Cultural Cocktail

By MovieTalkies.com, 30 July 2009 3 / 5

The most anticipated movie of the year 'Love Aaj Kal' is an entertainer which might appeal to classes but not the masses. Burdened with sky high expectations, Imtiaz Ali could not recreate the magic of 'Jab We Met' but the film is a breezy entertainer. 'Love Aaj Kal' as the name suggests is a story of two couples, Veer [Saif Ali Khan] and Harleen [Giselle Monterio] set in Delhi and Kolkata in the year 1965 and Jai [Saif Ali Khan] and Meera [Deepika Padukone] set in the present day in London, San Francisco and Delhi. And as the name suggests,the movie revolves around the idea that be it 1965 or 2009, the aspects of love do not change though the manner of loving someone might. Saif and Deepika are a modern day couple and things happen quite quick and casual between them, be it their first kiss or their break up where they throw a huge party to celebrate. Being the modern career oriented couple does not mean you just hit the party scene or hang around with friends, get drunk and go hanky panky without actually having feelings for each other. The 'Aaj' couple seem more direct and get kicks over their experimental kinks with their two year old relationship. The lingo used by them and the casual comfort between them reminds you of 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na'. Enter the 'Kal' couple, truly,madly,and deeply in love and committed to each other without talking even once. Another extreme case but realistic as we are talking about 1965. Stories woven into one another unfolds the mystery slowly for us, though at one point Imtiaz does not get into the Veer Harleen track for so long that it makes you wonder what happened next in their love story. Our giggly happy go lucky 'Aaj' couple have bouts of uncertainty about their love for each other and their capability rather incapability to move on with their lives and find love somewhere else until it is too late, literally, the day of Meera's marriage to Vikram [Rahul Khanna].Even after the realization of the undying emotions for each other 'Jai and Meera' avoid creating scenes at the wedding, only to call off the marriage the very next day. Now this is definitely not acceptable to an Indian audience, it does make sense that you cannot hold on to a loveless marriage, but has Imtiaz forgotten the fate of 'Humko Deewana Kar Gaye'? Then the movie gets into the 'Hum Tum' and 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna' mode, the lovers separating to get settled in different parts of the world with absolutely no communication between each other and one day lighting strikes and so does cupid to unite the 'ones made for each other'. Saif is at his confused best in the movie, his role almost looks like an extension of his 'Hum Tum' role or Aamir Khan's character from 'Dil Chahta Hai', the modern, practical, commitment phobic guy, looks like Saif's personal life image is kind of etched into the movie too. He does justice to the role of 'Jai' with great designer clothes, a carefree attitude and tongue in cheek humour. Deepika looks gorgeous and her wardrobe rocks, though the chemistry between Saif and Deepika is weak. Rishi Kapoor is awesome in his Sardar look and gives a power packed performance while Giselle who plays Harleen looks like a younger and cuter version of Tabu and has just two dialogues to her credit. But all applause to Saif in the Sardar role of young Veer Singh, his dialogue delivery and body language is extremely accurate. One wonders why Rahul Khanna even exists in the movie ? A talent wasted, must say. The locations are scenic and beautiful, be it the UK, or San Francisco or Delhi, or the fort where the 'Kal' couple meet a la 'Veer Zaara' or the various historical places where Deepika works. Nothing can go wrong with the locations and the depiction of urban life as well as life in the sixties. Imtiaz seems to keep his obsession with running behind moving trains intact, maybe he considers it a lucky charm after 'Jab We Met', but unfortunately in 'Love Aaj Kal' it reminds you about 'Dilwaale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge'. In fact another scene where Veer Singh gets into a quick conversation with Harleen's mother is a direct cut and paste from 'Dilwaale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge'. The music of the movie is very good and the songs apt to the situation. But too many film formulas rolled into one makes 'Love Aaj Kal' a Cultural Cocktail instead of a Cult. Worth seeing once as it comes like a good breakthrough after the Box Office disasters this year.

Every song is a gem

By MovieTalkies.com, 17 July 2009 4.5 / 5

Love Aaj Kal is one of those rare albums where every song is a gem and you are left to ponder over which song is the best. What makes this album so exceptional is that there is a perfect synergy between the compositions, lyrics and singing along with the mood and tone of the song. The album begins with the very peppy and catchy Twist which has used the Nagin instrumental tune. However, the tune has been integrated and remixed so well within the composition that you feel like this is the only way it was ever intended to be used which speaks volumes for Pritam's work on this song. It very easily could have sounded as though he had just copied and inserted the tune, but he has instead proved why the tune is an integral part of the entire composition of the song. Neeraj Sridhar and hit songs seem to go hand in hand and of course Twist is no different. He is completely in his element with the mix of Hindi and English lyrics and has done a fantastic job in his rendition. The lyrics are overall fun and of course ultra cool perfectly in line with Saif's image. The song will surely be a favourite with all the DJs as the hip hop beats make it a winner for the dance floor. Chor Bazaari has a completely different sound and mood to Twist and yet it is equally as fun and energetic. Once again the sounds used, the beats followed by 3 to 4 notes on the strings gives the song a unique quality just like Twist also has a unique sound. The song is an outdoor, rediscovering Delhi number and the lyrics are also fresh and Sunidhi Chauhan and Neeraj together give the song the perfect voices. The song will remind you of the type of country music which was extremely popular in the 80's, reminiscent of Randy Travis's style of music. With a title like Aahun Aahun you may be wondering what to expect, but you definitely wouldn't have expected one of the best fusion tracks in a long time. The song is the perfect blend of Punjabi folk and modern club not just the lyrics but also the composition and of course the singing as Neeraj Shridhar and Master Salim are in synergy while Suzie Q chips in with the limited female vocals. The western strings opening into the Punjabi folk works very well and Pritam really deserves credit for this amazing fusion. This one too will be a hot favourite with the DJs even though it is poles apart from Twist. A totally different mood hits you for the first time as amongst all the fun songs Dooriyan is a romantic and almost sad number. The lyrics and composition together are extremely fresh and you feel a story being told within the song which nowadays is quite rare. Mohit Chauhan's voice is aptly suited for such a number which will have you hitting the repeat button. The flute and light beats are used to give the song a very modern feel while allowing Mohit's vocals to dominate so that the lyrics are the true hero of this track. Ajj Din Chadheya is a simple composition in terms of limited instruments and sounds which works perfectly for this song. It allows Raahat Fateh Ali Khan's voice to completely take over in this truly beautiful song. Although it may not find immediate appeal because of its slow and simple mood, Pritam has done a splendid job especially since he rarely composes such numbers. We get a dose of a typical Punjabi sangeet in Thoda Thoda Pyaar. What could have been just an average number since the composition is limited to the dominating dhol in order to give the authentic Punjabi sound, has been uplifted by the lyrics, and the masti with which Sunidhi has sung the number. The picturization will only make this song even more enjoyable and even though it is a traditional type of song, it has yet retained a certain 'newness' which is what makes the song work. The final song, Main Kya Hoon, has Kay Kay singing for Saif and just like the rest of the album, this song too is full of fresh sounds and lyrics. A song which may very well be an introduction to Saif's character, uses a lot of electronic sounds to give an extremely 'today' feel but what works the most for the song is that in spite of it being a fast paced track, the lyrics tell us about the character and the way he thinks and so once again we hear a story within the lyrics. Kay Kay is superb in his rendition, especially the way he hits the higher note towards the end of each line in the chorus. There isn't a single song in this album which is not fresh and worthy of making it to the music charts and hence in its entirety, Love Aaj Kal is one of the most complete albums of this year. This one is a winner all the way and should not be missed out on.

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