The joke a few years back was that all actors in Bollywood have a PhD for running around trees. At one point,we were only making romantic films. Soon we graduated to newer cinema but once in a while a film like Jab We Met rekindles the romantic genre. Its been a long time since the Shahid Kapoor- Kareena Kapoor romcom. Of late Bollywood has been supplying insipid romantic stories with no spark whatsoever. The recently released,Anjaana Anjaani and Jhoota Hi Sahi,are sparkles and dull. Has Bollywood forgotten how to make a good romance?
But first lets talk the Box Office menu. Technically speaking there is a lot in common between the two films. The premise of suicide is same for instance. In Anjaana Anjaani both Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor want to die die. In Jhoota Hi Sahi,Pakhi wants to die die. In Anjaana Anjaani Priyanka cries cries for her lost love played by Zayed Khan. In Jhoota Hi Sahi,Pakhi cries cries for her lost love played by Madhavan. In Sidharth Anands romcom,Ranbir and Priyanka walk around in New York and chose the bridge in the Big Apple to topple over. In Abbas Tyrewalas romcom,Pakhi and John Abraham walk around London streets and she has her heart set on the Tower Bridge to do the needful. The heroes in both films are slightly more sensible than the women they love but its a mystery why they love them. Alas,in both the films,nobody dies.
Romcoms are not rocket science. They usually follow the same formula: Boy meets Girl. Boy loses Girl. Boy gets Girl back. The greatest romcoms tweak this formula and infuse the story with superlative romantic moments that create on screen magic. Jab We Met had many such moments as did Abbas Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. Both Anjaana Anjaani and Jhoota Hi Sahi are devoid of magical moments. Jhoota Hi Sahi tries to build a few but they are limited to the supporting cast who are Johns friends (who by the way are straight out of Richard Curtis Notting Hill and Four Weddings And A Funeral). Also,the chemistry between John and Abbas wife Pakhi is zilch. Incidentally Pakhi is the first time writer of the film. As a writer,some of her scenes have flair but as a leading lady,she doesnt quite make the cut.
Talking of leading ladies,the female characters in both Anjaana Anjaani and Jhoota Hi Sahi are pretty one dimensional. They are needy,whiny and of course suicidal. Yes,we get their back stories about how the guys in their lives ditched them but really,wasting precious tears (and screen time) over a cad gets boring after a while.
In Abbas Tryrewalas words,such characters fry fry us. And the only question we want to ask is why why us?
