By: Simran Mody, India Correspondent
Its release delayed one week because of the reading of the Ayodhya/Babri Masjid verdict on September 24th, Siddharth Anand's Anjaana Anjaani is finally ready to hit Bollywood multiplexes. Pairing Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor for the first time, Anjaana Anjaani, which opens on October 1st, is an offbeat romantic comedy produced by Sajid Nadiadwala also starring Zayeed Khan and Pooja Kumar. Set in San Francisco, the film tells the tale of two people on the edge of life who fatefully meet each other.
The success of the film will heavily rely upon whether audiences will fall in love with the on-screen pairing of Ranbir and Piggy Chops. Thankfully, the chemistry between the two is strong enough to carry the day and add them to the list of successful Bollywood film pairings, such as Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol or, most recently, Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.
With a positively established on-screen chemistry, the story that is Anjaana Anjaani turns out to be entertaining enough to follow along the path Ranbir and Priyanka take their respective characters down.
A love story described by some of the film's creators as both the "greatest" and "strangest,"Anjaana Anjaani is not your everyday romantic comedy fair. The film is actually precipitated by thoughts (and plans) of suicide of two young people, played by Ranbir and Piggy Chops, who struggle to find any traction in their respective professional and love lives.
Neither character knowing of the other at the outset, both (Akash — Ranbir — and Kiara — Priyanka) frustrated with the way their respective lives are panning out, they put forth a plan to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge in San Francisco. As fate would have it, both Akash and Kiara arrive at the same bridge at the same time with the same intentions. What neither Akash nor Kiara planned for was one of them convincing the other not to go through with plans of suicide but instead to give life one last shot, except this time with each other — in Las Vegas.
That is about as complicated as the story gets. Then again, as far as romantic comedies go, there is only so much substance to be had. If anything, what makes Anjaana Anjaani positively unique is the way in which boy and girl meet. Naturally, girl-meets-boy-during-planned-suicides is not considered the ideal way for lovers to meet. Beyond that, there is the usual fare of star-crossed lovers discovering the depths of their new-found relationship by doing something wild and bold, only to be thrown for a loop when a monkey wrench of emotion is thrown at them before, predictably, both realize they cannot live without each other.
From that perspective, beyond the novelty of Akash and Kiara meeting each other, Anjaana Anjaani makes no effort to reinvent the wheel that is cheesy romantic comedy cinema, and that is perfectly fine, especially with sparks flying between Ranbir and Piggy Chops in their first on-screen pairing.
Beyond that, Bollywood films appear to be becoming more savvy in presenting lavishly rich and well-chosen locales serving as sleek and polished backdrops. With San Francisco and Las Vegas starring in this film,Anjaana Anjaani is no exception. While the cinematography is indeed above average in this film, it is offbeat enough where some audiences will not be sure how to appreciate it.
Performance-wise, with solid chemistry between the two, it is hard to really find anything negative to say about Ranbir or Piggy Chops. Accordingly, we will leave good enough alone and give kudos to both for better-than-decent performances. If anything, both have set themselves up for memorable performances in later productions, and Anjaana Anjaani will be considered the film that started it all.
On the music side, the songs of Anjaana Anjaani are already populating the tops of charts all across India, which is to be expected with the music director duo of Vishal-Shenkar at the helm. Among the memorable tracks are title track "Anjaana Anjaani" and "Hasratein." On the softer side, "Tujhe Bhula Diya" is rather romantic.
Final word: Anjaana Anjaani is light on story, but the film's selling point is its music and the pairing of Ranbir and Priyanka. Accordingly, Anjaana Anjaani is not the must-see movie of the year, but it is not a waste of time either. For those who enjoy romantic comedies, the film should pass muster.
Anjaana Anjaani opens on October 1, 2010.
Grade: B-
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