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By Joginder Tuteja, October 20, 2009 - 12:53 IST
MOVIE DETAILS
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Giselle Monteiro, Rishi Kapoor, Rahul Khanna
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Producer: Saif Ali Khan & Dinesh Vijan
Music: Pritam
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil
THE FILM
Love Aaj Kal is perhaps the first ever film made in Bollywood which begins with a break up. The pair (Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone) does break up but doesn't quite drift apart. 'After all it's an era of communication', says Saif Ali Khan. So there is internet, emails, chat rooms, cell phones etc. to keep people in touch with her. So much so that even when the 'once in love and perhaps still in love' couple decide to take care of their lives separately rather than getting into an ugly long distance relationship, they continue to meet and greet and paint the city of Delhi (or as Rishi Kapoor exclaims in the film - 'Dilli') red.
It's just that continuous talks around 'how we are happier today when compared to yesterday' becomes monotonous after a while. It all seems good though in the initial reels of the film. In fact first 20 minutes of the film are excellent when Imtiaz wraps up the beginning and end of Saif-Deepika love story. Most film makers would have taken time till the interval point to reach this stage but credit it to Imtiaz and editor Aarti Bajaj who make time literally fly by. Watch out for the innovative manner in which quick shots are placed one after another, especially in the 'Dooriyan' song that plays along with the opening credits!
While watching this portion of the film, you do feel that Love Aaj Kal is indeed treading a different and a very original path. The narrative is quite Western here and there is no hint of Bollywood cinema at all. In fact the entire 'break up party' introduction is an Ace in the hands of Imtiaz as he plays his cards brilliantly.
So the game is set, the two lovers decide to 'keep in touch' and before saying final goodbye reveal their inner most secrets to each other. So far, so excellent but this is the point where Love Aaj Kal does take a brief dip. Rishi Kapoor's emergence in the story gets a good kick start. However, the entire flashback angle with Rishi Kapoor narrating his own story, something which sounds quite exciting on paper, doesn't really carry the same punch as the Saif-Deepika story.
In fact whenever the film goes into the past mode, it dips and it is only Deepika's re-emergence on the scene that lights up things. Watch out for the scene where she finally decides to move on and brings on a fake smile in front of the mirror. A difficult scene which is extremely well done. However, there are intentional laughs that she generates during her interaction with Rahul Khanna where she confesses that she has messed it up by getting into a wrong marriage.
The film progresses with the Swiss girl moving on, Deepika moving on, Rahul Khanna too getting a solitary scene for himself and ultimately Saif too moving on. Meanwhile the scenes that work most are a) When Saif ends up talking gibberish as he interacts with Deepika at her wedding and b) Picturisation of the song 'Main Kya Hoon' towards the latter part of the second half where Saif's character goes through a transition from being happy to being utterly depressed.
It's the performances and the music that make Love Aaj Kal a pleasant watch. Deepika Padukone is excellent as she brings in a certain casual feel to the entire 'getting in love and then breaking up' part. Saif, who has been quite reliable for last 7-8 years at least, is good as well. Watch out for his monologues once every 30 minutes. Rishi Kapoor is nice in his earlier scenes though one wonders what made Rahul Khanna sign a film that didn't fetch him a single decent scene!
As for composer Pritam he is the star of the show and comes up with multiple numbers like 'Twist', 'Aahun Aahun' and 'Chor Bazari'. Even 'Main Kya Hoon', 'Ye Dooriyan' and 'Ajj Din Chadheya' make a good impact.
PACKAGING
Just like majority of prestigious projects from EROS that have released on DVD, Love Aaj Kal too is made available in an excellent thick paper packaging that lends a glossy and attractive feel to it. The film arrives in a 2 DVD pack.
DURATION
The film's duration is 123 minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Making of the Film
- Making of the Songs
- Love Aaj Kal journey
- Deleted scenes
- Press Conference
- Remix Video (of 'Twist')
- Audio release function
- Commentary by Saif Ali Khan and Imtiaz Ali
Love Aaj Kal has a lot to offer if you are looking at your home video being filled with tons of special features. EROS doesn't let the viewers down as the company packs an additional DVD which has a lot in the offering for those looking forward to behind the scenes and on the sets happenings.
'Making of the Film' as well as 'Making of the Songs' are quite enjoyable and youthful, something that goes with the mood and flavour of the film. Thankfully, the actors and the crew refrain from going ballistic appreciating each other and instead concentrate on sharing trivia around the film's making. Saif, Deepika, Rishi Kapoor, Imtiaz, co-producer Dinesh Vijan, choreographer Bosco - each of them has a lot to talk about around their experiences of coming together and making this film.
Especially interesting are the sequences that revolve around canning of shots in busy locations at Delhi, the shooting of 'Twist' & 'Aahun Aahun' and the accidental fall that Deepika had during the making of 'Chor Bazari'. One misses the presence of dear Harleen a.k.a. Giselle Monteiro though since for audiences, it would have been quite some treat to see her in her true Brazilian avtar.
'Press conference' and the 'Audio release function' segments are boring though as they gets into the usual talks around how the film and music have turned out to be. Due to this, it is pretty much a quick skip. However, Love Aaj Kal journey' is an interesting watch as it showcases the worldwide shooting of the film.
For a movie like Love Aaj Kal, one eagerly looks forward to the 'Deleted Scenes'. There are close to half a dozen deleted scenes with the one making maximum impact being the one where Saif proposes to Deepika with a ring. It instantly brings a smile on your face and considering the fact that this was shot for being placed at the very end of the film, it may well have been retained. Ditto for the only scene in the film (the one at Nathu sweets) where Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone come together.
For those who love the process of film making and what actually happened during each of the scenes, there are Saif Ali Khan and Imtiaz Ali giving their commentary. A separate audio track is reserved in the film DVD for this which gives audiences a lot more to pick and choose from. What is noticeable is the fact that even though Imtiaz Ali is not known for being vocal, he does have things to talk about in his commentary. His maturity as a film maker shows though as he is neither understated nor does he, go overboard with his narration. Saif too keeps his excitement in check considering the fact that the movie was a huge hit before he recorded his commentary. Most other actors in his place would have gone ballistic talk about their films and the strength that the narrative carried and their own act in front of the camera. However, Saif sticks on to the essence of the commentary and concentrates on the film as a whole rather than himself as an actor or a producer.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
- Mastered from High Definition (HD)
- 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
- Subtitles in English
- Dolby Digital 5.1 and Stereo
PRICE
Rs. 399/=
CONCLUSION
Love Aaj Kal is a clean family film that stays on to be the biggest money spinner that 2009 has seen so far. The film managed to push Saif Ali Khan closer to being one of the Top-5 superstars that we have in the country today. As for Imtiaz Ali, he is now clearly one of the most sought after directors who can be expected to narrate a tale set in modern India. Own your own copy and also gift one each to your loved ones this festive season!
  
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