great set of new talent and me myself.
Filed Under
PROJEKT iVIEW , aamir khan, imran khan
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15 Responses to “Jaane Tu……..I found myself!”
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“should appreciate the hard work and the level of commitment put in by the whole team in making a film. A film lover should take the best out of the film …..”
perfect.
But the film lover should then shut up and get on with his life. If he decide to write about the film like you have done then you should have a point of view, point of view can happen only when you analyze the film.
so you cant complain why people are analyzing a film and writing….that is the only way you can write something which can be discussed upon sensibly and genuinely (as you have said)
bit of a contrediction here.
Good Writeup……..it’s an honest effort .
But I feel recently there has been a little overdose of articles on Jaane Tu ,more than the number of articles it is the fact that each of them cover the same thing and have nothing new….not blaming the author of course(keep up the good work) ,this accusation is upon the editors/mod of this site ,it’s their job to keep the site fresh and distribute content.
I also felt let down within the first 15 minutes of the film, but then also found redeming qualities in the end. I thought the cameos in the film made the whole picture. The smile returned to my lips when the Khan brothers rode on the screen. WOW!!! People in the movie theater I saw the film in - late show on a weeknight - were clapping at them and cheering!
But I only disagree with you on one point. I did not find the female lead captivating in the least. She actually distracted with her poor acting skills. And I enjoyed Imran Khan much more. Some of the writing was brilliant, the lines, and the music - of course - by Master Rahman, was intoxicating. But then, Tyrewalla has great taste in music, in his films!
“. If he decide to write about the film like you have done then you should have a point of view, point of view can happen only when you analyze the film.”
Not true at all. Analysis an appreciation are two different beasts. We need more of the latter. Like when you say you like your mom’s daal roti, you aren’t analysing the roti in some test-tube pipette for protein carb breakdown, you just appreciate the taste and the effort she makes for you. A place like pfc - passion for films - passion, where is that passion ? First show that passion ie. appreciate the film and the effort. Most universities offer film appreciation courses, check them out. First thing they teach you is that appreciation is not analysis.
This might look a bit off-topic, but I have been reading PFC for quite some time now, and have been blasted at whenever I showed my n00bness.
Some critics constantly trash whatever movies come out. Some passionate cine-lovers also trash movies left, right and center. Now if you were in a job or profession or even a hobby, where you cannot find anything worth appreciation day in day out, you are subjected to the ‘atrocities’ every week; Wouldn’t you change that profession, hobby, job? Wouldn’t there be one day when you say, ‘Fuck I had enough of this shit, now either I will change what’s happening, or spend my time somewhere else’?
@Vijay
Its not about analysis, its about over analyzing an art form. It looks right when you analyze a Kurosawa film or a Godard film because you can take things from it, its a work of experienced and artistic value whereas watching out for a different narrative structure or an aesthetical camera angle in a film like Jaane Tu is not correct. Such films are meant to be enjoyed. Every Friday there cant be a film which will satisfy you with its artistic and creative brilliance.
@Vineet
Thanks for the appreciation. I wrote this with some motive in mind so I can this has not wasted the space here at PFC.
@Nina
I loved Genelia. She was a revelation to me. Difference in opinion should exist and it does here. ROCK ON’
@lurker
Hopefully your reply was for Vijay.
@Tejas
Can you be a bit more detailed. I didn’t get you completely.
@tejas –really,internet is not the place to find compassion,lol. every1 trashes ever1 else.
for d topc.ya jtyjn was a nice timepass.i feel someppl had d wrng idea cos it was an aamir khan production and directed by abbas tyrewala who is the best young writer we have.
Another point,most ppl confuse film appreciation with just analysing the plot.Not done.The plot is very important but how its brought out is even more so.
And finally,i am sorry sir,but genelia d’souza has no screen presence at all.She is just an expressionless face.Imraab pit up a competent perfomance thoufg.Abbas did well to hide d lead pair among an experiencedsupport cast
[rant]
I don’t really care about people’s compassion. What was that quote about posting on internet being equivalent to the Olympic of retards, by the way (no offense to either party)? Lot of people even seem insecure sharing their potion of knowledge on films, that it will lose its exclusiveness. If I needed compassion, I would go to my support group. Don’t ask me which one because the first rule is, we are not supposed to talk about it.
