Just came from watching SOTY! This review is full of SPOILERS! So read at your own risk!
Firsly, I can't believe that I actually went to watch a film that I was trashing even before its release!🤔 (As I said in an earlier post somewhere, being NRIs, we are desperate to watch a hindi film...and take our chance with every film that is released in our country of residence!)
Secondly, I think this year, the award for best male debut is going to be impossible to decide! When Vicky Donor came, I thought no one could beat Aayushman Khurana...then Ishaqzaade released and I though that, wow...Arjun Kapoor will walk away with all the accolades! And now after watching SOTY, I can't seem to think of anyone else better to win the best debutant award than Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan (Both...can't choose between them...they were both equally good⭐️)
Thirdly, I was the one bitching about Varun being praised by everyone in the Industry because he is David Dhawan's son...I am sorry, I take my words back.😳 Totally! The lad is just fantastic in the film...and though Siddharth was also picture perfect, Varun still walks away with the film in totality...with a performance that will win your heart! The reason might be that his character in the film is such that the audience sympathy goes to him, but still Varun elevates his role to another level altogether!
Fourth, I was partially right about Alia🤔...though she looks like a complete doll and has the most adorable smile I have seen on anyone...the poor girl has absolutely nothing to do in the film! She is just a prop...albeit a really pretty one! And the one scene in which she has to emote, she flounders like anything!
All the supporting actors are excellent...especially both the Kapoors👏...Rishi and Ram! Rishi Kapoor as the flamboyant, pink-wearing, part stand-offish, part warm Dean was on top of his game as always and Ram Kapoor totally nailed the part of the cold, sarcastic, ruthless father with elan! The coterie of friends...especially the girl who played Shruti and Sudo (played by Boman Irani's son) were spot-on! Farida Jalal in a rather short cameo was heartwarming like always! Sana Saeed looked really weird and I still can't believe that she is the same cute kid who played SRK's daughter in KKHH!😕 Ronit Roy suits his role to the T as the muscular Sports Coach who is the Dean's object of affection!
The story is actually non-existent...but then Karan Johar's films are never high on script ect! Though, I have to say, he somehow manages to keep the emotional quotient of the film very well entrenched...despite all the glitz, gloss and general superficiality, you somehow still end up connecting with the characters. KJo really knows the audience pulse and for every over the top designer song and dance sequence, he will alternate it with an under-stated emotional scene, that will melt your heart into a puddle! Mine sure did!😳😆
For example...during the wedding sequence...the dazzingly electric and fast-paced 'Radha' song was complemented so wonderfully with the silent interactions between the trio...it was such a genius of a scene. Siddharth just owned this scene...I loved the way he expresses with his eyes! The boy has given all the models a good name for a change! Here is one, who can act...and act really well!
I loved all the scenes between Rohan and his father...the exchange of barbs, the bitter words and the subsequent anger and hurt reflected in Rohan's eyes...Varun really brought out his character's vulnerability in these scenes!
Also, all the scenes between Rohan and Abhi were really good. Frankly, the film seemed more like a bromance and very less like a romance! Alia seemed more like a kabab mein haddi between the two adorable men😆...and I am sure everyone in the audience was hoping for both the boys to dump Alia's character and get together! They totally rocked the screen with their on-screen chemistry and matched each other's acting prowress.
The falling out scene between Rohan and Abhi was amazingly well-peformed and well-written! The war of words followed by punches and accusations...infact, it was one of the most realistic scenes in the entire film! Varun was superb with his expressions and dialouge delivery! (The only jarring part was Shanaya's breakdown...Alia looked hilarious in the scene and wasn't at all convincing as a girl who is emotionally wrenched between two boys!)
The entire Triathalon part was totally engrossing and really fast-paced, though the treasure hunt was stupid to say the least!😕
Some scenes between Shanaya and Abhi were so cute...the one where she comes in the hospital to meet his grandmother and the one where he comes to console her after she sees Rohan flirting with the other girl! (Alia is actually very cute to look at, more so when she smiles😃)
The last flashback scene...when Rohan refuses to accept the trophy and Sudo has a meltdown was rather vague! 😕 I don't know what point Karan was trying to make! That competitions are bad? That people should not compete only because they are friends? Or was he trying to make a case point for the pressure that kids go through in school? Whatever! And what was the deal about blaming the school principal for all their woes? Lolz...😆 So random! (Btw, Ram Kapoor's expression in this scene were outstanding! Another actor who emotes so well without the aid of words!)
