Movie review: High on romance SRK’s ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ remains far from being a classic

Published Tuesday, November 13, 2012

By Sneha May Francis

Romance, we are told, can’t be willed when we want it to. It has to wait its turn.

Yash Chopra’s profound lesson in love is played out obediently by his lovers in ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’, who unquestioningly allow their emotions to be bottled and stored away for over a decade, patiently waiting for destiny to give them another chance.

What takes them over 10 years to discover, takes us three-long hours at the movie hall.

It’s a tad tedious, especially when Aditya Chopra’s screenplay sluggishly plods along with many inconsequential sub-plots thrown in, twisting fate and our patience tactlessly.

There’s even a full-fledged medical drama that unfolds during the second half, only there isn’t enough thought that’s gone into authenticating it.

While Yash Chopra’s signature take on love and passion are evident, it isn’t backed by a meaningful, sensitive plot. There’s mush alright, but concealed between numerous illogical situations.

Like this one-time when British police officers permit an Indian man to defuse a bomb on a cordoned-off London train without any ID inspection, only because they think “he knows what he’s saying”.

Aditya even attempts to legitimize infidelity in the most shocking and insensitive manner. Surely, no matter what age, a daughter can never really empathize with a mother for abandoning her father and her, not even if it’s for love.

‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ centres around Aviator-clad, stubbled army officer Samar Anand, who turns bomb defusal into a daring, everyday stunt, because he refuses to follow protocol and wear the protective jacket while on work.

It’s his way of teasing death, and in turn God, who he blames for taking his ladylove away from him.

And, while he isn’t working, he’s riding away into the wilderness on his bike, jotting down in his leathered diary or singing Punjabi folk songs.

His daredevil stunts, however, turn legendary, leading documentary filmmaker Akira into his life. She hopes his feats will prove to be her ticket to a place at the Discovery Channel, but soon gets distracted by his charm.

Despite being privy of his broken heart, and about how he still pines for a girl who walked out on him because of a promise she made to God, Akira unapologetically pursues the grumpy officer.

Meanwhile, destiny elbows her out and forces Samar back in time, to the city that introduced him to his first-love, the London-bred Punjabi girl Meera.

The two women, regardless of trying to woo the same man, engage in strange camaraderie, with each offering to willingly step away for the benefit of the other.

Samar, however, is more definite of his choice, and unflinching in his faith till the end.

And between all this talk of love and desire, London offers numerous hospital runs, a hotel to manage, a job to nail, and a bomb to defuse.

The dimpled, Shah Rukh Khan grins, kisses, scrunches his face, strums the guitar and even defuses bombs with panache, but he’s unable to cover-up the flaws that appear in Aditya’s story.

His Samar is a naïve, rustic charmer during his initial struggles in London, but one who undergoes a grungy, military makeover after the romantic setback. Both times, Shah Rukh is at his charismatic best.

Katrina Kaif shows remarkable improvement, in diction and acting, but she’s far from genuinely recognizing the complexities of a lover who seeks divine intervention for almost everything in life. Her Meera is unrelatable, never allowing the audience to appreciate her sacrifices, whether it’s sweets, fur coats, cigarettes, or Samar.

As lovers, Shah Rukh and Katrina are unable to create magic on-screen. It all appears well-choreographed and designed, but not truly passionate.

Anushka Sharma, unfortunately, doesn’t tip us in her favour as the cheerful Akira. In fact, she’s so loud and over-the-top, that you’d want her to calm down. Even when she unabashedly proclaims her love for Samar, or when she prances around in high-security zones wearing shorts and carrying a camera, it’s tough to take her seriously.

She plays her Delhi lingo with aplomb, one that she perfected in ‘Band Baaja Baraat’, but one that goes fairly unnoticed in this massive frame.

With all due respect to the legendary filmmaker, ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ isn’t worthy of being in his list of classics, especially the ones that we’ve come to respect and applaud.

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