Well, yes if one were looking for everything that is gift wrapped and presented to you in the glossy Yashraj style, this movie will fall short of your expectations.
As its been a week since the movie has hit the theatres, I can take the liberty of giving most of the story away just in case someone wants to catch it after this!
Nikhil is a budding film maker and he is in NewYork after his film has won an award. While answering a reporter he ends up quoting someone he fondly remembers. He acknowledges how he has learnt to be true to himself!
Told over a series of flashbacks, Nikhil and Lalita meet at the London Airport first, and tour the city to kill time before catching the next plane to NewYork where Lalita is supposed to go study. She is a self proclaimed feminist and she wants bring about a change in the society. Neither her words or deeds show the same! They flirt around, and the guy makes his attraction for the girl apparent while she is too uptight and goes ranting off about how she cant get into a long distance relationship and die of anticipation in return for a kiss only hours after meeting! The man obliges. They do end up kissing after all, when they have to part. Nikhil does the hero act, and flaunts his rich Producer's son status by buying a ticket to US to meet her soon thus totally bowling her over !!!
Evidently, he doesnt turn up, and Lalita has turned into a cruel hard hearted wannabe sporting short hair and even shorter clothes walking around the streets of Paris. This time when they meet, with not too much nakhras, they end up spending a night together after which Nikhil shows her his pseudo movie and all hell breaks loose. Flash back main flash back! Lalita decides to spring a surprise on Nikhil and turns up in London, only to catch him live in action in bed with another woman! Back in FlashBack 1, she admits having recognised the girl in the video as the girl in bed and walks out on Nikhil after having gotten her revenge. Before leaving she does give him a peace of her mind and also utters the magical lines that go onto to inspire him to write his hit story!
Back in the present, Nikhil has set out to reclaim his lady love. She meets him yet again. This time in Newyork, Hangs out with him all night, after having confessed to him that she is getting married the next day. She once again kicks up a fuss when they are about to kiss, though she eventually does unlike the first time. After falling asleep with him by the Hudson bridge, she wakes up the next morning and brushes the night before as nothing! This is where the man loses all cool, gives her some serious gyan on how she needs to seriously get a life and like a true stud boy sends her off in a cab to become another man's wife!
Realisation dons upon him very soon however! He is a movie maker after all... He decides to take to the roads of busy New York sprinting his way through only to get to the wrong church and learn she is not getting married! After getting yelled at by her father, the lovers unite and decide to live happily ever after!
Now if you are wondering what is it that you havent seen or heard before, the saving grace is, all if this happens in a span of one hour and thirty minutes so you dont get bored at all! Before you know the story has moved to the next stage and you totally love the pace. In fact you enjoy the thrill of exactly knowing what is to going to happen in the next scene! Its a good ego boost to an avid movie watcher! Ali Zafar is smooth as Nikhil and he doesnt tick you off with his attitude even once surprisingly! Like a friend this morning confessed, he reminds you of Saif Ali Khan in Hum Tum!
Gone are the days when issues like loyality, one love for a life time and the bitter-sweet torture of long distance relationships were most sought after. Nikhil has no qualms about admitting his supposed infidelity as a momentary lapse and Lalita also doesnt hesitate to confess she got the better of him in Paris only so he knows the pain of being betrayed!
While the music is hummable, I think things could have been better had Aditi Rao Hydari performed better. At places she tries too hard to fit into the role. She may improve with time, she has the likes of Vidya Balan for inspiration! The only thing that saved her was the well thought out story and script. The writer-director Anu Menon evidently knew what she wanted to make and she has done just that.
This is a must watch for those that love catching a movie every weekend and move on to another the next!
All in all, a good watch!
Niharika Vidya Sagar
RM Adda