Director: Karan Johar
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Anushka Sharma
We had reasons to watch Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Solid reasons; beginning with a stellar cast, good songs (ah, the thrill of watching them on big screen), the sting of being friend-zoned and curiosity about the fate of Fawad Khan’s role in the movie. No wonder people pushed and jostled to get a seat on the first day.
In a nutshell, Ae Dil… is the story of Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor) who falls in love with Alizeh (Anushka Sharma). To her, though, he is ‘just a friend’. Ouch! But that’s life, the (painful) reality of being friend-zoned. After all, not every friendship story can end like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), can it?
Here, Ranbir and Anushka’s chemistry works. It cracks you up in places, where amidst peals of laughter you blurt, “I totally went through this, man!” not knowing whether to feel happy or sad about the situation. There’s an instant connection formed from finding solace in the sorry, but similar plights of life. But then the moments start appearing in a loop. And with the approaching interval you wonder if there’s anything else to the movie.
Thankfully, there is. Post interval the story takes some clichéd turns with snatches from plots and dialogues of other famous movies. Here, again, a broken heart helps Kapoor make it big as a singing sensation.But no one’s complaining. Why? Because the story is at least moving, and praise the Lord for that!
There are other elements, too, that mildly hold your interest. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan makes for a short but striking presence. Lisa Haydon entertains as the bimbo tripping over the Hindi word ‘vatavaran’(vibe). And then, there’s a queue of guest appearances that fill in for the surprise-element that twists in the plot-line failed to evoke. All these keep you from dozing off during the 157-minute saga. Ranbir Kapoor is a natural, a born actor and in this film he only reaffirms those sentiments. This is possibly Anushka’s best performance, KJO has definitely brought the best out of her.
Fact is, no one expected Ae Dil Hai Mushkil to be a great movie. And, it wasn’t. Yet, everyone walked out with a smile. Now that’s one point to ponder. How did KJo pull that off? Well that, my friend, is exactly where KJo’s genius lies. He managed to sell a lukewarm movie for an overpriced ticket, yet again. Do you know why? Because he again picked up a human relationship – one we all could relate to – and dressed it up in the most glamorous designer outfits. He made a hero out of the loser who got friend-zoned. And that is where he won.
Rating: Two and a half stars
Verdict: A feeble story line, catchy songs and a human relationship in designer outfit – Karan Johar strikes again.