JTYJN

After titles like QSQT, DDLJ, KKHH, KANK, OSO - comes Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. Now, whether you know it or you dont, how does it matter when you've really munched on well into the butter popcorn and cold coffee, with peals of laughter thrown in between?! Add some real good performances from what we can call an exact casting of artistes in recent times, and it really does not matter if you even come back without remembering the order of their appearances (which of course, they dutifully put in the end titles!)

Good debut by Imraan Khan. Genelia is finally getting her act together. Friendship or love is the focus but its not the only thing the lead pair are obsessed about. The brother sister act between Aditi and Amit is an equally enjoyable one to the rare mom-son scenarios shared between Savitri (an outstanding portrayal by Ratna Pathak Shah) and her son Jai (this boy has it naturally or is it some great training from a watchful uncle?!). Even though he is an over-exposed actor, he was always a wee bit under-utilised, dont you think? Im talking about Paresh Rawal who does a superb cameo in this film. The Khan Brothers provide the bit of suspension of disbelief - but as Aditi herself says when she sees them (along with the audience for the 1st time) "Is shehar mein kuch bhi ho sakta hai!". And with that line, you sit back and enjoy what can possibly be a good, Indian film for the makers of Sex in the City to take many lessons from, on How to Make a Rom-Com!

Some real lines for dialogues and realtime filming to register changes in emotion in the 'mind' of the characters (yes, not just the face as we are so used to watching in Indian cinema) - yes, some cliches are employed to make the predictable scenes run towards the climax but in all, Abbas Tyrewala has made his mark as one of the very best screen-writers we have! As a director, his staging of the scenes, the way he would open a scene from the book Savitri is reading to a wider frame near the Bay of Bengal, everything has its own charm and freshness. Maybe it also has to do with the 'sunshine' effect of the entire film as well - bright and breezy, with a generous dose of soothing colors for costumes and no overdose of anything remotely cinematic.

No, I didnt feel the need to compare this one with KKHH or Dil Chahta Hai (except felt that this one too is a movie for TODAY-much like its predecessors). I felt completely young watching this zig-zag, yo-yo love story, with less intensity and more fun. I mean, this is a film where parents enquire fondly of their children, "beta, aaj ki party kaisi thi?" instead of going ballistic over when, where and how (and in what dress) their under-21 kids were partying! Cool, huh?!

But then, the THIS in JTYJN is Mumbai and we ARE in 2008! But how many of our movies are made for our time? This one sure is - no matter how old you are, if you have a funny bone, if you've had deep friendships, if you've loved and been in love for a long time, this one is for you! Watch it.

Wait, how am I allowed to leave without talking about A R Rahman? Well, he is what he is for the film - the music director. He didnt try to take the film away from its makers. Happily Rahman has let the director be the Boss and has delivered the tracks and BGM to the orders of the script, hence, Rahman fits in so well, that we don't feel the need to look for him! ;-)