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lalita

@laly

Inactive

+ 2

Posted: 15 years ago

A boring love story dampens the well-executed flood scenes

If you have been watching the promos of Tum Mile it's pretty clear what to expect. The movie opens with two long lost lovers bumping into each other on board a flight. Immediately the plot moves six years back to the time they first met. What follows is a predictable, 'poor boy meets rich girl' romance. The two decide to move in together and boom! That's where the problems begin. Ego issues similar to the ones we saw between Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta in KANK, begin to crop up. Hey, wait a minute, where's the rain you might ask!

It keeps coming and going more as a transitional element - as the story oscillates between past and present. On their way home from the airport, the estranged couple get stuck in the terrible Mumbai floods ' only to rediscover their love for each other.

The basic problem with Tum Mile lies with its much-too-long flashback. Now this was never meant to be a disaster adventure film. But the romantic angle in the flashback is filled with the most done-to-death sequences. Predictability is not an issue with our audiences, as it has been more than proved by the success of last week's ...Ghazab Kahani. But here, even the conventional sequences have been directed in a very languid fashion. For the sake of being subtle the movie ends up being a bit too slow.

The interval point, however, with Soha getting locked in a flooding car, raises expectations for the second half. And this, admittedly, is the better half of the movie. But just when the viewer is getting ready for some rain, another flashback puts brakes on the story.

Had the makers trimmed the flashback and given us more of their meeting in the rain, it would have been a better watch. Emraan and Soha find each other a bit too easily in the floods and the remaining part is spent in a bus where they take shelter. To add some drama there is the usual emotional manipulation with a few junior artistes surviving the flood and some others succumbing to death. But on the whole the 26/7 sequences have been very well shot by Bollywood standards ' even though some scenes remind you of Godzilla and other Hollywood disaster flicks.

Edited by preity*zinta - 15 years ago

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lalita

@laly

Inactive

+ 2

Posted: 15 years ago

In TUM MILE, a couple faces two storms. The storm within, when they come face to face after their breakup. The storm outside, when a natural calamity strikes Mumbai on 26th July, 2005 [unprecedented rainfall devastated Mumbai on this date].

After JANNAT, director Kunal Deshmukh [KD] chooses a love story yet again. It's about an estranged couple, but the wallpaper in TUM MILE is the Mumbai floods. Naturally then, the expectations from TUM MILE are colossal, given the fact that TUM MILE is the first film that attempts to chronicle the natural calamity on celluloid, with seriousness.

Had KD limited himself to narrating the ups and downs in a live-in relationship, TUM MILE may've struck a chord. But if you're attempting a disaster movie [its promotions send out strong signals], you'd be eager to know how KD recreates the horrors of 26th July on celluloid. Let's not forget, the catastrophe is still etched in our memory and has tremendous recall-value.

While KD succeeds in depicting the tiffs between the lovers, it's the disaster aspect that doesn't make much of an impact. That's because you strongly feel that the infamous Mumbai floods should've been given more prominence, instead of using it as a tool to take the story forward.

26th July, 2005 rang an ominous bell for most, but amidst all the chaos and the tragedy, it re-united two star-crossed ex-lovers.

Two people [Emraan Hashmi, Soha Ali Khan] meet after a hiatus of six years. What starts off as a seemingly innocuous encounter on the same flight back to Mumbai, ends up as a rollercoaster ride through some of the darkest hours of Mumbai, as they see the city get swamped with disaster and loss... and are forced to stick together in this time of crisis.

26th July, 2005 remains etched in your memory and I'm sure, every Mumbaikar would've a story to tell vis--vis what transpired with them or their beloved/relatives/friends/acquaintances on that fateful day. TUM MILE also highlights the dilemma of a couple, who once shared a beautiful relationship, but have moved on in life after they split, till they meet again on 26th July.

Opposites attract and so do Emraan and Soha in TUM MILE. Although their story goes back and forth several times, the narrative doesn't confuse the viewer one bit. So far, so good.

