By - Amit KumaR Agarwal
Karan Johar is known to make films centered around matters-of-heart. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil talks about one-sided love and all characters are victims of one-sided love! The film opens much like Ranbir's earlier film, Barfi or another Dharma production, Kal Ho Naa Ho - with protagonist narrating the love of his(her) life!
The audiences are introduced into the world of Ayan & Alizeh and thus starts a fun-filled first half! It is breezy, has spunk and the actors are natural & effortless, audience invests in them; identifies with them! The gags KJo uses keeps the audiences entertained; be it double date, the dance class "babydoll" sequence or the fucation (fun + vacation, silly) trip! The audiences are in the A+A zone, deep in their world; case in point, many a moist eyes in the audi after the "Channa Mereya" song.
The audiences are introduced into the world of Ayan & Alizeh and thus starts a fun-filled first half! It is breezy, has spunk and the actors are natural & effortless, audience invests in them; identifies with them! The gags KJo uses keeps the audiences entertained; be it double date, the dance class "babydoll" sequence or the fucation (fun + vacation, silly) trip! The audiences are in the A+A zone, deep in their world; case in point, many a moist eyes in the audi after the "Channa Mereya" song.
Second half, coasts along well, with the introduction of Aishwarya's character, Saba; goes fine, till the narrative is hit by the "Writers' Selfish Syndrome"; let me have a bit of everything - a character suffers from cancer and the film spirals out of control. Hang on, I mull; am I the only one feeling so? No, audiences are actually walking out; that is the failing of the director! It happens when the writer is directing; because the writer is in love with the script; hampering the director's objectivity; just as in love, for a lover!
Before I move to Anushka & Kapoor; performance of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is first rate! She looks stunning at 42; shines above the most poorly etched character of her career! She toplines the cast; but her role is nothing more than an extended cameo! Ranbir Kapoor is first-rate as Ayan and breathes life into the character! Post Kashyap brothers' fiasco - Besharam & Bombay Velvet; and with Ranveer Singh & Varun Dhawan gaining firm ground; critics wrote RK's obituaries - well, his act & the numbers of the film will humble them! Anushka Sharma as Alizeh complements Kapoor to the T; she is effortless, natural and brings in the pep and the chutzpah an actress ought to have.
Lisa Haydon, I have always maintained is a grossly underrated actress; she plays a gold-digging bimbette! She is just, just, just - howlarious - just look at the way she says, "Vaatavaran"! The entire audi roared with laughter during her entire act! Fawad Khan, well, any actor could've done his role! While Alia Bhatt shines in her cameo; Shahrukh Khan looks old & like.. well; didn't he check the rushes?
Before I move to Anushka & Kapoor; performance of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is first rate! She looks stunning at 42; shines above the most poorly etched character of her career! She toplines the cast; but her role is nothing more than an extended cameo! Ranbir Kapoor is first-rate as Ayan and breathes life into the character! Post Kashyap brothers' fiasco - Besharam & Bombay Velvet; and with Ranveer Singh & Varun Dhawan gaining firm ground; critics wrote RK's obituaries - well, his act & the numbers of the film will humble them! Anushka Sharma as Alizeh complements Kapoor to the T; she is effortless, natural and brings in the pep and the chutzpah an actress ought to have.
Lisa Haydon, I have always maintained is a grossly underrated actress; she plays a gold-digging bimbette! She is just, just, just - howlarious - just look at the way she says, "Vaatavaran"! The entire audi roared with laughter during her entire act! Fawad Khan, well, any actor could've done his role! While Alia Bhatt shines in her cameo; Shahrukh Khan looks old & like.. well; didn't he check the rushes?
Karan Johar, the writer, borrows heavily from his own films - Friendship track from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Defunct relationship track from Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Cancer track from Kal Ho Naa Ho - I had read somewhere; a director, after his sixth film, just rehashes his old films; seems true! Also, he liberally uses the cliches for his characters, which as a discerning audience of Hindi Cinema you know very well - Lisa Haydon & Anushka's boyfriend making out, Aishwarya & Ranbir's entire track; the biggest of all - as soon as you see Anushka with that beanie you know she has cancer! As an audience I felt the film was way too long at 2h 40m runtime!
Script Doctor Note - An ideal, script would be - interval at the point where Fawad wants to talk to Anushka. Climax where, Aishwarya shoo Ranbir off; Ranbir returns to Anushka and the final scene where, Anuska tells him she can't love him as a lover! The showdown and finally, him stopping Anushka at the airport with a cliche (some are important for wolf-whistles) Aishwarya drives Ranbir to airport!
Script Doctor Note - An ideal, script would be - interval at the point where Fawad wants to talk to Anushka. Climax where, Aishwarya shoo Ranbir off; Ranbir returns to Anushka and the final scene where, Anuska tells him she can't love him as a lover! The showdown and finally, him stopping Anushka at the airport with a cliche (some are important for wolf-whistles) Aishwarya drives Ranbir to airport!
After the film, I had a feeling KJo used all the tricks in his arsenal
in the first half; instead of the cancer track; had he developed the
conflict of Aishwarya, Ranbir, Anushka - the film would've been much
better and a bigger winner!
Don't know, how many noticed, the film is co-produced by K Jo's new banner ADHM Films; was it for a sequel or to complete the formalities to avail various facilities and subsidies in EU; if going for a sequel, script it better!
Don't know, how many noticed, the film is co-produced by K Jo's new banner ADHM Films; was it for a sequel or to complete the formalities to avail various facilities and subsidies in EU; if going for a sequel, script it better!
