Indian movies

Love stories are beaten to death. The genre has been rehashed, visited and re-visited again and again and again. So much so that all love stories look, seem and sound alike. But JAB WE MET, helmed by Imtiaz Ali, takes a fresh look at love stories.

Frankly, the story isn't new. It has traces of the Abhishek - Ash starrer DHAAI AKSHAR PREM KE [2000; which, in turn, was inspired by A WALK IN THE CLOUDS] and Govinda - Urmila starrer KUNWARA [2000; which, in turn, was a remake of a Telugu film BHAVANAGARU BHAGUNNARA], but director Imtiaz Ali's execution of the subject takes it to another level altogether.

Also, for any love story to work wonders, it ought to have the germs to make the viewer jump with joy and participate in the goings-on. And the principal characters here -- Shahid and Kareena -- are so real, so natural, so believable and so winsome that the viewer gets absorbed into their world as minutes pass by.

To sum up, JAB WE MET is as refreshing as an ice-cold watermelon juice in scorching heat. Imtiaz Ali's expert storytelling coupled with Shahid and Kareena's sparkling performances make this film a must-watch!

Aditya [Shahid Kapur], an industrialist, is heartbroken as the girl he loves is getting married to someone else. Unable to muster up the courage to return home, he drifts out of the gathering and aimlessly boards a train, bounding away into the night.

As destiny would have it, he meets Geet [Kareena Kapoor] -- a beautiful but annoyingly talkative girl who is leaving Mumbai to go her hometown -- Bhatinda. Later, she has plans of eloping with her boyfriend [Tarun Arora].

Geet irritates Aditya to the point of getting him to leave the train. As she tries to get him back on the train, she ends up missing it and the two find themselves stranded on a desolate station with no luggage or money.

Begins the idyllic journey through the exuberant North Indian heartland in which this odd couple make their way through buses and taxis and camel-carts to reach her house in Punjab.

On arrival, Geet's family mistakes the two for lovers. Before this misconception can be cleared, Geet escapes to her boyfriend in Manali. Aditya leaves with her, confirming the suspicion that they are lovers. In Manali, Aditya feels empowered to return to Mumbai and resurrect his ailing business.

Life takes a positive turn and Aditya begins to do well. One day, Geet's family, who think that she is with him, confronts Aditya. He is shocked to learn that Geet has not returned home. He takes it upon himself to find her.

He finally tracks her down in a Himalayan town and begins another journey to reach Bhatinda and flow into the colors and conceptions of a loud and happy North Indian family. How their separate journeys become one, forms the remainder of the story.

Opposites attract -- that's the essence of this love story. The journey of two individuals who cross each other's path one night and develop a deep bond is skilfully and convincingly depicted at the very outset.

The highpoint of JAB WE MET is its story. Although the story bears an uncanny resemblance to some films, it never gives you the feeling of déjà vu. The sequence of events in the first hour is akin to a roller coaster ride. The journey that the couple undertake to reach Bhatinda first and Manali later is mesmerizing.

But the pace slackens in the second hour. Partly because the goings-on get dramatic and serious. Also, things seem to be stretched in this hour. The love story takes its own sweet time to reach its destination, when the fact remains that it could've [and should've] reached the finale earlier. Thankfully, the end is expertly executed and takes the graph of the film higher.

Imtiaz Ali deserves brownie points for handling the subject with such maturity. The fun-laden scenes are truly funny and the emotional ones make you moist-eyed. Striking the right balance between light and heavy moments is akin to walking on a tight rope and Imtiaz handles the two extremes with remarkable ease. An accomplished storyteller undoubtedly!

Pritam proves his versatility yet again. 'Poochho Na Poochho' and 'Tumse Hi' are seeped in melody, while 'Mauja Mauja' and 'Nagada' are racy, foot-tapping and easy on the lips. N. Nataraja Subramanian's cinematography does justice to Imtiaz's vision. The indoor look as well as the exteriors are dexterously captured by the lensman. The writing [Imtiaz Ali] is almost foolproof. Also, the ambience and setting in the Punjabi household are excellent.

