An young director who writes sensitive script. An young actor who has not only great histrionic capabilities but also a handsome face. A production house which gives great emphasis on picture perfect frames. What do you expect when all these three combine together? If you say a great movie, then I will correct you. I expect only an entertainer. That is exactly what we get when all these three factors converge in the movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani. Forget the numerological play on the title. This is the same team which gave us Wake Up Sid. Although the end product is not as artistic as the first outing, this movie ends up being much ahead of the glossy trash we are subjected very often, if not every week.
Wake Up Sid was as much about breaking away as it was about growing up. This time around too, Ayan Mujerkji scripts and directs a theme which is about growing up even though we are not sure about whose growing up is he attempting to tackle until we have sailed comfortably into the movie well after the intermission. Is it about the studious Naina(Deepika Padukone) who is yearning to break the shackles of parental pressure or the adventurous Bunny(Ranbir Kapoor) who loves to push the envelope to enjoy a fast paced life. They are different as chalk and cheese. Yet the chalk is head over heels for the cheese. Is this going to work out?
It will be an insult to the director (who is also the script writer) to classify this as a love story, regular or different. It is not a love story although he falters in clearly defining the perspective to tell the story. Although the focus is on Bunny, he meanders from this perspective in the first half. With an excellent sense for melodrama and a penchant for great dialogues, Ayan Mukerji underplays the drama to achieve the opposite effect. His characters stay in our mind. Not all of the plots are necessarily happy endings as per conventional cinema wisdom but they are indeed giving hope for a happy ending. The writer in him succeeds in creating an array of supporting characters who behaves straight from life yet looks extraordinary. Ayan knows when to place a song in the movie. He places his songs with an intention to give us a boost and not to bore us to death. In this respect, the songs by Pritam helps too. Displaying a good ear for music, Ayan has worked on the background score also. Although a good attempt, it falls flat at times.
Ayan Mukerji's trump card is his leading man, Ranbir Kapoor. He is handsome. He can shake a leg. Sometimes, especially during the dance sequences, he is inspired by the same actor who inspired his grandfather. Yes, I am talking about Charlie Chaplin. Most of the time, he rises up to the script. Sometimes, even about it for instance when he walks away after the wedding torn between Naina and his future plans. When he confronts Naina's photographer friend, the brat in him is for full display making us chuckle and sit up. This is one guy who can carry a movie. Be it Madhuri Dixit in a minuscule role or Kalki Koechlin, Aditya Roy Kapur and Deepika Padukone, he can outshine all of them.
The biggest winner in this enterprise is Dharma Productions not only in terms of money but also for quality cinema. This movie is much different from the superficial themes they have been regularly feeding us.
Go for it. This is the perfect recipe for viewing in a movie hall.
Language: Hindi
Genre: Drama
Rating: ****
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