What do you feel when you watch a forgettable potboiler from the 70s,80s or 90s? When the title-credits rolls,we get the same dated and stale vibe from Anjaana Anjaani the NRI-based romantic mush with a protagonist almost getting married to Mr Wrong has been done to death,and the NRI formula is now yesterdays rancid news. Even Ravi Chandrans camerawork and the DI cannot put life into the dry urban montages,the waters and deserts and the casinos of Las Vegas. After all,what is the use of decorating a corpse? And thats exactly what this film is a lifeless,drama-less saga of two self-centered individuals whose motivations,forget being logical or sensible,are cold,calculated,callow and incredibly insensitive,except about each others feelings that too when they finally start caring for each other. Trouble is,we dont even start caring for them,a state of affairs fatal for any form of storytelling,and this blame lies expressly at the door of the scriptwriters and director. Akash (Ranbir Kapoor) wants to commit suicide because he has led his company and co-investors to insolvency and Kiara (Priyanka Chopra) because her long-term flame Kunal (Zayed Khan) has betrayed her and slept with a firang. They both come to jump off the bridge,but their suicides fail. They then try in other ways (an incredibly insensitive take on suicides that could be harmful to society) and when everything fails,decide that there must be a reason to live till the end of the year (!). They decide to enjoy (!!) life till then in each others company,though neither is interested in connecting with their caring families or friends. Harping on the fact that they have no money,they still drive across countries in Kiaras battered convertible,change clothes in every scene,dance and sing as if they are the happiest souls in every sense and binge on restaurant and junk food and of course,alcohol. Through superficial emotions,they introspect,separate and yawn! Lets not go on and on,like the film does. Again with a sadistic touch,when they finally decide to marry,an onlooker utters the cliché : Marriage is worse than suicide! Nothing rescues this film - not Ranbir Kapoor with the standard expressions and predictable outbursts at intervals (though his sincerity cannot be doubted,its high time and more that he chose and junked his movie offers sensibly),not Priyanka Chopra (though she is brilliant in the first five minutes,and again sincere throughout) and certainly not the technical or creative side. The dialogues lack punch and pith,the background music is raucous and intrusive oftener than not,and all of nine lyricists do not write a single meaningful song between them. The gimmicky title-track is the only-saving grace of the music score,and the high-pitched background songs that are supposed to convey and enhance the emotions only attack the ears with their empty,synthetic melody. Director Siddharth Anands track-record continues to alarm what can one say to a declining graph where his comparative best till now was his debut film Salaam Namaste? But films have moved on,and the jaded NRI groove is not in anymore. Rating: One star for the enthusiasm on the part of the lead pair and cameraman,even if it is misplaced investment in a bad product.