[/rant]
Coming back to the point I am trying to make - let’s take example of Raja Sen. That guy is trashing every second movie he watches. To an extent that I sometimes feel pity on him for being in a profession where you are subjected to such ‘atrocities’ every week. (atrocity from his pov)
Now, if I could not find anything worth appreciating in my business, wouldn’t I be rather somewhere else? Wouldn’t I just quit what I am doing, instead of watching the horror as a part of my job?
[Raja Sen is just an example, and I personally have nothing against him. The name can be changed to any other reviewer.]
yea….finally got to see the entire movie ,before that it was just bits and pieces……
I was a bit apprehensive after reading KK’s and phoenixu’s posts on PFC but the movie simply blew me away ,anyone who says the movie is not intelligent enough hasn’t really seen the movie…..the snide remarks by aditi’s brother ,the scrabble game(comfort - discomfort) and cameos are the hallmark of intelligence if nothing else.
Some janta in the audience were saying that Genelia needs to work on her hindi accent……it has a south Indian touch :), that is the truth yes but I found it very sexy and charming in an exotic kind of way so I wouldn’t complain ,what genelia lacks in acting she more than makes up with her charm and presence on screen. The cameos are out of this world ….and the best I have seen in a very long long time.
Imran is the next big thing in Bollywood ,and as everyone says he sure does remind you of Aamir in his QSQT days ,I hope he does future movies with quality directors like Abbas ,Mani ,Ashutosh ,Rakeysh etc ….people who would be able to harness his charm …so far so much…
cheers
Imran was perfect …
Genelia was a blow of scented fresh breeze …
MUSIC — REHMAN IS GOD , PERIOD.
Abbas Tyrewala — He said in one of his interviews post the release of JTYJN that he will make an Adult Romantic Comedy now …
I am looking ahead for that ….He is a genious …
He made Salaam namaste really enjoyable (Dialogues)…
Then Maqbool , munnabhai , mai hu na .. sab superb …
Again , Lyrics bhi bhai ne khud likhe hai … EXCELLENT !!!
Sheer Brilliance of this man ….
Supportin cast like Rotlu, bomb, jiggi sab mast the …
And that Cindrella wala dialogue toh Amazing tha ….
I literally rolled out on the floor …
Notice the Background score when ayaz khan slaps Genelia ..
The monment he slaps Genelia… “Saansein kho gayi hai kiski aahon mein …” … Just Brilliant … What a timing yaar ..
That is my favourite scene of the movie ..
@lurker @Tejas
hey guys please understand what is the meaning of the word ‘film appreciation’ in the context of film writing/ reviewing etc.
Please don’t take ‘appreciation’ in its litral meaning. ( as in ‘tali bachana’ )
Here appreciation means understanding, studying, analyzing….etc. etc.
FTII runs two month long course called Film Appreciation Course, It doesn’t mean that people who attend the course go there everyday for two month and say ‘nice things’ about the film they see and come back. The fact that there is a two month course is the proof that there is a lot more to ‘film appreciation.’
@ Vijay
Lol! I can’t believe that somebody actually thinks film appreciation is about singing praises of the movie…:)
@Vijay - I think either you are missing my point or I am missing the one you want to make. I am inclined to believe it’s the latter, but do elaborate how your comment relates to mine.
first 25 minutes or so were big letdown ..second hlf was better cam,eos were good. music was gr8 . writing was ok ..some lines were good . some godo scenes . but pls dont compare it to socha na tha …which was way better …i mean way way better . abbas tyrewala is no imtiaz ali . infact de tali had some good scens as well(de taali written by abbas tyrewala albiet not orginal). i nfact some of the bst scenes in jaane tu have been copied from here an dthere …like the khan brothers and the aids sceme .
yes the lyrics are eacellent undoubtedly . imran khan is suberb!! ..but not genelia who is just ok .infact she looks better in the rpomos.