ByWSJ Staff
- A still from 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.'
A romantic comedy with a young cast of Bollywood stars set in the Himalayas has all the elements for box office success in India.
But when the lead romantic roles are played by stars who used to date in real life, the audience has all the more incentive to buy a ticket.
That's the combination in this week's Bollywood release "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani" ('This Youth is Crazy').
Four friends go on a trekking trip in Manali in the foothills of the Himalayas and the characters played by Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, who used to be an item, fall in love.
Bunny (Kapoor) is with his friends Avi (Aditya Roy Kapoor) and Aditi (Kalki Koechlin) waiting to catch a train to Manali when he meets Naina (Padukone).
She falls for Bunny but the bachelor isn't keen to be tied down.
After their trip they all go their separate ways but reunite eight years later at Aditi's wedding.
The film explores how each of the characters has grown emotionally since their first vacation together.
Here's a roundup of what critics had to say about the film.
In a review on Bollywoodhungama, movie critic Taran Adarsh praised the film's director Ayan Mukherji, who he says has grown as a raconteur.
"…Ayan's characters never embark upon the run of the mill, mundane route to express feeling towards each other," Mr. Adarsh said.
The film's biggest strength in the critic's opinion, is the fact that Mr. Kapoor's character doesn't "borrow from romantic clichés."
"The message that Ayan attempts to convey is wonderfully real: There's more to life than conquering peaks and achieving targets. Sharing the precious moments with your loved one is what matters eventually," he said.
The film goes beyond just addressing the youth and its appeal is universal, the critic added.
However he felt that the narrative was a bit drawn out in the second half of the film.
But overall the film was a "revitalizing take on romance and relationships" for Mr. Adarsh, and a "wonderful cinematic experience." He gave it four stars out of five.
Rediff.com's film critic Raja Sen did not share this opinion and thought the film was good-looking but lacked a good story.
Mr. Sen thought that wherever the story didn't have a song, it was predictable and contrived, ultimately making it "quite a bore."
What did work for him were the performances by the lead actors because they are "at their most electrifying," in the film "and the sheer, heady enthusiasm is deliriously grand."
Ms. Padukone plays her character "beautifully," the critic said.
"This may be her most self-aware performance so far, and here's to more of the same," he added.
But apart from that, not much impressed Mr. Sen, who gave the film two stars out of five.
"'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' is an extremely pleasant watch," wrote Ananya Bhattacharya in a Zee News review.
She thought that the cinematographer deserved a standing ovation.
"He captures Manali in all its brilliance and more; with shots of the snow-capped mountains being the icing on the cake (the mountains, maybe)!" said Ms. Bhattacharya.
The director's attempt to tell a good story was "decent enough," but the lack of twists in the film could leave the audience a little distracted, in her opinion.
"Somewhat crisper editing could have saved the film from lagging," she added.
However, for this critic, the drawbacks of the film are made up for by a "brilliant cast."
And the soundtrack will stay on repeat play in the audiences' head long after they leave the cinema, the critic said.
The film was far from being "heavy or preachy," and the critic gave it three stars out of five.
Mohar Basu of Koimoi, an entertainment website, also gave the movie a four-star rating. He thought that despite the hype around its release, the story of the film is "imaginatively challenged."
Mr. Basu warns audiences that the film is not about Mr. Kapoor's character trying to "find himself."
"The character knows himself perfectly. It is his difficulty in coming to terms with prioritizing things that matter to him, which forms the story's most exhilarating part," he added.
"Wonderful frames, decadent music and breathtaking performances" made the film come alive for Mr. Basu, despite the fact that it followed a stereotypical narrative.
Even with its narratorial deficiencies, the story seemed honest and believable and that's what worked for the critic.
"It is films like these that make my job feel worthwhile."
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