Thursday, October 7, 2010

Anjaani, Anjaana - Disappointing

I watched 'Anjaani, Anjaana' last night and was really disappointed. For one the movie never went off the ground after a potentially nice set up when two potentially dynamite actors meet on a bridge to commit suicide, fail and then decide to do as many things that they wanted to do before they die at a later date. (Now how they think they can pull it off later is another issue of course.)

The two, Aakash (Ranbir) and Kiara (Priyanka) fail at everything they do, which I guess is supposed to be funny but the problem is that the script is not consistent to that. Right up front there is an overdose of 'dost dost na raha' when his friends realise Aakash cheated them by telling them he'd raise a loan of 1.2 million but actually raises 12 million and loses it all in a sock market crash. Now they are all supposed to be bankers and it made me want to strangle them as they whine about how he cheated them (what were the dodos doing while signing the documents or are they even more dumber than this guy who can't even kill himself after 5 tries). 'At least do that for you friends, you who have never done anything for friends,' they whine with such sad faces and cracked voices that you feel like throwing up. It turns out that maverick Aakash has also made similar plots before and made lots of money for them. Anyway, this stock market crash and guilt drives Aakash to the bridge (why, if he was so not bothered about them anyway?) where he meets a vodka swigging Kiara who is also a step away from jumping. Her instant advice 'if you have to jump, jump, and don't think about it'. Then pray, why is madam swigging vodka instead of jumping?

Anyway she is so upbeat in that part of the film that you wonder why she is going to die. She actually looks like she is enjoying her life. The couple try to get run over, jump off the bridge, asphyxiate themselves (ass...what, nice one whoever came up with that) and fail, turn on the gas and find out that the gas connection has been cut, drink bleaching solution and fail at everything. By now it has been established that these two are the world's biggest losers with the brains of two year olds (which was a rather unnecessary set up because they could have just gone on being normal instead of being depicted as retarded). Struck by a realisation that they are here for a bigger purpose they decide to do something they wanted to do before they die before trying to die again on the 31st (20 days away, cute scene where Kiara is counting away the number of days). Aakash wants to get laid (he never did it) and Kiara (who does not know if she is a virgin and neither do we) wants to swim in the ocean. Losers that they are, Aakash cannot do it with someone he does not love (and he does not love anyone, so how will he get laid ever?) despite Kiara finding him some women to do it with, and Kiara manages to fall into the ocean and they both manage to lose the boat. The ocean scene takes a turn for the worse because Kiara finds it a good time to tell Aakash how her boyfriend cheated on her with Rachel and they remain in the water for a good half hour.

And then we go to Vegas because Aakash is inspired enough to do something whacky. And you won't believe it - they lose the car from under their noses in the middle of a flat desert for miles when she gets off to pee. They regain possession of the car with Ranbir acting as a gay stripper (please, not anymore gay jokes guys, it's getting boring) and fooling the big fat foreign guy. And then Vegas where Kiara finally decides that she can let Aakash sleep with her (aha, finally, why did they not think of that possibility at all since they are living together all this time anyway and are going to die anyway?) but Aakash does not (maybe he does not love her) and they drive off unhappy. She wakes up to find that she is in San Francisco - hey how did we get here? I mean did you not look at the signboards maam? An attempt to hitch her back with Zayed flops but Aakash is off to NY already and everyone including Zayed tell Kiara that she must go to the bridge in NY where they were to meet on the 31st to commit suicide. And she does and well, he does. And by this time it was beyond me how they can ever do anything right ever and I don't really care.

Anyway, good luck to them. I did not connect with either nor with their love, nor with their cute little ways. Unfortunate because I do think they are first rate actors and it was a waste of such fine, spontaneous talent. Music was decent. Felt camera work was below par - both Ranbir and Priyanka don't look their best. I think what did not work for me was that it tried to tread too many things at once, something for everyone kind of a formula. It might have worked if they stuck to making it funny, or dramatic, or romantic. Unfortunately it became none of the above. I am surprised why the reviewers gave it 4 star honestly. At best a 3 star for me but more like a 2.5.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

When was the last time you saw a Hindi or telugu movie that you liked? Me I can't remember.

Harimohan said...

Don't remember recent Hindi and Telugu ones but you must watch 'Harishchandrachi Factory'- a Marathi movie. Absolute delight.