Two big-starrer movies, Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Son of Sardaar (SOS) releasing on the same day was a virtual Diwali bonus for the viewers. I had been dithering as to which movie to watch but the untimely demise of Yash Chopra definitely upped the attraction quotient for me. So leaving Aanya behind with my maid (fortunately, I have one these days J), Rishi and I went to watch this movie on a weekday, that too in the afternoon show.
In London, live a young Samar Anand (Shahrukh Khan) trying to make an honest living by doing odd jobs and Meera Thappar (Katrina Kaif), a billionaire’s daughter. Fate throws the two of them together where they fall totally, completely and madly in love with each other. Meera is smart, beautiful and generous; but she has a weird habit of negotiating deals with the God. In a freak accident, Samar gets badly injured; so Meera strikes a deal with her favourite God, Jesus that she would never meet Samar again if he gets to live. Well, you guessed it right! Samar lives and Meera asks him to leave London to honour her promise to God. Seriously guys, what intelligent woman would throw away her love like that??? We are in 21st Century here, for God’s sake!!!
Circa 2012, 10 years later, Major Samar Anand of the Indian Army defuses bombs in Kashmir and invites death every day of his life. He is the Man Who Cannot Die but cannot live fully either because of his unfulfilled love for Meera. Next, enters a young and bubbly Akira Rai (Anushka Sharma) who is a typical today’s girl, all fast, ambitious and uncommitting. But she falls hard for this aloof and enigmatic Army Major. There’s a twist in the tale and Samar Anand once again finds himself in London looking into the eyes of his long lost love, Meera. What happens next, does he reunite with his lady love or does he fall for the charm of Akira?
The film has everything that a contemporary romance has; love, romance, décolletés and hot pants and sex. The song ‘Challa’ has become quite popular while the other tracks like ‘Ishq Shava’ and ‘Jiya Jiya Re’ are hummable too. The film is 3 hours long and loses pace in the second half. The characters except Samar’s have not been well detailed. Katrina looks hot but sounds stilted and unconvincing. Anushka seems to be trying too hard but fails miserably. So then it’s Shahrukh who carries the entire movie on his shoulders. London is breathtakingly beautiful; the cobbled lanes, the Thames, the City, the huge green parks and the rolling countryside. Samar rightly quips, “London is getting younger while we are getting older with each passing year.”
It’s said Yash Chopra could make only 2 films in his entire life; one Lamhe and second all others. I was so looking forward for Jab Tak Hai Jaan to be his third, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Sadly, Jab Tak Hai Jaan is not the Romance of the Year as it’s touted to be.
My Verdict: Don’t expect too much and you won’t be disappointed. If nothing else, watch the movie as the last respect to Yash Chopra, the King of Romance.