Cast: Abhishek Bachachan, Preity Zinta, Bobby Deol, Lara Dutta and Amitabh Bachachan = Score 7/10
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy (thnx Rohit for the correction!) = Score 6/10
Lyrics/Story/Direction = Score 4/10
The boy touches the girl’s hand by chance: At a magazine shop, by chance the boy encounters the girl at London tube train station and “the love sparks”.
Another hit by another chance: Boy comes with his snacks and finds no seat at the eating joint there except a chair empty at the girl’s table where she is already having her sandwich. And they start chirping. Both sing songs about their respective fiancés who are about to come by the same train coming from Birmingham. Boy’s fiancée is an assistant manager in a big hotel in Paris whereas girl’s fiancée is a big shot – a partner in a prestigious lawyer firm. Boy is Abhishek and the girl is Preity. Abishek’s fiancée is Lara and Preity’s fiancée is Bobby.
Third hit by chance: the train is about to arrive one hour late. They have no other option other than share their love stories. To kill that one hour, Abhishek narrates her how he met Lara for the first time and how he fell in love with her (Anaida). Abhishek is a tapori, settled in London and is involved in all kinds of number two activities. Think for a while some connection between Lady Diana and Anaida”. Preity works in an Apparel Store in London. Now it is her turn to tell Abhishek about how she met Bobby in the famous London wax museum. Use your grey cells and think again some connection between Bobby and superman”. One hour is Over.Another announcement: the train is late by another one hour. They meet again and now decide to play a game. Preity will do something that Abhishek has done before but Preity has not. Similarly Abhishek has to do something that he has not done before but Preity has. Good going so far. The tuning, intimacy and communication graph so far going upwards.
Both realize: by now both realize if they did not have their respective fiancées, they would have gelled well and would have loved to fall in love with each other after exchanging their mobile numbers. Director wanted to keep alive their chances of meeting again otherwise just imagine the probability of a girl meeting a boy in a crowded busy city again after their first meeting.Ultimately: the train arrives. Both say good bye to each other and go to receive their individual fiancée. But hang on. Abhishek receives his friend and Preity receives her friends. Point of suspense: where the hell were there fiancées?Phir uske baad: All four meet in a dance competition to select the best Dancing Couple of Southall and ultimately Abhishek and Lara win the first prize – a free trip to Hollywood.
There is a twist, some salt and pepper, some masala …
What? Watch the movie!
My take: The way Praveen Bobby rang the bells in Amitabh Bachchan’s heart when they met first time, same bells rang in Abhishek’s heart when he met Preity in this movie. Had Amitabh not been in the movie, it would have been a super flop. His appearance, re appearance, re-re-appearance and all appearances in between filled the big gaps in the movie. Acting by all five is fantastic especially Lara and Bobby in their second role, that is not disclosed here. Story is light but conveys some hidden messages of life. One, love at first sight is very much possible. Second, if it is true love, circumstances and nature works in the favor of love. Third, Khuda meharbaan to Gadha Pehalwan and fourth Mini Skirts, Kisses and Amitabh Bachachan are still important.
There were only few people in the top three rows in the last show of a working day.The staff person while coming out asked in a pitiful tone – sahab bore to nahi hue, khair music to acha hai was something like a bald man purchases a surely effective oil from a merchant to grow hair on his head in 15 days, and when he meets the merchant after one month with the same baldness – the merchant asks him – sahab baal aaye kya?
No ROI @Rs130 per ticket.
Loved the example of the bald man.
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