Before I actually get into the substance of this blog post, I just want to remind the readers of my blog that this blog has no specific theme. I will write about whatever I feel I have opinions on and things that are relevant to my life so keep up with this blog if you are interested in knowing my thoughts on a variety of topics!
Yesterday I went to go watch the new Hindi film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone as the main actors. I went with a huge group of my extended family, including the grandparents. I was a little nervous at first watching this film with family members because of the more explicit nature of Bollywood films nowadays but I sat with my cousins so it wasn't as awkward as it could have been.
First of all, there was a lot of hype about this movie going in. I read some people's tweets and noticed that they had enjoyed the film quite a bit. Additionally, the movie review by well known Bollywood film reviewer Taran Adarsh was 4/5 stars which raised my expectations for this film. I have to say, I was in general disappointed with the film for reasons I will state in this blog post. Don't worry, I won't spill the entire film to you in this post if you haven't seen it yet!
The Pros:
This film isn't entirely garbage. In fact, there are a lot of great things about this film that make it fresh. First and foremost, the characters the director develops and portrays in the film are great. Ranbir Kapoor's fun, free-spirited character complements very well with Deepika Padukone's more reserved or "nerdy" character, a role she doesn't usually take on. The way the director portrays Ranbir Kapoor's character (Bunny) breaking Deepika Padukone's characters' (Naina) shell and thus falling in love with her really drew me in. The dialogue between Bunny and Naina in some pivotal scenes are a huge plus for this film. Those interactions were very real and very moving. In addition, the relationship of friendship is so effectively explored in the film. there were many moments that reminded of me of some of the crazy, stupid stuff I would do with my own friends making this aspect of the film very relatable.
Another strong pro for this film is the music. I have heard a majority of the songs before watching the film and was already in love with the tracks "Ghagra", "Dilli Waali Girlfriend", "Balam Pichkari", and "Badtameez Dil". After watching the film I gained an appreciation for the other songs, "Kabira", "Shubhan Allah", and "Ilahi." Pritam has done an extraordinary job with the music. All the songs were so fitting with the film it really added the extra entertainment factor the film needed.
Finally, I found the overall message of the film to be great. The director is trying to get across a couple of simple life lessons 1. Live life in the moment 2. Life is an adventure 3. Never forget about those who love you. I know these sound so cliche but trust me, if you watch this film you will understand that the film portrays these messages very effectively.
The Cons:
While there aren't that many cons in the film, the one con really affects my entire view of this film. This con is the fact that the story and the plot is incredibly predictable and so typical of a Bollywood film. I predicted the entire plot of the film in the first 20 minutes. There is no drama, no suspense, no plot twist, nothing. The film is thus, incredibly stretched out and can easily lose the audiences' attention There are hundreds of films out there just like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani with different characters and actors and actresses but with very very similar plots. They're all typical Bollywood love stories.
Would I still recommend watching this film? Sure, but do not expect any surprises. It is worth watching this film if you like love stories, if you like Hindi music, and if you like the actors Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is just one of the many lackluster films in Bollywood nowadays. There just doesn't seem to be anything exciting and new, it's all the same. I still anticipate the breakthrough Bollywood film that explores new issues, brings about interesting storylines, and features unsurpassed acting performances. But until then, us Bollywood film lovers must settle for films like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani that simply give us something to do on Weekend nights.
I give this film a 2.5/5 stars.
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