The climax was nice, though OTT! I liked the interaction between Shanaya and Rohan and how he still flirts with her, despite the fact that she is married to Abhi now! I particularly loved it when Shanaya tells him that she listens to his songs, hiding it from Abhi! It was really cute! 😆
Amongst characters, Rohan Nanda is the clear winner! Karan has written his character with a lot of heart...and you just can't help but falling in love with the brattish yet soft-hearted young boy, who never lets go of his loyalties till the very end!
Peformance wise, as I said earlier...impossible to choose between Siddharth and Varun...they were both equally good.⭐️
But Varun's character was the better written of the two in the film, hence for me, Varun had a slight edge over Siddharth!
Its odd though...Siddharth is conventionally more handsome, taller, more dashing and more masculine in appearance in comparison to Varun...but somehow Varun just steals your heart with his cheeky smile and boyish charm!😳 (Still can't believe he is David Dhawan's offspring! Was he adopted?😕) Varun's dialouge delivery needs a bit more polishing but otherwise he is superb on-screen...its impossible to believe that SOTY is his debut film...he comes across so confident and assured and is a complete natural!👏
Alia is adorable to look at but she had NOTHING to do in the film, except look pretty, which she does really well! Also, she looks so painfully young that its downright creepy to see her wearing bikini's and plunging necklines!🤢 She needs to don a school uniform and go back and prepare for her SAT's or something!
Siddharth is really easy on the eyes, dances like a dream (though not as good as Varun...that guy is like Elvis Presley's second avtaar or something!) and emotes with fluidity! He does seem a bit stiff in some scenes, but overall, I could not really find any fault with him! The reason why he might lag behind a wee bit from Varun in terms of popularity after this film will only have to do with his character in the film and nothing to do with him as an actor!
The music of the film is fabulous (Except the Ishq Wala Song...but only because I loved the spoof version so much that when I saw the actual song, I could not help but giggle on it!😆)...the background score especially is easy on the ears! The Piano music which plays during the silent dialouge between Abhi, Rohan and Shanaya during the wedding scene was really good!
In terms of negatives...there was too much skinshow going on! Especially with the boys!🤢 It was almost like soft-po*n at times...there was really no need to show close-ups of Siddharth and Varun's bodies after they come out of the swimming pool!😕 Every Single Time! Karan doesn't have to fulfill all his kinky fantasies on the audience!😆 Some of the close-ups of the boys were very embarassing...more so because, they were so unnecssary! (However attractive the boys might be, I don't think anyone is interested in watching their butt cracks through wet swimming trunks, apart from Karan Johar!😆)
The whole Gay thing between Rishi's character and the Coach was 😕 It was so half-baked and had nothing to do with the film or the story! (Though the interactions between Rishi's character and the Coach's wife were downright hilarious!😆)
Alia's character was majorly under-written and she had very little to do in the film as an actor. Her equation with Rohan and Abhi is never really explained and one fails to understand who loves whom in the end? The underlying theme of the film is obviously friendship and Karan should have just stuck to it without bringing in the additional romance angle, which did nothing to the story!
The gloss factor could have been a bit under-toned in the film! Though its wonderful to see gorgeous sets and breathtaking costumes, they somehow overwhelm the film in totality and bring down the other good aspects of the films! Superficiality is enjoyable but only upto an extent!
Overall, a highly entertaining film and one of Karan Johar's best work, after KKHH! He should stick to such films rather than try and make something like My Name is Khan! Karan's genre is candy-floss romance and he really excels in it, so no reason why he shouldn't keep doing something he is already good in! The film certainly put me in a cheerful mood and I have no shame in saying that I would much prefer to watch a SOTY over a Gangs of Wasseypur anyday!😆
Edited by poppy2009 - 12 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
CID
7