Movie Review: Anjaana Anjaani

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By Nikhat Kazmi:  Story: Akash ( Ranbir Kapoor) and Kiara ( Priyanka Chopra) meet on a bridge in Manhattan under unfavourable circumstances. They both are trying to throw themselves down in a suicidal bid, being unable to cope with the hurdles of life any longer. But jump, they can't, and end up together in a pact which sees them spending twenty days together before they take the final plunge. So what happens in those twenty days? A road trip to Vegas, followed by loads of wish fulfilment.... More importantly, are they able to carry off the suicide pact? Keep guessing.

Movie Review: They meet as strangers in the night.... The possibilities are immense. Is director Siddharth Anand able to leverage this great opportunity and tell an engaging story about two people who find life and love on the threshold of death? Errr, umm, well, he does, but partially so.

Let's get things straight. By and large, we have no complaints with that critical quotient called chemistry. The new pairing of Ranbir and Priyanka manages to create some wild and whacky moments on screen as they romance each other with the archetypal yuppie attitude. The relationship begins on an antagonistic note and then shifts into a whole new terrain of quirky need. The two need each other to help each other die! So you have a handful of delightful scenes where the duo fumble and falter in their bid to asphyxiate each other by tying plastic tape on each other's faces. Doesn't work; so they decide to defer the death plan by a few weeks and fill the rest of their days with crazy stuff.... Like swimming in the middle of the Atlantic in sub zero conditions or finding a suitable partner for Ranbir who is desperate to officially come of age, before curtain call. In between all this fun, there's a bit of the crying game too, as the duo recall their sob stories that actually precipitated the suicidal frame of mind. Predictable stuff: Priyanka's heartbroken, Ranbir's recession struck. Never mind that too, because the twosome actually manage to look good, feel good and spar good, together.

We also have no problems with the performances. Ranbir's Akash and Priyanka's Kiara are recognisable, urbane, upcountry characters who interestingly follow alternate rhythms in the film. While the first half sees Priyanka play the funster with reckless aplomb to a moony Ranbir, the second half has Ranbir trying to spread good cheer in a going-downhill Priyanka. Both the actors pitch in a vibrant, spontaneous and a finely nuanced performance as the NRI chokras who get sozzled in Manhattan and party hard in Vegas, with nothing to lose but their cares.

So where's the problem yaar? It's in the script and the narrative. The director chooses to use the format of a road movie to weave his romantic story. Only, the road seems to be a bit long and too straight. There aren't too many twists and turns in this cross-country cruise; and the ones that are there, are quite-quite predictable. You know them all, because you've seen them all umpteen times, post DDLJ's Euro rail cruise. So, despite the fire and crackle of the lead characters, Anjaana Anjaani doesn't actually set the screen on flames. All it promises is some fun moments, a peppy music score by Vishal-Shekhar, alluring performances by Ranbir and Priyanka.

Don't go looking for something new. And you will enjoy it.

Courtesy: The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com