Both Shahid and Kareena vie for top honours. Shahid delivers his career-best performance in JAB WE MET. He goes for a complete transformation vis-à-vis his looks and attire to look the character he has chosen to portray and the understanding with which he enacts his part is worthy of lavish praises.

Kareena is in top form as well. JAB WE MET is a turning point in her career [personally as well as professionally]. Fantabulous -- that's the right word to describe her work this time. The confidence with which she handles the contrasting characterization speaks volumes. This film should do for her what KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI did for Kajol.

Pawan Malhotra is excellent as Kareena's uncle. His diction as also the body language is perfect. Dara Singh is good. Tarun Arora is awkward, but that gels with his role.

On the whole, JAB WE MET is one of the finest [romantic] films to come out of Bollywood in 2007. At the box-office, it has the merits to work big time. Strongly recommended… Go with your family!

Aditya (Shahid Kapur), a defeated industrialist, is even more broken as the girl he loves is getting married. Unable to muster up the courage to return home, he drifts out of the gathering and aimlessly boards a train, bounding away into the night.

As destiny would have it, on the train he meets Geet (Kareena Kapoor) – a beautiful but annoyingly talkative girl who is leaving Mumbai to go her hometown – Bhatinda (Punjab). Later, she has plans of eloping with her boyfriend.

Geet irritates Aditya to the point of getting him to leave the train. As she tries to get him back on the train, she ends up missing it and the two find themselves stranded on a desolate station with no luggage or money.

Begins the idyllic journey through the exuberant North Indian heartland in which this odd couple will make their way through buses and taxis and camel-carts, crossing Highways and deserts and lakes, meeting all kinds of people, to reach her house in Punjab ……. On arrival, Geet’s family mistakes the two for lovers. Before this misconception can be cleared, Geet escapes to her boyfriend in Manali. Aditya leaves with her, confirming the suspicion that they are lovers. In Manali, Aditya feels empowered to return to Mumbai and resurrect his ailing business.

Life takes a positive turn and Aditya begins to do well. One day Geet’s family who think that she is with him confronts Aditya. He is shocked to learn that Geet has not returned home. He takes it upon himself to find her. He finally tracks her down in a Himalayan town and begins another journey to reach Bhatinda and flow into the colors and conceptions of a loud and happy North Indian family!

How their separate journeys become one, forms the destination of JAB WE MET, a beautiful and captivating saga of made-for-each-other love. Lilting, musical, amusing and packed with mischievous contrivances – this breezy fun-filled romantic comedy set in cultural North India looks like it’s ready to recreate the magical era of the 90s, in the form of Aditya and Geet, being essayed by real-life lovebirds, Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.

Some rules you need to follow before you embark on a journey called FOOL & FINAL…
One, don't wear your thinking caps. Here's why: The film defies logic.
Two, don't ask questions. Here's why: It's all about entertainment, not enlightenment. Three, don't look for answers. Here's why: The motive is to keep you in splits.

FOOL & FINAL is all about transporting you to a world of make-believe. The sole intention is to offer you loads of entertainment in those 17 reels / 2.20 hours.

But, wait, there's a hitch…

The execution of the material is done most stylishly, it's akin to watching a comic book on screen. But the effort falls flat since there's no script in the first place. The film packs in too many characters and too many incidents in those 17 reels. No issues with that, but director Ahmed Khan and his team of writers [Umesh Shukla, Abbas Hierapurwala] should've mixed, merged and unified the assorted characters and incidents skillfully so that the entire experience would be worth cherishing. Unfortunately, what happens here is that you root for a few individualistic sequences only, not the film in entirety.

What redeems FOOL & FINAL are the portions between Johny Lever and Paresh Rawal and a few splendid stunts in the narrative -- Shahid's bike chase at the start or Sunny's fight to finish combat in the finale. But as you walk out of the auditorium, you strongly feel that Ahmed hasn't utilized the golden opportunity of creating a paisa vasool entertainer.

