Unpretentious Pretence

When you walk out of Sirish Kunder's Jaan-e-mann, you immediately go back to the opening credit titles and seeth in anger, when you remember having read 'Story - Sirish Kunder'. You feel that did someone really write a story for this bioscope? Did he have something to say? Was there any definite progression in this attempt, irrespective of the narrative being linear or not? And yet you missed it? And then you think, that did this movie (I won't call it a story) having anything new to perform? All that you did see were bits and parts of Gene Kelley's immortal Singin' in the Rain and Nikhil Advani's never-born Kal Ho Naa Ho. Then you turn around and ask me what my verdict is? is this movie worth the price of admission that you paid for, or is it just another bad investment?

If you want to see a quasi-Yash Chopra Kabhi Kabhi or a maybe a new-age Sangam, you are barking up the wrong tree. Taking a cue from his wife, Sirish Kunder lays out his cards within the first five minutes of the movie and that also includes a two-minute title card. Jaan-e-mann, intendedly has no sense nor was it meant to. Full of madness and dream-sequences and seemingly-realistic flashbacks, with the present hovering around the past, the chord of this movie lies in its sequnces, in its moments. Every episode is so well crafted and magically imposed on the audience that you for once do not get the inkling to leave your seat and go home! You never really do focus on the story, though it goes on, without you having to forcfully rely on it. The fare is rather stereo-typed and monotonous, but the effect and touches are innovative!

In addition to it, you get to see a new-improved Salman Khan, who does the same things with newer elan. The walk is the same, the dancing routines are the same, the expressions are the same and so is the body language, but it is a Salman Khan that you have never seen before! Its a Salman Khan that you like and love, a Salman Khan that you can idolize. Though Salman is the lead hero in the movie, the film belongs to Akshay Kumar. he guffowes, laughs, cries and behaves like someone you only associate as the college nerd - and yet he carries you away! The film just rests on his shoulders and he makes sure that the movie does not fall off anywhere. Priety Zinta fails in comparison to her co-actors, but she isn't bad. Its just that like the others, she isn't different, isn't new.

This Diwali, if you want to make your troubles seem lighter, without actually receiving a sermon on how to do that, go watch Jaan-e-Mann. You'll feel better!