This has to be the most entertaining DVD of the year 22 Dec 2008 | 471 Views | admin
Joginder Tuteja
MOVIE DETAILS
Cast: Imran Khan, Geneila D'Souza, Manjari Fadnis, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Prateik Babbar, Paresh Rawal Director: Abbas Tyrewala Producer: Mansoor Khan and Aamir Khan Music: A.R. Rahman Lyrics: Abbas Tyrewala
THE FILM
It can be comfortably claimed that it was Aamir Khan's superb marketing campaign that set the stage for Abbas Tyrewala, Imran Khan, Genelia D'Souza and company, to create such a massive impact in this romantic outing of theirs that goes by the name of Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. Of course this is no breaking news per se but the fact still has to be acknowledged that in JTYJN, Aamir certainly brought back the memories of the young romantic hero who made such a massive impact 20 years back. Still, when JTYJN released, even when Aamir and Imran dominated all entertainment channels, one still wasn't expecting such a delightful story which was there in the offering. And the thing that delighted most in this rather longish affair (we didn't mind that at all) was its naturalness.
The characters in the film, friends of the lead couple included, were quite natural and the kinds that you actually see hanging around in college canteens. Ok, so there may have been accusations of some of them being clichéd but the dialogues that they got to mouth and the sheer footage that each of them got was enough to give them an edge. And also the situations that made this simple story of two youngsters discovering love in each other after being 'just friends' is so endearing and relatable.
There are gimmicks that only aid the entire story telling and one must applaud Abbas and his team for pulling them off with such an elan. If given in loose hands, tracks like those of Naseeruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal and Sohail/Arbaaz may have fallen flat on their face but Abbas handles each of them quite well and intersperses it all so deftly in his storyline that one is only left asking for more. The Naseer & Ratna interaction as the former talks from the photo frame, Paresh being a crooked cop who has a score to settle with the mom-son duo of Ratna and Imraan, Sohail and Arbaaz turning out to be Imran's bum-chum pals from his younger days - it's all so fun filled and yet doesn't allow JYTJN break away from the actual storyline.
Coming to the film's lead actors, they deserve a 10 on 10 for their perfect act. Superb in the parts they get to enact, Imran and Genelia truly are an epitome of chalk and cheese coming together. One also can't ignore Manjari Fadnis, who, in a short role does a lot, especially towards the end when she realizes that yet again she would be loosing out on love. And of course Prateik Babbar who is easily the find of the film beyond the lead actors. Rest assured, he would the choice of many a film maker who would be looking at someone to play an unconventional part in their films.
JTYJN is a rom-com that deserves to find a place in the DVD shelves of every Bollywood film buff. It brings with it the kind of fun that remains with you even after the film is through, even as you don't mind giving it a repeated dekko every now and then. Don't miss it.
PACKAGING
A 2 DVD pack, JTYJN comes with a delightful packaging with the right gloss and vibrancy making it a 'quick pick' from the shelves. The youthful exuberance of the DVD layout is eye catching and extremely attractive.
DURATION
The film's duration is 150 minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Director's commentary - Deleted Scenes - Deleted Songs - Making of the film - Premier & Release - Aamir-Imran interview - Promos - Production Stills
JTYJN truly has to be most 'entertainment-filled' DVD to have arrived this year. And this is not just in terms of sheer quantity (there are close to 2 hours of special features) but also the content that grips you immensely.
The director's commentary is one such entertaining feature as Abbas Tyrewala gives a lowdown of instances as they happened in and around the filming of particular scene. In fact he is candid enough to mention at the very beginning of his commentary that he won't be talking about shot-by-shot breakdown of how a particular scene was conceived and executed. Instead his focus would to talk about behind the scenes of all the proceedings and in this perspective he makes sure that as an audience you are interested in what he has to say. Some of the facts he reveals in the film are about one of the friends (Shaleen) being a gay in the group (now did you see that coming?), bits of 'shok sabha' sequence being inspired from that of a real life political leader, Aamir Khan's association with the film, Imran being made to enact a scene or two - Shah Rukh Khan ishtyle, Ratna Pathak Shah being the best amongst all the actors he worked with and so on. Have a dekko!
What steals the show is the 10 minute footage of the deleted scenes from the film. When in most of the films, you feel that deleted scenes were best left out from the narrative, in case of JTYJN you actually feel that leave aside a scene or two, most of them would have only added to the entertainment quotient of the film. Watch out for the ones where Genelia confides in her mom about her first date or interaction between her and Imran about God not really having a choice or the real mad sequence where friends laugh around Mala (the girl to whom the story is being narrated). Music videos of the title song, both in male and female version, are also included in the DVD. A good thought here since in the film, none of them had found a place.
Making of the film is a little over an hour and again done in an innovative storytelling manner. It is not about 'Oh, how well so and so actor was there in the film' but more about what actually happened behind the scenes. Producer, director and each of the actors from the film give a low down on the experience of making JTYJN without turning preachy or overtly emotional about how 'fortunate' they were to have found a place in the film (thank goodness for that).
The 'premier and release' section of the film is the glossiest part of this DVD and if you are the kinds who get starry eyed on seeing a celebrity, this is the one to watch out for. As more than half the industry comes together in support of Aamir and his film, it only adds on to the wow factor in appreciation of the clout that Aamir enjoys. Especially noteworthy is the part in this array of events when Amitabh Bachchan makes his entry into the premier and then also comes from Imran's behind and interacts with him. A 'click-worthy' moment! Later, some more 'click-worthy' moments appear as a part of 'Production Stills' where close to 20 clippings during the filming of JTYJN are placed in public with an amusing tagline elevating the moment further!
What surprises though is the Aamir-Imran interview segment with Rajeev Masand. Surprising, because amongst the entire media that reviewed the film, Rajeev was the only person who had issues with JTYJN!
TECHNICAL DETAILS
- 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation - Subtitles in English - Dolby Digital 5.1
PRICE
Rs. 399/=
CONCLUSION
JTYJN is easily the QSQT moment of 2008. In addition, it also made one recollect the times when Maine Pyar Kiya became a rage. A movie which sustained the best amongst the audience this year (Jodhaa Akbar was another). JTYJN was easily the most liked and followed film amongst the youth in 2008. Less than six months after the film hit the screens and created a storm, JTYJN has now arrived on it's DVD, just a few days before the release of another Aamir Khan film (this time in the capacity of an actor) - Ghajini.
"As actors, we all want our audience to like our work; so even if you ask me this question after five years I will say yes I want to work harder and harder to be loved by my audience."
~ Imran Khan
