Posts Tagged ‘Jeet’
A month and a half back, I had mentioned in my Kambakkht Ishq review as to how it’s disgusting to see so many shoddy entertainers being released this year. But then a week late came the entertaining Sankat City which brought a respite. And Life Partner, released a week back, also manages to entertain and bring a smile, thankfully. This sweet-n-simple film also teaches some lessons on love and marriage. More about it later!
The story of the movie: Karan (Fardeen Khan), Bhavesh (Tusshar Kapoor) and Jeet (Govinda) are three friends based in Cape Town. Karan works in bank and is in love with the ‘untalented’ Sanjana (Genelia D’Souza), a spoilt daughter of a rich man (Anupam Kher). Bhavesh, on the other hand, doesn’t feel the need to date and believes in arranged marriage. He is an obedient son of a disciplinarian (Darshan Jariwala) and has reserved all his romance for his wife. He finally meets the women of his dreams, Prachi (Prachi Desai), daughter of a multi-millionaire (Vikram Gokhale). And Jeet is a divorce lawyer who can convince anyone to get divorced within minutes! In short, he was world’s best divorce lawyer! He doesn’t believe in the institution of marriage at all. He feels that ‘divorce ki sabse badi wajah hai shaadi’! He persuades Karan and Bhavesh and advices them not to fall into the trap of marriage. But they don’t pay any heed and get married to their women. The later part of the film is all about the problems the newly-wedded couples have to face.
Life Partner is executed in a simple manner. The director doesn’t waste time at all in the beginning and comes right to the point. By exploring the lives of Karan and Bhavesh and their marriage, the director throws light on the plusses and minuses of both love marriage and arranged marriage. The film also gives a wonderful insight on the joint family system, headed and controlled by a patriarch. But the film doesn’t turn melodramatic or preachy at a single place. There are also lots of funny moments throughout the film, which help maintain the light mood of the film. Also, the humour content is not slapstick-it manages to raise quite a many laughs!
The first half is completely funny and has many hilarious sequences. The sequence where Tusshar with his family and Fardeen and Genelia visit Prachi’s palatial residence in India was excellent. The intermission point provides a shock! The second half is all about the problems the couples face. Although Fardeen-Genelia’s look a bit illogical, the scenes of Tusshar and Prachi seemed quite real. As for the climax, well, it was nonsensical but at the same time, it helped to give a film a justified finale. Most importantly, the viewer comes out of the theatre with a smile!
Every actor performs wonderfully. The best part is, Fardeen-Genelia and Tusshar-Prachi look excellent together and share a great chemistry. Fardeen Khan was terrific. He has already proved that he can carry off well in comic capers and his performance in Life Partner confirms it. He wasn’t seen in a single film last year. Before Life Partner this year, he starred in Jai Veeru which failed miserably. He still has three more releases this year-Acid Factory, Dulha Mil Gaya and All The Best and it seems Fardeen’s popularity will once again soar with Life Partner and the forthcoming films!
Genelia D’Souza rocks! Her role required her to be loud and she does it convincingly. She looks stunning throughout the film too, esp in the songs. Tusshar Kapoor got into the skin of the character and performed perfectly. Watch out his amazing expressions and acting in the scene where Prachi agrees to marry him! Prachi Desai, who impressed one and all in ‘Rock On!!’, does a fine job. She gets maximum scope in the 2nd half and does quite well in some of the important scenes.
Darshan Jariwala was excellent as the staunch patriarch. Same goes for Vikram Gokhale. Anupam Kher was okay. Jagdeep was hilarious, even though he was there for just a scene. Himani Shivpuri also provides laugh in just a single scene. Shoma Anand was a perfect mismatch for her role. The film also has Amrita Rao in a special appearance.
And finally, Govinda is the scene-stealer of the film, although his was a supporting role. The screen brightens as soon as he comes in! He looked cool, uttering his theory on marriage. A great job indeed!
Pritam’s music was good, but not as great as his accomplished works. Songs come at regular intervals but doesn’t hamper the pace of the film. ‘Koyal Kuke’, ‘Aage Aage’, ‘Teri Meri Yeh Zindagi’ and ‘Goonje Angna Mein’ are nicely composed numbers. The Amrita Rao track doesn’t quite work.