But the problem lies in integrating the natural calamity with the love story. Even if you're a non-Mumbaikar, you'd vividly recall the images that were flashed on news channels continuously or perhaps, you may've watched the footage on internet. But in TUM MILE, the nature's fury doesn't come across strongly or effectively. In a few scenes, yes, you do draw parallels with real life, but the impact it ought to make is just not there. Something is amiss!

KD has handled the love story very well. The tiffs between Emraan and Soha are so identifiable. The 'Dil Ibaadat' song in particular completely moves you. But how one wishes the film would've focussed more on the characters' attempts to escape or cope with the disaster or its aftermath.

Pritam's music is melodious to the core. The cinematography does justice to the beauty of South Africa [romantic portions] and also during the flood sequences. But the usage of stock footage, at places, doesn't work. The computer graphics could've been better and more effective.

Emraan takes giant strides as an actor. He continues to surprise in film after film. Grossly under-rated despite having delivered competent performances in the past, here's hoping that people wake up to this talented actor after TUM MILE. Like Emraan, Soha too has evolved into a truly fine actor and TUM MILE proves it. The best part is, Soha is extremely natural and that's what makes her sequences so believable.

Sachin Khedekar is there for just one sequence. Mantra, as Emraan's friend, is confident.

On the whole, TUM MILE caters to the youth mainly. At the box-office, the Vishesh Films - Emraan Hashmi combo has cultivated a strong fan-base over the years and coupled with good music, which is also very popular, the film should find itself in the comfortable zone. However, the super-strong opposition in 2012 [also highlighting a disaster on celluloid and which has had a wide release in India] might eat into its business at places.

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lalita

@laly

Inactive

+ 2

Posted: 15 years ago

On a rainy day, Maybe

If you thought that Tum Mile was a film about the Mumbai floods, you are going to be mistaken like me. The incredible events of July 26, 2006; the disastrous day when our maximum city witnessed maximum rain, are a mere extended climax in this film.

Tum Mile is actually a love story, and therein lays the problem, for, as a love story it is quite ordinary, given to clichs and seen before situations.

Kunal Deshmukh, who directed the sharp Jannat earlier, follows a non-linear storytelling style, which unfortunately ends up being a slight downer. The film starts in a London to Mumbai flight, where Akshay (Emraan Hashmi) suddenly meets Sanjana (Soha Ali Khan) after many years. The way they look at each other across the aisle tells us they have a past. The fact that she tells her male companion that 'Akshay was just an accident', even as Emraan tries to change his business class seat to economy, suggests that the past is not so rosy. Flashback to Cape Town, South Africa, six years ago, where Emraan is a struggling artist, while Soha is a rich daddy's writer daughter. Emraan wants to paint the truth, while Soha espouses green causes. He is broke and works as a waiter, she lives in a house you could park a plane in. She drives a sports coupe; he's a waiter who delivers food on a scooter. Made for each other. Of course he woos her, paints her portrait, they become passionate lovers, and then move in together. However, he's a moody, temperamental struggling artist, she is an outspoken exuberant writer, and so troubles start.

The problem in Tum Mile is that the screenplay is too well plotted, almost like a set-up, while the lead pair lacks any magic. The dialogues are very wordy and the entire tone of the film is a bit plodding. Entire sequences like the rich girl, struggling artist bit have been done to death, while the bijli bill confrontation sequence is a bit trite. Soha's father visits once a month, while no one knows of any other family. Both have been allotted one friend each, who is well played, and that's their stock character. By the time the couple split up, well after interval, you are in agreement with their decision.

However they meet again on the fateful day that Mumbai gets flooded, and the rest of the film is how hero Emraan rescues Soha before declaring his love for her, weeping across a door. A few sequences, like Soha trapped in a flooding car and Emraan repairing her damaged cake are nice, but not enough. The flooding sequences don't quite bring out the real menace of that dreaded day, as witnessed on news channels. Emraan is fairly intense in his performance, while Soha is quite spunky, but together they are a bit flat. The music is fairly melodious, though there are no tracks that really jump out. However, the film is worth watching on a rainy day. Just don't expect to be swept away.

