Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 12th February, 2016
Time : 131 minutes
Director, Writer : Abhishek Kapoor; Co-Writer : Supratik Sen (based on the novel ‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens); Music : Hitesh Sonik
Starring : Tabu, Katrina Kaif, Aditya Roy Kapur
Soulful, romantic movies – where the hero and heroine keep expressing their love for each other, revel in deep sighs, leaving things unsaid and meaningful stares - aren’t really my type. Add shades of tragedy to them and usually they’re well nigh unwatchable for me. I went purely for Tabu and some of the visuals and I wasn’t disappointed.
It’s a pretty straight-laced translation of Great Expectations – set in Kashmir. Aditya Roy Kapur, the poor, talented artist / boy, Katrina Kaif, the gorgeous princess and Tabu the mesmeric, heart-broken wealthy ‘Queen’.
Kashmir never looked prettier – the autumn and snowy frames a visual delight (great work by Anay Goswami) ! The music score is super, sets the tone, the song Pashmina especially resonating. Even some of the art Aditya is shown creating is beautiful, breath-taking (some went over my head – the horse, for example - but there were others – the shikara, the black and white drawings - that were stunning). And Tabu works her magic – her look, her eyes and minimal gestures connecting a lot more than her hysterical moments.
I don’t get this kind of love – perhaps the problem is me – the one-sided, never-fading, the kind that lasts for years just on memories. Add to that the rich-poor angle, the bits about Kashmir (the bomb blasts, Indo-Pak relations) and the whole somber, brooding undertone, and you lost me
The main issue with the film though lies in the fact that, despite being only two years apart, Katrina looks like a nearby Cougar Aunty I know when romancing Aditya…and I mean this without in any way demeaning either of the two persons – it’s not that she looks old or anything – just the pair doesn’t work. She’s all grown-up, full-bodied, curvaceous woman while he’s still man-boy-child (with rippled abs, but that doesn’t change anything).
It’s not good for a romance flick, if the lead pair doesn’t click. No ?
12 comments:
All happy households conspire and all successful relationships pretend and endure. At the bottom of it all is the same old thing - our struggle for survival...
Like the mist of words that is infinitely scrolling, like the galaxies seemingly and visually forming around the primordial seed of entire world's upon the skin of a common fruit... Kashmir tells you that there is a wider state of grace as an individual one can aspire to.. It's humbling...
Where have all the sparrows gone ?
Aai zindagi galey laga ley.. An 80's song...
Kashmir... On icy trails... Stunning scenery in an exotic locale... awe-inspiring landscapes that are a visual treat, takes my breath away.... The stay in a houseboat with 'bukharis' (a typically Kashmiri stove kept alight with embers of wood... sipping 'Kahwah' their desi tea.. ) A ride in a houseboat in Dal Lake... one is enthralled by the beauty of the Himalayas and it's glittering slopes, hilly terrain offers the enchanting sceneries of oak fringed slopes and coniferous forest... stunning natural vistas... The Sunshine Peak in Gulmarg, allows you to catch a glimpse of the mighty mountains quite up-close... Watching the Shepherds take the sheep out for a walk in snow-covered ranges...
Kashmir... On icy trails... Stunning scenery in an exotic locale... awe-inspiring landscapes that are a visual treat, takes my breath away ( sounds so romantic...) .. The stay in a houseboat with 'bukharis' (a typically Kashmiri stove kept alight with embers of wood... sipping 'Kahwa' their desi tea.. ) A ride in a houseboat in Dal Lake... one is enthralled by the beauty of the Himalayas and it's glittering slopes, hilly terrain offers the enchanting sceneries of oak fringed slopes and coniferous forest... stunning natural vistas... The Sunshine Peak in Gulmarg, allows you to catch a glimpse of the mighty mountains quite up-close... Watching the Shepherds take the sheep out for a walk in snow-covered ranges...(I even chased a lamb & managed to pick it up..)
Pure and authentic Pashmina shawls, handmade and hand embroidered by the Kashmiri artisans are my aunt's prized possession... It's mind boggling to see her wardrobe, boy ! What a fascinating collection of silk sarees....
When the chirping of the birds wake you up...
If you didn't like this lead pair as a couple, then what about Nimrat and Akshay in Airlift and Aditi and Farhan in Wazir ?
You've travelled world over, have you been to this Paradise on Earth ? Stunning mountains, truly a treat to the eyes... Memories to be cherished, picture yourself soaring in love... picture-perfect story for many years to follow.. Friendly locals and cheerful kids, lush landscapes and charming villages.. Pictures to be captured in your camera.. Celebrate love in a free wild way...
Fitoor is an Urdu word - meaning : when something overwhelms your mind to the point of a little insanity...generally associated with love...
Kashmir's icy visuals make a sensory experience... The winter-ravaged mountains look beautiful, we need to take a bow to the power of nature's elements.. It's the survival of the fittest in the wilderness..
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