Jab We Met (2007)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Imtiaz Ali

Writer:

Imtiaz Ali (writer)

Release Date:

26 October 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Aditya Kashyap (Shahid Kapoor), a demoralized industrialist, gets even more depressed after attending the marriage of the girl he loves the most...

Plot Keywords:

Train | Love | Journey | Hotel | Joint Family

Awards:

3 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Shahid Kapur	...	Aditya Kashyap (as Shahid Kapoor)
Kareena Kapoor	...	Geet Dhillon
Tarun Arora	...	Anshuman
Dara Singh	...	Dadaji
Pavan Malhotra	...	Geet's Chacha (as Pawan Malhotra)
Kamal Tiwari
Kiran Juneja	...	Mrs. Dhillon
Divya Shah
Saumya Tandon	...	Roop Dhillon
Nihar Thakkar	...	Raghav
Manushka Khisty	...	Meher
F.J. Jussawala	...	Mother's lawyer
Vishal Sharma	...	Aditya's lawyer
Rohini Sahni	...	Bride
Deepak Sharma	...	Groom

Runtime:

137 min

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi | Punjabi | English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

Khandala, Maharashtra, India

Company:

Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision

Trivia:

A private screening of the film was organized at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai for those associated with the film and their families on October 23rd, 2007.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the station when Geet buys a water bottle, she takes a very small sip in the beginning. However, after a chat with the shop-owner, a considerably larger amount of water is missing from the bottle.

A Wonderful Surprise

The other day I was complaining that simple love stories suck nowadays. There are too melodramatic and/or don't hold the same appeal that they did in the 90's. I honestly have not enjoyed a simple comedy love story since Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai. Movies like Hum Tum and Salaam Namaste are overdone and clichéd. There are also films like Mohabbatein which are serious films as opposed to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. But this movie was a pleasant surprise.

I had no expectations for this movie. I thought it would be a complete flop. But hearing good reviews and response, I thought I should check it out. And I am glad I did. There are no sub plots in the movie, there is only supporting characters who move the single plot forward. The movie did get clichéd towards the end, but at the same time it was different. The movie is not intended for the families, but couples. The movie is called Jab We Met instead of Jab Hum Miley because it is a twist on the romantic movies we normally see.

The acting surprised me. When I saw Shahid Kapoor in Ishq Vishk, I couldn't stand him. He looked like an adolescent. In Fida and Dil Maange More, I wanted to throw something at the director. However, Vivah made me call him a promising actor. And with Jab We Met, he is really improving as an actor. He gives a restrained performance and he can rise among with contemporaries. Kareena Kapoor emerges as the star with her spirited performance. She makes overacting look so great, and her dramatic portions were natural. Think a modern Kajol in K3G. Her acting has really improved over the years, and her effort shows. The supporting cast was quite good except for Tarun Arora, who should be forbidden to speak.

As for music, it was much better in visualization. The song Nagada Nagada was vibrant and entertaining, and Shahid Kapoor is getting better as a dancer. One cannot say the same for Kareena Kapoor so I give props to the director for making Ye Ishq Hai a fun song, than a dance song. Mauja Hi Mauja look brilliant, but one gets deja vu since it looks so similar to Aaja ve Mahi (Even the lead is the same). The slow songs don't disturb the narrative, but there were too many songs at one point in the movie.

The movie is the perfect date movie, and perfect for all viewers.