Niranjan Iyengar’s dialogues were perfect for such a film. The funny one-liners were too good. Yunus Sejawal’s screenplay was just perfect.
Finally, Rumy Jaffrey, the director and writer, manages to come up with a fine film. He doesn’t go overboard in a single scene and none of the sequences in the film (except the climax) looked nonsensical. However, it’s unfortunate to see such a nice film not getting enough audience. The film released simultaneously with Kaminey and got overshadowed by it. Coincidentally, Rumy Jaffrey’s debut film last year, God Tussi Great Ho, was also released in the Independence Day weekend. And it also got overshadowed and flopped as it was released with Bachna Ae Haseeno. Let’s hope Life Partner doesn’t fail commercially too.
Some of the best scenes of the film:
1. Karan racing with an aeroplane
2. The song ‘Koyal Kuke’, ‘Aage Aagee’, ‘Teri Meri Yeh’ and ‘Goonje Angna Mein’
3. Karan making fun of Sanjana behind her back
4. Bhavesh at Prachi’s residence in India
5. The intermission point
6. Bhavesh persuading Prachi to apologize to his father
7. The washing machine sequence
8. Bhavesh and Prachi’s honeymoon
9. Prachi’s father at Bhavesh’s house
On the whole, Life Partner is a sweet and simple film with lots of funny and lovely moments. It also gives some lessons on love and marriage without getting preachy. If you have already seen Kaminey or if you aren’t interested in it, then go and watch Life Partner. And go with your entire family!
My rating-*** ½
This review first appeared on MouthShut.com: http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Life_Partner-173420-1.html
By Taran Adarsh, August 12, 2009 – 22:14 IST
A few questions cross your mind when you’re about to watch LIFE PARTNER…
- Haven’t I watched something like this in the past? Isn’t it getting repetitive?
- Haven’t I had enough of mindless potboilers?
- What’s Rumy Jaffery going to serve now? A rehash of what he’s made in the past?
There’s so much negativity surrounding LIFE PARTNER, even though you don’t have a clue about its content/material. Even though you have no inkling what it has to offer. Also, the buzz is clearly missing.
| BY BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM |
But, but, but… never judge a book by its cover. To answer the questions I raised at the very outset, let me say that LIFE PARTNER isn’t innovative or ground-breaking, but it’s interesting and entertaining. One may assume that it’s a nonsensical comedy, but it isn’t. Instead, it’s a ‘family film’ [a popular term for socials/paarivaarik films within the industry]. It gives you a sneak peak into the lives of two couples — one, who believes in love marriage and the other, who believes in arranged marriage.
LIFE PARTNER also surprises you because Rumy Jaffery incorporates vignettes from real life. Most importantly, LIFE PARTNER entertains, makes you laugh [at even silly jokes] and keeps you hooked for most parts of the film. It’s only the climax that acts as a spoilsport. But more on that later!
To sum up, LIFE PARTNER carries no buzz and also the baggage of zilch expectations. But this film springs a pleasant surprise. You leave the auditorium with a smile, not a smirk!
Karan [Fardeen Khan] and Sanjana [Genelia D’Souza] are madly in love with each other. Marriage is the next step to cement their relationship. But is ‘love marriage’ the right way to be?
For Bhavesh [Tusshar Kapoor], his life partner, Prachi [Prachi Desai], comes with the approval of his family. But is ‘arranged marriage’ the way forward? Is it right to prioritize family over marriage? Does Prachi have to prove herself as a worthy daughter-in-law to qualify as an ideal wife?
Jeet [Govinda] is an accomplished divorce lawyer who does not believe in the institution of marriage. He can’t be monogamous and is often responsible for his getting his clients divorced. But is ‘no marriage’ the right policy? Will Jeet ever find a partner and accept matrimony?
LIFE PARTNER is about three protagonists struggling on the marital marathon, but on different tracks.
