Did the magic work? With all the curiosity surrounding the esteemed Yash Raj banner’s latest rom-com that was the inevitable question which strikes me as I emerged out of the cinema. To the most part, yes, it did. To say the least, Director Siddharth Anand of ‘Salaam Namaste’ fame, quite efficiently managed to put together a pretty decent piece of cinematic work of art, weaving together a modern-day romantic tale.
While it wasn’t so much as bigger and better as ‘Salaam Namaste’ (which still remains as one of my favourite movies), it wouldn’t do complete justice to declare that ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ (Beware, Gorgeous Ladies) doesn’t appeal to your better senses. It certainly does.
The movie opens as the playful yet charming protagonist Raj Sharma (Ranbir Kapoor) reminiscing his utterly amusing romantic tales. Tag him as the ultimate Casanova, the witty playboy or his personal favourite – the killer, but Raj can’t help it as his charming nature continues to sweep girls off their feet. Who can blame him? Girls just happen to fall for him – only to realise (when it’s too little too late, of course) he’s the wrong guy. Oh boy!
‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ thus unfolds his triangular love story (rather than the clichéd love triangle) set in different times and each told in its unique approach. As the first romance unfolds in flashback, we are transported to 1996 when Raj meets Mahi (Minissha Lamba), a sweet and dreamy girl from Amritsar, who lives in her own dreams, perfectly content with her life, waiting to meet her perfect soulmate. Their rather coincidental encounter leads Raj and Mahi to discover something much too deep for their younger selves to understand. Soon Raj’s sense of humour and appeal wins Mahi’s heart but then, only to be broken into pieces.
Flashback to Mumbai, 2002. Raj meets Radhika (Bipasha Basu), a determined, small town girl aspiring to be an actress in the big city, who lives by her own rules. Following a rather comical encounter, Raj falls head-over-heels for the sexy Radhika and soon they move from next-door-neighbours live-in-couples-without-any-commitment. They were having the best time of their lives until Radhika brings the subject of marriage and Raj gets cold feet.
Flash back to Sydney, 2007. Raj is successfully running his business in Australia and is yet again his old-playboy-self when he stumbles upon the path of the gorgeous and sassy Gayathri (Deepika Padukone). For someone like Raj, who have met uncountable amount of women, he has never met anyone like Gayathri – smart and intelligent, free spirited and independent – and he was completely smitten by her. But could their budding romance challenge the circumstances which Raj didn’t quite foresee?
Thus, ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ takes you on a laugh-out-loud funny and heart-warming journey of Raj’s romantic escapades.
Cinematically speaking, the storyline flows smoothly without a major glitch or arousing any complications throughout the movie, thanks to a well-written screenplay with all the vital details thrown into the right places. The progression of the plot from one phase of the story to another is almost flawless without going off-course. Siddharth Anand yet again succeeded in delighting the audiences with the right balance of humour and glamour maintaining a steady equilibrium between the two. The precision with which he brings each phase of the story alive was effortless yet entertaining.
The casting was just about perfect. Ranbir Kapoor delivers a commendable performance as the playful Raj managing to keep his balance without going over the top. Minissha Lamba plays her character with ease while Bipasha Basu portrays the sexy and alluring Radhika gracefully. Deepika Padukone depicts her unpredictable character quite impeccably. The on-screen chemistry between each pair (Ranbir and Minissha, Ranbir and Bipasha and Ranbir and Deepika) has such alluring charm that you can only nod in agreement.
The cinematography presents itself as just another excuse for feasting our eyes on a variety of carefully-selected exotic locations throughout Switzerland, Italy and Australia. The groovy sense thrown into the movie won’t be complete without the peppy music incorporated into it. Tracks like ‘Khuda Jaane’ simply invigorates you while more up-beat tracks like ‘Lucky Boy’ and ‘Small Town Girl’ lifts your spirits higher. Just the right blend of relaxing, boisterous musical outbursts for a modern-day romantic comedy.
Grab some popcorn and indulge in this feast of a movie because it’s certainly the sort of feel-good flicks that you’ll want to add to your list.
7.8/10
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