To sum up, FOOL & FINAL disappoints!

FOOL & FINAL is all about a diamond that's robbed by Chunkey Pandey in Mumbai and smuggled to Dubai. Chunkey's uncle [Gulshan Grover], a don based in London, asks Chunkey to sell the diamond to his accomplice in Dubai, Asrani.

Arbaaz Khan, a don based in Dubai, gets to know of the diamond and also of Chunkey's weaknesses -- guns and gambling. Arbaaz asks Paresh Rawal to get on to the job. Paresh plans to carry out the robbery with his niece [Ayesha Takia], her boyfriend [Shahid Kapoor] and a cabbie [Johny Lever].

Viek Oberoi owes money to a don [Zakir Hussain], who conducts illegal boxing matches in Dubai. Meanwhile, Chunkey cannot resist the urge for guns and calls Arbaaz, who in turn asks Chunkey for a favor: Chunkey should bet on his behalf at Zakir's illegal den. On Arbaaz's instructions, Paresh, Shahid, Ayesha and Johny decide to kidnap Chunkey.

Sunny Deol has an altercation with Vivek's fighter. Zakir asks Vivek to bring Sunny for the big fight. Sunny knocks down Zakir's fighter. Zakir is seething with anger. In the meanwhile, Arbaaz walks away with the diamond. Subsequently, Zakir walks in and demands the diamond from Paresh and gang. Gulshan and Asrani also land up at Paresh's place with Jackie Shroff and ask for the diamond.

FOOL & FINAL is meant to be a laughathon, but it excites in bits and spurts. The first half offers rich visuals and a few interesting gags, but the entertainment quotient isn't high enough. It's only when Johny Lever enters the frame that things intensify. The sequence in the car, with Ayesha's dog swallowing the mobile, is hilarious and every time Paresh and Johny interact with one another, the smile on your face only widens.

But too many cooks spoil the broth. In this case, with so many characters around and so many stories running concurrently, the writer duo hasn't been able to do justice to each of them. As a result, the viewer feels dejected because every sub-plot isn't as interesting as the Paresh - Johny track.

Director Ahmed Khan tries to pack just about everything in those 2.20 hours. His fundas may be, let's give the viewer a dash of everything that they expect from a masala movie. It's like offering twenty well-garnished dishes to a foodie, but [a] most of the dishes [read, sub-plots] aren't delicious and [b] the appetite doesn't permit you to relish each and every dish in your plate.

Himesh Reshammiya's music is in sync with the mood of the film. 'Yeh Dooriyaan' and 'Tere Layee' are visually enticing as well as superb in terms of choreography. Cinematography [Johny Lal] is excellent. The D.O.P. does complete justice to the eye-filling, glamorous locales of Dubai. Dialogues are witty at places.

FOOL & FINAL has a host of actors, but the ones who stand out are Johny Lever and Paresh Rawal. No two opinions on that! Johny is in form after a long, long time and the funster is the soul of the enterprise. The masses will simply love him. Paresh is excellent yet again and together with Johny, elevates the film to a major extent.

Shahid Kapoor is noticeable because he's with Johny and Paresh all through. Even otherwise, he leaves a strong mark in dances. Ayesha Takia pairs off well with Shahid, but doesn't have much to do really. Sunny Deol is okay, although his mukka will be liked by the hoi polloi. Vivek Oberoi hams in the little role that he has.

Sameera Reddy has no role either. Sharmila Tagore is wasted. Om Puri deserved a better deal. Jackie Shroff is hardly there. Chunky Pandey is passable. Ditto for Arbaaz Khan. Zakir Hussain does well. Gulshan Grover, Asrani, Vijay Raaz, Razzak Khan and Suresh Menon are mere gap fillers.

