MOHABBATEIN
2000
/ produced by Yash Chopra / directed by Aditya Chopra / starring
Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Uday Chopra,
Jugal Hansraj, Preeti Jhangiani, Kim Sharma, Jimmy Shergill
& Shamita Shetty / music by Jatin-Lalit / lyrics by Anand
Bakshi
Put
a legend, an icon, a star, and six fresh buds waiting to bloom
all in the same movie and what do you get? Mohabbatein. Sure,
the story is the oft-repeated tale of forbidden love, unappreciated
lovers and the traditions that gag and bind us, but the all-star
cast, the skilled direction, and lively musical numbers all
contribute to make this a movie worth noting.
The
setting of Mohabbatein is the Gurukul School, an elite school
housed in a cold, uninviting, castle-like edifice ostensibly
located somewhere in India (but looking far more like the building's
actual location in England). Narayan Shankar, portrayed by the
legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, is the stern, disciplinarian
and somewhat tyrannical headmaster of Gurukul who rules the
school with an iron fist.
The
story begins on a dark and quiet night at the local train stations
where three young men, prospective students at the school, meet
on the platform and set out on a journey that brings them closer
together than they ever could have imagined. Vicky (Uday Chopra)
is an athletic, energetic playboy type, seemingly unshaken by
the harsh reality of the school. Sameer (Jugal Hansraj) is the
timid and shy one with boyish charm and innocent looks. And
Karan (Jimmy Shergill) completes the trio as the more mature,
intense member of the pack.
The
three lads are struck by cupid’s arrow when they meet the
three heroines; Vicky loses his heart to a rich and spoiled
girl named Ishika (Shamita Shetty) while Sameer is reunited
with his childhood buddy, the bubbly Sanjana (Kim Sharma) and
Karan falls hard for the bashful widow, Kiran (Preeti Jhangiani).
As
with every true-to-form Bollywood movie, their love stories
are met with several obstacles, such as differences in class,
no-good boyfriends, and familial obligations, but the most important
hurdle in their path is none other than Narayan Shankar who
is convinced that love is a pure waste of time. A glimmer of
hope comes their way when a maverick music teacher, Raj Aryan
(Shah Rukh Khan – oh my… give me a moment …,
ok!) sweeps into the picture and helps nurture their young loves.
What follows is a battle of good and evil, love and hate, and
sheer determination and conviction on both sides at the end
of which … (well, let’s not get carried away! Just
make sure you have a box of tissues handy!).
Truth be told, Mohabbatein has a run of the mill
storyline and a lot of the clichés complained of in Hindi
movies apply here as well. But the performances by the actors,
both experienced ones and newcomers, are what makes the movie
the success that it is, not to mention the superb directorial
job. While Yash Chopra is an institution in and of himself,
his son Aditya had much to prove with this film. After the success
of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Aditya has gone to great lengths
to avoid taking a step backwards. The film is a spectrum that
spans across three generations. Amitabh is absolutely perfect
for the role and Shah Rukh delivers an almost flawless performance
(frankly, I have never liked him so much in a movie; he was
very much at ease with his character and not once did it appear
like he had to put in much effort to “act”). And the
newcomers do not disappoint. There is very little overacting
and the comic subplot blends in well with the rest of the movie.
The
soundtrack to the movie is excellent. To accommodate the arrival
of the six (relatively) new faces, Yash Chopra brings in six
fresh voices (Shweta Pandit, Sonali Bhatwadekar, Pritha Majumdar,
Udhbav, Manohar Shetty & Ishaan) who, along with two of
Indian Cinema legends, Udit Narayan and Lata Mangeshkar, form
the perfect combination for a great soundtrack. The male voices
are very similar to one another and at times it is hard to differentiate
between them, but all the voices are very well matched with
the faces and characters of the actors. The cinematography is
very pleasing to the eye and the producer and the director seem
to have taken full advantage of their location. Kudos to the
actors for acting in Indian costumes in the chilly air of England.
And Farah Khan’s choreography delivers very nice dance
sequences aptly performed by the actors. The dedication of these
young faces, which has greatly contributed to the success of
the movie, comes through their performances. A bit of useless
trivia: Jugal Hansraj actually broke his foot during the filming
of the song “Aankhein Khuli To” while trying to do
a leapfrog over another actor! “A” for effort, Jugal!
-
reviewed by Sam
