Banner: Red Chillies Entertainment
Producer: Gauri Khan
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Star Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma Aru Krishansh Verma, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Evelyn Sharma, Sayani Gupta, Paras Arora, Kavi Shashtri et al
Music: Pritam, Diplo & Hitesh Sonik
Director Imtiaz Ali still seems to be reeling under the hangover of the Karina Kapoor Khan & Shahid Kapur starrer Jab We Met but seriously there cannot even be the oddest comparison between Jab We Met & Jab Harry Met Sejal and it doesn’t even sound like a sequel too. Besides not even in the wildest imagination can one say that Jab Harry Met Sejal is a straight take off on that Hollywood blockbuster movie When Harry Met Sally which was so full of romance.
The most poorly scripted scenario of Jab Harry Met Sejal entails that it is a story of a bored tourist guide whose life takes a turn thanks to a spunky tourist. Harinder “Harry” Singh Nehra (Shah Rukh Khan) takes visitors on a tour across several European countries. He’s a bit aloof, rude & even finds it difficult to maintain long lasting relationships. Sejal Jhaveri (Anushka Sharma) is a tourist who has taken the services of Harry along with her entire family. She gets engaged during the trip to Rupen (Kavi Shastri). Unfortunately, her engagement ring gets lost and she refuses to go back to Mumbai until she finds it. She compels Harry to help her find the ring and he agrees to do so reluctantly. How Harry & Sejal discover each other and also themselves during the course of their “RING DHUNDO MISSION” forms the rest of the story of Jab Harry Met Sejal.
In fact Jab Harry Met Sejal begins on a swift note. No time is wasted in explaining Harry’s life, his enthusiasm as a guide, his moments of loneliness when no one is watching & his troubled relations with women are well explained in a few minutes in the song “Safar”. Sejal is also introduced in no time and the fun begins as they try to find the misplaced ring. The humor comes out very well and the 1st half moves at a breezy pace. The sequence where Sejal gets into trouble in a Prague bar and the scene thereafter stands out as the best & the most exciting portion of the 1st half of the movie. The song “Hawayein” is also played at a poignant & sweet point of the film minutes before the intermission. But post – intermission, the film becomes a long yawn inducing drag. The makers seem confused as the narrative gets chaotic. The twist in the tale, related to the ring, might come across as stupid or unfair by a section of the audiences. At one point, one wonders where exactly the film is heading to. The finale also has a twist but this one is better than the 1st. The film ends on a predictable & clichéd note.
First things first director Imtiaz Ali’s story is absoluty weak and gives a deja vu of some of the prominent love stories of Shah Rukh Khan. Imtiaz Ali’s screenplay too is absolutely faulty and rather inconsistent. No doubt some of the sequences are deftly handled and bring out the best emotions. Watch out for the sequence where Harry innocently asks Sejal for a hug. But there’s not much of a backstory provided. What prompted Harry to leave his village & what exactly was his equation with his family? Why did he never return back to his “pind”? Harry getting overwhelmed in the church and crying seems bizarre. Same goes for him crying out the name of the girl in the echo sequence. Even Sejal’s actions seem unjustified. The manner in which she pretends to be Harry’s girlfriend and is vying for his attention & praises from him also don’t make the intended impact. It’s also bewildering how Sejal’s family members leave her alone in Europe and they don’t even seem too worried about her. Nobody decides to cancel their return journey to Mumbai for Sejal’s sake and she is left on her own. Moreover, it is revealed that Harry is a man with loose character who has been caught getting physical with his clients. In fact, he was to get deport after one more such case. Yet, Harry’s bosses have no qualms when such a high – profile client like Sejal is left at his mercy. Imtiaz Ali’s dialogues however are straight out of life and yet well – worded.
That apart Imtiaz Ali’s direction, just like the script, is also a bit shaky. Known for handling films like Jab We Met, Love Aaj Kal, Rockstar & Highway, the writer – filmmaker doesn’t seem to be in a complete form.
Pritam Chakraborty’s music is a mix of some great as well as average tracks. “Main Banoo Teri Radha” is definitely the best song of the whole lot, especially for the way it’s shot & placed. “Hawayein” is the next best and again, it’s placed at a beautiful moment in the film. “Safar” serves as a nice introductory track. But “Beech Beech Mein” & “Raula” don’t make the desired impact. Whereas “Phurrr” is relegated to the background and could have been done away with totally & “Butterfly” is foot – tapping, played during end credits. Hitesh Sonik’s background score is in sync with the film’s mood.
K U Mohanan’s cinematography is stunning. The locales of Europe and its bylanes are very well captured. Aarti Bajaj’s editing could have been crisper & smooth. The way the song “Beech Beech Mein” begins all of a sudden immediately after the intermission confuses the audiences.
Performances are wonderful. Shah Rukh Khan looks dashing and performance – wise, he is good. He brings out the angst beautifully without going overboard. Also, the trademark sarcasm that he nailed in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna & Kal Ho Na Ho is brought out here in a few scenes and it works very well. However, some of his Punjabi dialogues are difficult to comprehend. Anushka Sharma is on another level altogether in this film. She gets into the skin of her character and her performance makes one smile, guffaw and even move viewers, as and when required. Chandan Roy Sanyal as Gayasuddin has a miniscule role. Aru Krishansh Verma as Mayank has a crucial part and is quite decent. Evelyn Sharma as Mayank’s fiancé doesn’t get much scope.
In conclusion Jab Harry Met Sejal has its moments of glory. But the film is riddled with cliches & flaws that takes the film down, thanks to the poor script. At the box office, the film might have a good weekend but will struggle in the weekdays and in Week 2 too.
