Jab We Met: The Train-ed Elope
We have seen so many shades of the Railing love but Jab we met is a milestone. The runway dazzle on the platform is funny, cute and hilarious. Imtiaz Ali’s direction gives a tough competition to Yash camp, writes RJ Mallika
Jab We Met: The Train-ed Elope
It was the year of 1995 when” Diwale dulhainya le jayenge’” released, Romancing the Alps was “in”, eloping was “out” and parental approval was the new aphrodisiac. More than ten years later now eloping becomes the new fun where in the back drop great Elope story of Chiranjeevi’s daughter made hush hush hoopla! Jab we met sells the dream of fantasy, free spiritedness and freakiness.
Indian movies and trains are neck pecked. While running trains have been sites of love-making, proposals, advances, fights, accidents, songs and murders, the railway platform has been used as a metaphor for arrivals, departures, separations, quiet loneliness, expectations and romance. So many portrayls of the platform and the compartment be it the Dharmendra-Shatrugan Sinha starrer “Dost” had a similar song, “Gadi bula rahi hai, seeti baja rahi hai… ” linking the train to the journey that is life or intense romance and passion in `Pakeezah” with hero Raaj Kumar worrying that his beautiful co-passenger, Meena Kumari, would get her dainty feet soiled in the train compartment. It was also on a desolate dimly-lit railway platform that love struck Shahrukh Khan on a stormy winter night when the wind blows the shawl off Manisha Koirala’s half clad face in Dil Se. The waiting room serves as the fulcrum to Gulzar’s Ijazaat and “Jaaa Simran jaaa” from DDLJ is the lever of the story.
We have seen so many shades of the Railing love but Jab we met is a milestone. The runway dazzle on the platform is funny, cute and hilarious. Imtiaz Ali’s direction gives a tough competition to Yash camp which is proving to be lost with their plotlines in their recent releases. Jab we met is a romantic comedy with a truly distinctive signature
Scenes which will never be washed away are: (1). The scenes at Hotel Decent which have streaks of laughter and emotions leaking out. (2).The elope scene which is done with a glass full of hiccups.
Alas! Jab we met released Jab they Seperated!
[imdb]1093370[/imdb]
(7 votes, average: 4.14 out of 5)
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Dear Mallika,
Very well written post. I loved the film too. Kareena actually surprises with her fresh performance. Shahid also looks very evoloved. Like you said, the film is not “I want to give you intelligent love story”. But the film is not foolish at all. In fact its quite logical. The only complaint - Punjabis are not as gregarious and garrulous as shown in this film and man other films. But Kareena and Shahid’s characters are absolutely relatable. Its a very sweet film and this is what I should have expected from Imtiaz Ali after Socha Na Tha. For those who avoided watching Socha Na Tha for its poor star cast - please watch it. Socha Na Tha is equally enjoyable rather more believable.
Mallika, that entire paragraph about ‘Indian movies and the trains’ is absolutely brilliant and is a post in itself. I love how an astute reader of cinema can spot the cues and make the ‘existence’ of a cinematic world, a world where otherwise mundane things and practices have altogether new meanings. Thanks for this review. BTW, it is Ali’s writing which makes all the difference. Apart from Socha Na Tha, you should also check out Ahista Ahista, which he only wrote, not direct.
Hi,
Very crispy post. I haven’t seen the movie but the elegant treatment which you have meted to this film and also by relating it to broader issues of cinematic portrayal (like the railways, i wish you could have spared some words for the rain too, as your first or may be second like of the post mentions) is indeed interesting.
well the movie was interesting in the 1st half..2nd half towards trhe climax it became booring..and evryyhing was predictable from the scene where Shahid gets kareena back home..I really enjoyed the movie overall..the songs are great…
Despite the fact dat saif said he was seeing kareena I think theyr seperation was a fake jus 2 promote the movie…n since all the movies dey did wen they were 2 gether were flops..theyr seperation is gonna make dis 1 a hit
[…] R J Mallika, DearCinema Rating: Thumbs up …Shahid has finally arrived and Kareena has finally surprised… See full review […]