This movie will go down in history as the moment where I finally bought into the whole Kareena Kapoor franchise. She looks fabulous in Manish Malhotra's colorful costumes and even more ravishing in the parts where she's dressed in white and apparently wearing no makeup at all! The story isn't something very original but parts of it are originally funny and heartwarming. There is a very charming theme to the whole personality shift saga from Kareena to Shahid and then back. Sadly it will probably be the last time we see them together on-screen.
The additional Punjabi touch does the trick for not only introducing some humor into the script but also provide a nice change from the urban themes most films follow. Even the journey around trains and all, gives a glimpse into the places brushed under the carpet by the various glamor soaps on TV that project an India not commonly seen by even its own people. In this sense, the movie delivers a real feel to the story even though there is still a touch of fairytale with one of the cast members being the riches person in India.
The locations chosen in latter part of the movie are breath taking! Another example of an India we rarely see on screen. A look at some of the shots from this film make shooting for songs in Switzerland highly questionable. An example is the "Yeh Ishq Hai" video shot in Himachal Pardesh with 180 dancers dressed up in a variety of costumes!
The most striking supporting cast member is the loud and beautiful "Roop" played by Saumya Tandon of Star Plus fame. She is sporting a no-makeup rural look and will make many hearts skip a beat.
The things I liked the most were that there was no attempt to complicate the story, it was presented as a 'typical' bollywood formula with exceptional acting and directing. The first half of the movie was very very impressive and Kareena was actually able to pass as 'cute' in her t-shirt/shalwar combo running after the train. Shahid Kapoor has definitely emerged to the next level in his acting and I believe he has been able to convince people to even show up for his next film. Although I must point out that we've probably seen enough of his sad puppy face in this movie and in promo interviews (probably as a consequence of his break-up) and so his next roles should portray a different emotion!
All in all the movie is a hit, both musically and on-screen. All credit to Imtiaz Ali (write/director) and the choreographers. I'm hoping Kareena and Shahid show a continuity in improving their acting abilities as this movie has been a definite step forward.
Photos from the official movie website press kit:
