Time without beginning or end
This is the dictionary term for this word. For me it defines this film in more ways than one, because not only does it talk about eternal love, but it also took me an eternity to finally watch Veer-Zaara yesterday.
OK ok sad joke aside, this movie talks of an era of love so pure that as Aamir Khan says in Andaaz Apna Apna ''la haul vila kuwat, agar hamaare zamane mein kisi larki ka phool kutub minaar se gira hota to hum chalaang lagaa lete'' (By God, if in my time a rose had fallen off the Kutub Minar from a girls hand, I would?ve dived down for it).
It talks of emotion, of sacrifice and of the basic essence of love, complete submission of will to ensure the happiness of the one you love. While one can?t really relate to this feeling (human nature), it is this very facet of love that has made all those love legends like Laila-Majnu, Heer-Ranjha and their ilk enjoy the status they have today. The question remains, does ?Veer-Zaara? create such a pair?
Story:
Suffice it to say it revolves around Veer Pratap Singh and Zaara Hayaat Khan, their time together and what role Saamiya Siddiqui plays in their life.
Cons:
I went into this movie with not many expectations due to hype, and so this movie was a welcome change, although it did have its share of faults which cannot be denied.
Firstly, the plot and screenplay are not as well written as they should?ve been. The script at least in the first half has a heavy DDLJ hangover. Furthermore, in DDLJ the protagonists spent a month together, whereas here they barely had two days, in which to awaken to such love is well unbelievable.
Moreover the first half is too long and slow, which could be because of the sheer number of songs in quick succession, & the viewer would tend to start squirming in his seat wanting the plot to move ahead. On a side note, while it may not have too much reference, I also didn?t care for the adaab and other mannerisms shown to be used by the people of Pakistan because things aren?t done that way anymore. That and the fact that after all the jingoism Pakistanis are just shown to be saccharine sweet individuals is a bit much. Just as they aren?t all bad, they cant all be good, although it doesn?t have as much relevance to the story.
I personally feel these small touches would?ve made a difference, since a little more realism would have made the punch that much stronger.
Pros:
On the flip side however, this movie is certainly quite charming and is very well made, which is to be expected. In the first half the sequences in Veer?s village and the time they spend together is poignantly shot, and the sequences with Amitabh and Hema are entertaining. The movie however really picks up in the second half which is better in terms of both performance and screenplay. The end twist and courtroom sequences are quite well woven together. Other than that the film is shot beautifully and Punjab is shown in all its splendour, and for once the song placements do not jar except maybe in the end to some extent, even though the situation demands it.
Music:
I wasn?t a big fan of the songs when they first came out but slowly and surely they grew on me. The songs in and of themselves complement the movie well, specially the opening riffs of ?Tere Liye? which serve as background theme.
Direction:
Yash Chopra is one of, if not the most celebrated directors in India and considering he hasn?t directed a film in close to a decade the attention to detail and camera angles is still great. However it seems that due to the slow pace of the movie and sluggishness at times that the director has fallen prey to some over indulgence which he does make up for later on. Furthermore he extracts great performances from pretty much everyone in the principal cast. It?s needless to say that his name and his touch are major factors behind this movie?s success which could?ve faltered in less capable hands. However maybe its time he tries some new subject, and changes his scriptwriter.
Performances:
In a movie of this sort, the performances of the principal cast must be strong, for they are the focal point of the movie and must be engaging enough for viewers to invest their interest in. Having said that it was sad to see actors like Boman Irani & Manoj Bajpai wasted in such roles.
Divya Dutta, Kirron Kher and Anupam Kherdo not have significant roles but they, especially Dutta, perform well.
Amitabh steals all his scenes, and while he and Hema weren?t really needed their entry does liven up proceedings.
Preity Zinta: In a role that demanded more grace, poise and elegance than histrionics, Preity emerges trumps, even though she is a great actress in her own right. The character of Zaara is a Yash Chopra special, an ethereal too good & beautiful to be true woman, someone who is the perfect embodiment of feminity and yet has enough spunk in her to do what she feels right. She shines in the sequences with Shahrukh Khan in the initial portions and exhibits great warmth with him on screen. May not be an award worthy performance, but yes it is a very graceful one which isn?t the lot of many actresses.
Rani Mukherjee: In a role that basically defies type and is in very stark contrast to the mush quotient in this film, Rani comes up with a performance that is gritty and and is invested with some of the best lines. She manages to convey the rage in a nervous yet righteous debutant who is determined to lead the way for women empowerment in the male dominated law society. She does well in the courtroom sequences and is especially good when insulting Anupam Kher with another name. Other than that her scenes with Shahrukh Khan are sentimental without being mushy and she more than holds up her half of the screen with ease, which is easier said than done with Khan in a Chopra movie. A gritty performance which she manages while looking quite pretty throughout the film.
Shahrukh Khan: I am a fan of Khan?s but in the past few years had started to tire of his tendency to play the same roles and not change with age. Post Main Hoon Na, he seems to have sobered up with age and is not hogging complete footage in movies which is a welcome relief. That said I must admit that while he is quite good (and sharp looking) in the role of a squadron leader, it is as the old man that he truly stuns. His main asset has been his vulnerability and over here he just wins over the audience by conveying his apathy in such a convincing manner.
Watch him in his sequences with Rani and in the scene where he tastes ladoos after so many years and his expressions convey everything. And as Sujata says in her review, the best part of his performance is seeing the pride in his eyes for his young lawyer. He truly shines in the scene where he recites that final poem, letting his expressions do the talking. For those who thought his reading of pages from a diary in KHNH was good acting, check this. A great performance after a long time, which again may not be award worthy, but is definitely applaud worthy.
Conclusively, while the movie has tremendous entertainment value and is quite a good watch, it does have its share of flaws and could?ve worked much better with a better script, and better editing. While this pair may not make it to the history books, they do have their own charm and success.
I'm continuing in the comment section