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Mandy

@mandy0310

Alumni

+ 8

Posted: 15 years ago

Director: Kunal Deshmukh
Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Soha Ali Khan
Rating: ***

Tum Mile that employs the backdrop of the July 26 catastrophe when Mumbai was in deep waters floats on a shallow storyline. However the decent direction by the captain of the ship (Kunal Deshmukh) makes it sail through.

Like in most Bhatt films, the protagonist is into fine arts which as per the makers is restricted to music or painting. Emraan Hashmi as Akshay chooses the latter and replicates his painting passion post Raaz - The Mystery Continues. Sanjana (Soha Ali Khan) comes from an affluent family whose father expectedly has no time for her. Thankfully it's not the typical rich-girl poor-boy love story.

By the end of the second song when the girl declares the done-to-death dialogue, "Mujhe yaad nahi main aakhri baar itna kab hasi thi", you know cupid has struck. They get into a live-in relationship until personal problems and egos separate them. But where's the deluge drama, you ask? Well, the downpour surfaces only in the final few reels which reunites the estranged couple.

Tum Mile is primarily a love story where the Bhatts demote the disaster angle from the backdrop to the backburner. The focus is largely on the romance between the lead pair and one must say that the chemistry between the couple is palpably cozy. The storytelling does attempt to deceive the dearth of downpour by opening in the deluge times and getting into frequent flashbacks to unveil the love story that forms the core of the narrative.

While the format of storytelling is effective to an extent, the story tends to get one-dimensional after a point of time. Though it's respectable that the focus is plainly on the protagonist pair, not much ebb and flow in their story makes the narrative repetitive and one-dimensional. Characters like Akshay's parents or his friend's (Mantra) wife are merely mentioned but never shown. While they are peripheral to the plot, utilizing them could have reduced the monotony of the film.

From the onset, you are alerted on the alienation of the couple, the reason for which you constantly tend to find in the flashback. But the flashback stretches almost till the finale where Emraan blurts, 'Why did we breakup?' That's exactly the question in the viewer's mind. And while the film takes literally long to arrive at the breakup, the reunion of the duo is rather abrupt and hurried.

The internal strife and constant bickering of the couple is sensitively written (Ankur Tewari) and efficiently enacted. Despite their differences the couple keeps clinging to each other, giving their chemistry a slice of life feel. The drama isn't overdone and even the separation scene is subtly underplayed.

The flood sequences neither consume much of the runtime nor contribute much towards the reunion of the couple but are executed with flourish. With the entire rain episode being seemingly shot in a single studio-lane, the art direction isn't much demanding though very decently done by Rajat Poddar. Abbas Ali Moghul finds the 'key' to submerged action sequences from Titanic. Prakash Kutty's cinematography is pleasing and Pritam's music is exceptionally melodious.

Emraan Hashmi comes up with a confident and poised performance and is proficiently complemented by Soha Ali Khan. Soha gets good scope and impresses with an absolutely natural performance. Through their smooches and squabbles, director Kunal Deshmukh derives comfortable chemistry from the couple. Mantra with his radio-rich baritone is delightful in his friendly act and is a pleasant change from the likes of Vishal Malhotra and Vrajesh Hirjee when it comes to playing the hero's best friend.

Tum Mile might be dilute on the deluge but concentrates on having its heart in the right place. Watch it as a disaster flick and you will find it disastrous. Watch it as a love story and you will love it.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/media/entertainment-/entertainment/Tum-Mile-Movie-Review/articleshow/5227412.cms

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Mandy

@mandy0310

Alumni

+ 8

Posted: 15 years ago

In Tum Mile, there's a thin metaphor to be found. Relationships are like the environment, messing with both leads to natural disasters. Only it's so vaguely highlighted, you won't give the nature bit much thought.