LIFE PARTNER is a simple story told in a simplistic manner. Director Rumy Jaffery comes to the point at the very outset and the principle characters and their characteristics are well established at this juncture. The film is laced with funny incidents initially, but gets serious as it reaches the interval point. In this case too, the interval point is a shocker and you await the second half for several reasons. The post-interval portions get more real, since the two marriages go through a crisis and the transition is depicted wonderfully.
However, the climax is a downer. Ideally, the writer should’ve come up with a better thought of conclusion, instead of the one that’s depicted now.
Rumy Jaffery shows ample improvement over his previous film. He has handled a number of scenes very well, especially the Tusshar – Prachi – Darshan Jariwala portions. Pritam comes up with an ordinary soundtrack. ‘Kuke Kuke’ is the best of the lot. Yunus Sajawal’s screenplay has several appealing moments. Niranjan Iyengar’s dialogues are first-class. Sameer Arya’s cinematography is admirable. The locales of South Africa are a visual treat. In fact, the film sports a rich look all through.
Govinda is in terrific form this time. After PARTNER, the talented actor gets a role that does complete justice to his abilities. He seems to have worked on his looks and that only enhances the impact. Fardeen Khan is very likable. In fact, the role requires him to go overboard at times and he does that so well. Genelia D’Souza is the scene stealer. She’s superb and one of the prime reasons that makes LIFE PARTNER watchable.
Tusshar Kapoor pitches a remarkable performance yet again. He looks so perfect for his part. LIFE PARTNER is yet another film that showcases his talent well. Prachi Desai showed abundant promise in ROCK ON!! and excels in LIFE PARTNER too. This pretty girl has the potential to carry off most difficult scenes with aplomb. Amrita Rao [sp. app.] doesn’t create magic. Anupam Kher is just right. Darshan Jariwala is proficient. Vikram Gokhale is good. Jagdeep is superb in a brief role.
On the whole, LIFE PARTNER may lack the hype, but this one springs a pleasant surprise. It’s aimed at the families and that section of movie-going audience should take to it gradually, with a strong word of mouth. The holidays in its opening weekend should help the film grow!
TIMES NEWS NETWORK (BOMBAY TIMES; June 30, 2009)
Ordinarily, the advance booking for Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kambakkht Ishq would have opened today. But the filmmaker, who believes that an outand-out entertainer made with conviction will always generate euphoria amongst viewers, had the booking office windows thrown open on Sunday itself. The result? Serpentine queues at multiplexes. It was as if the film by Eros International had taken Bollywood back to the 70s and 80s, when fanatical film buffs would excitedly crowd around the ticket window waiting for the counter to open.
A trade analyst called up Nadiadwala within an hour on Sunday of the booking opening, to complain that he couldn’t get tickets… all shows for the entire weekend were sold out at the PVR cinema, Juhu. “That,” chuckled a delighted Nadiadwala whose brand of cinema has mastered the art of catering to popular palates, “was expected.” Perhaps it was, because the hype surrounding this film since the day it was launched has been unprecedented in Bollywood.
Consider what audiences have to look forward to: Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor on screen, both sizzling hot entertainers, and this time kissing as well; Akshay’s stunts and Kareena’s oomph; the God-like presence and action of Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone; the roles of Brandon ‘Superman’ Routh and former Bond girl Denise Richards (whom also Akshay gets to kiss, lucky man!), the chartbusting music…
Added to this hype was the sixweek long wait caused by the producers versus multiplexes strike. And you have audiences thirsting for a real entertainer after this drought-like situation. Nadiadwala, whose earlier releases include hits like Jeet, Judwaa, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi and Heyy Babyy, has always gone beyond past achievements. “The audience expects this. After all, they too are growing with time and technology. I feel only if we respect our audience’s expectations to be entertained convincingly, can we connect with them completely in the cinema halls.”
And so, Kambakkht Ishq opens on 2,030 screens worldwide this Friday, July 3. That is almost 20 per cent more than the screens that played Ghajini. Trade pundits calculate that even at an average of Rs 5 lakh per cinema collections, the film has the potential to gross more than Rs 100 crores worldwide in its very first week. That’s a kambakkht hit!
Fenil and Bollywood 