On the whole, FOOL & FINAL is all gloss, no substance. At the box-office, given the hype for the film as also the fantabulous promotion embarked by the magnanimous producer [Firoz A. Nadiadwala], the film will attract footfalls in the initial days, but the weak content will tell on the business in the initial weekend itself. Its sustaining power at the ticket window, therefore, is doubtful.

A slick diamond robbery takes place in India. The robber is none other than Rocky (Chunky Pandey) who’s the nephew of Chowksi (Gulshan Grover), a Don based in London. Chowksi tells Rocky to sell the diamond to his brother Lalwani (Asrani) in Dubai. Lalwani is a dealer of smuggled gems and jewellery. But he warns Rocky to stay away from guns and gambling, which is his weakness, to ensure nothing goes wrong.

On the other hand, the local mafia in Dubai, Moscow Chikna (Arbaaz Khan) is torturing Choubey (Paresh Rawal) because he was unable to return the money he had loaned from Moscow Chikna. Choubey owns a junk shop and was facing major loses. He gets information about the diamond robbery from one of his informants. He is also made aware of the involvement of the International mafia Chowksi. To keep a low profile, Moscow Chikna asks Choubey to get the diamond for him, only after which he will leave him. Choubey gets along with Raja (Shahid Kapoor), a fast robber, and Tina (Ayesha Takia) who’s his niece to plan the robbery of the precious diamond.

Luckee (Viveik Oberoi) and Bob (Suresh Menon) own a small video and game parlour in Dubai. To earn a little extra money they also promote new fighters who want to take part in illegal boxing matches in Dubai.

J.D (Zakir Hussain) is a big underworld Don, who controls all of Dubai's illegal gambling and fights. J.D's men also get girls from India to Dubai promising them jobs. But once in Dubai, the girls are forced to work in dance clubs. One of them is Payal (Sameera Reddy). But Payal manages to escape from there. J.D is very upset as he really likes her. He orders his men to find her.

J.D’s men are looking for Payal in the market place. Right there are Bhabhi (Sharmila Tagore) and Bhaiya (Om Puri) who are quiet shaken when they see Payal being taken away by the men. They call Munna (Sunny Deol), who is Bhaiya’s brother, to save her. Munna enters in a heroic manner and knocks them out. They all then take Payal home. Payal eventually falls in love with Munna.

Munna owns a garage and is known for his strength and power. He is strong and very impulsive. He can knock out anyone and just about anyone in one blow! He doesn't think before getting into a fight because he is aware of his potency. Because of this, he is also approached by Luckee to wrestle with some of the strongest men around.

Bhabhi’s son dies in an accident two years back, which completely shakes her. Munna then finds Raja, who is a look alike of her dead son. Munna hires Raja to play her son for a handsome amount. Raja is anyway a crook and does anything for money. He agrees to do so.

Along with this, Raja is now planning the robbery with Choubey and Tina. They hire Pattu (Johnny Lever), who’s famous for his driving skills, to help them flee after the robbery.

When Rocky lands in Dubai, he gets in touch with Moscow Chikna to buy guns. But he is well aware who Rocky is. He asks Rocky not to pay for the guns instead bet on his behalf at J.D’s illegal bookies. Moscow then instructs Choubey, Raja and Tina to kidnap Rocky outside the bookies.

Outside the bookies when they do not get hold of anything they plan to rob the bookies. But again they come out empty handed. As they come out they are over whelmed to find Rocky. They kidnap him and take him to their junk shop. Moscow Chikna shoots Rocky and takes the diamond away leaving them with the body.

Meanwhile J.D learns that some men attempted to rob his bookies. Agitated he comes to Choubey’s junk shop. There he finds out that Rocky was the one who was carrying the precious diamond. He tells Choubey and gang that he will spare them only if they get him the diamond.

Chowksi who comes down from London realizes that Rocky is missing. To find him he hires G9 (Jackie Shroff). Now here all the stories inter cross.

Now with all of them caught up together in this chase, the story takes a comical twist.

A lot of breaking bones for stealing stones ends up this bout with a complete knockout comedy!