Review: Jaane Tu..Ya Jaane Na

Cast: Imran Khan, Genelia D’Souza, Kool bunch

Direction: Abbas Tyrewala

It’s a zest fest. Fresh out of college, the graduates are chewing the air, streaking their hair, spinning around on double dates, swigging colas by the crates. And yeah, they have to get serious, quit being delirious and all that pop-rock-fusion jazz.

Writer-director Abbas Tyrewala’s Jaane Tu.. Ya Jaane Na – the title’s inspired by a song from Manmohan Desai’s Aa Gale Lag Jaa – is coltishly young, never mind if at several points it’s as irritating as a hung computer.

There is a girl and there is a boy. Both are extremely different yet are extremely close to each other. Girl is rich, tongue-in-cheek, dominant and aggressive while the boy has had a middle class upbringing and is submissive, soft-spoken and calm. Opposites attract and so do they but not as lovers, as friends! So when do they realize its love?

Abbas Tyrewala definitely comes up with a winner in the form of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. He tells us an ordinary love story, whose theme is Pyaar Dosti Hai (Love is friendship)… a la Kuch Kuch Hota Hai… however presents it in a much mature fashion than its glorious predecessor. He tackles this confused romantic comedy with elan and impresses you with his subtlety in terms of direction. Not a single scene, actor is overly dramatic. The characters are real, identifiable and extremely cute!

Jai (Imran) and Aditi (Genelia) are ‘best friends’ and are extremely possessive of each other but are definitely not in love. They long for each other’s company and still wonder why close friends and parents believe that they are in love! After giving a deep thought both realize its high time they find themselves a special someone too since one cant spend a lifetime with a best friend! However when they do find their respective ‘special someone’ they realize love is not about finding a perfect someone, it’s about feeling perfectly happy with an imperfect partner.

A R Rahman’s music score is remarkably bouncy, especially the Kabhi kabhi Aditi and Pappu can’t dance tracks.

Correctly, the cast is new and sporty. Alishka Varde as the ever-smiling girl of the gang is likeable. Ayaz Khan, as the smarmy baddy is a face to watch out for. Genelia D’Souza is consistently spontaneous. Above all, the enterprise belongs to debutant Imran Khan who comes up with an intelligent and restrained performance. A star is born for sure in a movie – with all its highs and lows -- is as welcome as sunshine in these cloudy days.