Here is my review:
Finally watched the movie and I can see why many people did not like it, its not everyone's cup of tea. Its too introspective, allegorical, and looking inward at the protagonists emotional conflicts, instead of being a light and fluffy rom-com that people were expecting.
Its definitely not a traditional rom-com inspite of all the songs, dances and spurts of romance. Its more of an inward looking, existential romcom in the age of loneliness, in the era of meaningless shallow existence of one night stands and compromise marriages
The movie is abt searching for a ring but the ring is merely a metaphor for the two incomplete souls searching for the other half and when they find each other their circle is completed. The ring is found.
Both Harry and Sejal were searching for something, Harry was the cynical, bitter and lonely tour guide, looking for something to fill the void in his life, Sejal is looking for her self worth, for a more meaningful life instead of the one shes been pigeonholed into.
Sejal feels unworthy and unloved, Harry feels incomplete and lonely, when they meet, they challenge each other's existence, they set out on a journey to find what was missing in themselves and at the end complete each other to form the missing ring
They are like Yin-Yang which forms a circle of love, trust and belonging
Its a journey from Longing to Belonging.
Harry's Backstory: Dont know why some critics said his backstory wasnt there, they didnt show it in details but Harry clearly told Sejal in that night scene at the beach, that he loved a girl named Kulwant Kaur in his pind (village) but the girl was married off to someone else. So the young and heartbroken Harry ran away from home and went to Canada to become a singer.
Harry's backstory is also there in his flashes of memory at the Church when he dreams of a dupatta flying over the wheatfields of Punjab and he wakes up to see Sejal nestled in his arms, and hes hit with an intense feeling of homesickness and fear of being left alone again.
SRK portrays Harry's loneliness and longing brilliantly through his eyes. When hes overcome with emotions in the Church scene, he self consoles muttering probably what a consoling parent would, his loneliness sears the soul in that scene and many other scenes like when he yells at the ocean, calling out to his country, to his pind, to Sejal even though shes there. Also in the tram scene, the song lyrics and his eyes that express, even though Sejal is there with him hes already missing her because he knows she will leave when she finds the ring
Even though Harry and Sejal keep on talking abt physical relationships, that is not what they are looking for from each other...its all abt human touch, companionship, of holding someone at night without making love.
Like when Harry asks Sejal to hug him in the train...or when they are just lying down hugging or snuggling.
Anushka also excels in her portrayal of Sejal, the outwardly confident girl with inner feelings of undworthiness, a rich girl who works as a lawyer in her family diamond business (another hint of her being a caged bird). She wants to find out what its like to live free, to explore unchartered territories, to feel wanted, loved and cherished. With Harry she feels free, she feels wanted, she flies away like a bird...Phurrr...
Anu nailed it in the scene when she finds the ring stuffed in her bag but keeps it a secret, in the way she looks at Harry when hes asking if she can see the ring in Gas's collection
SRK gives an excellent performance, emoting through his eyes, through his body language, like when Harry moves away from her in the doorway scene when Sejal tells Mayank that this was not reality, she would have to go back to her fiance. Both know they are living in a make believe setting and it will end soon. Then they would both have to return to their incomplete lives.
The kiss at the end was nothing shocking or unpleasant. It was natural and passionate, it was the outburst of suppressed feelings for Harry, finally he could show her how much he loved and wanted her, now that she was single again.
Music: Most of the songs were excellent, Hawayein topping the list, what a beautiful song with moving lyrics. It resonated with the two travelling souls in their search for the symbolic ring all over Europe. This song has the sense of flying away somewhere, the flight of a soul looking for its true home.
Beech Beech Mein and Raula are both danceworthy songs with good beats
Jee ve soniya Jee, chahey Kisi ka hokar Jee...sums up the entire film's ethos
I wasnt bothered by the great number of songs as they were mostly playing in the background
and fit in with the ethos of the scene.
Often the frantically energetic songs appear right after an emotion charged scene, that way it gives the movie almost a bipolar vibe. At one moment both are being emotional or introspective and the next moment they are singing loudly and dancing...like Radha song right after the emotional scene in the church
I can see why overseas audience would appreciate this film more as it shows the loneliness of living alone abroad, far away from home, far from loved ones, the escapist soul which wanted to escape its roots in its youth but those same roots keep calling out and making him feel like belonging to someone and somewhere. In the end, he returns home to his roots and finds his home in Sejal.
Even Mayank tugs at the heartstrings when hes pleading with Harry and Sejal to attend his wedding because he has no family in Frankfurt. And when Harry and Sejal go to his wedding and make it a memorable one, it gives us a warm feeling of happiness on behalf of Mayank. Harry and Sejal practically handle his whole wedding, with Sejal doing aarti to bride and groom, Harry singing and dancing, both of them arranging for food, serving plates, serving tea to everyone. Those scenes were really heartwarming and something desis abroad wiil understand and appreciate.
All said and done, it was a good movie but a bit slow in parts with some unnecessary sequences and scenes. I liked the 2nd half more than 1st half as the story and emotions progress to maturity in the 2nd half.
I give it 3 out of 5
Arjun
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