Even though the backdrop is a real one, the nightmarish rains of July 26, 2005 which led to massive loss of life and property in Mumbai [ Images ]. But then that all it is, a dramatic backdrop on the side, not the nucleus of director Kunal Deshmukh's second film, which alternates between a poignant flashback and action-packed present.

This fluctuating mood is also the greatest disservice to the movie, which gives the impression of being a Twister-kind of disaster flick, tries hard to ape Titanic [ Images ] (to the extent of lifting a scene) but follows the narrative in the tradition of Gulzar's [ Images ] Ijaazat.

And so, what, in fact, absorbs your attention is the breezy, effortless chemistry between two very unlikely personalities -- Emraan Hashmi [ Images ] and Soha Ali Khan [ Images ]. He lends her softness, while she brings him sophistication.

The duo play Akshay, a middle-class Indian student studying art in Cape Town and Sanjana [ Images ], a wealthy girl writing articles on eco-awareness for a youth magazine, sharing a unique sensitivity if not the same social strata.

Their romance reveals itself through numerous nostalgic moments experienced by present-day Akshay, now a toy-comic book developer and Sanjana, a features writer in a Mumbai-based magazine, when they bump into each other, on an exceptionally wet day of Mumbai, several years after their split.

What's amazing is how their story and affection unfolds. The viewer feels the stifling iciness between the two in the first scene. Initially, she's a bit condescending while he's mostly awkward, which is easily believable for not all couples part as friends.

Then as the story rewinds, we are familiarised to how they met, dated, began living-in, got intimate only to experience the not so pleasant side of a man-woman relationship.

Despite the rich-poor stereotype, Deshmukh handles the frustrations and conflicts between two strong-willed, independent individuals with astounding realism. No 'khandaan ki naak neechi kar di' screeching daddies to be found. No theatrical outbursts concerning the male ego and his penniless pockets. The issues -- her tendency to mildly control him or him refusing to communicate his thoughts to her or prioritising one's career over one's personal life are comfortably relatable.

The finely nuanced moments between the two aided by Pritam's [ Images ] fabulous soundtrack and Deshmukh's deft direction are the winning elements of Tum Mile. It's only when the story shifts to a round of forced-adventure in the monsoon-cursed streets of Mumbai, a sense of exaggeration begins to build up not to forget a ridiculously abrupt climax.

While occurrences like human chains, blocked car doors, crying school kids, water-logged roads, drowned vehicles, crashing trees and power outage draw inspiration from true-life, they are employed like mere gimmicks to bring in some VFX-enthused thrills. The special effects, while not world-class, do an adequate job of recreating an imagery of deluge.

Ultimately, though, Tum Mile's true strength lies in the combined appeal and compelling performances of Emraan and Soha. Awe-inspiring it is not but engaging? By all means.

Rediff Rating:

http://movies.rediff.com/report/2009/nov/13/review-tum-mile-is-engaging.htm

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LifeOLicious

@LifeOLicious

Sparkler

Posted: 15 years ago

Just saw Tum Mile. The first half is boring...the second half is awesome...the ending is a downer...and then the end credit is endearing and makes you smile. Now what do you do with a movie like this? LOL! I am unsure what to say! ha ha!

It was definitely not a movie about the floods...it was about the love story of Soha and Emraan. The flood was just used as a backdrop. Some flood scenes are good...but there are not that many. One scene is lifted off Titanic and that is probably the best "thrilling" scene. I would recommend this movie to those who want to see the second half of the movie where the two lovers have a conflict...it's real...and it's very well done...the fights are straight out of real life...it's very good! Soha and Emraan did a good job there. It reminded me a bit of LAK...this is the conflct that LAK was trying to deal with and it did a very poor job at it...this one gets it right. In once scene Soha's dad goes "you people are too calculative these days...in the past love was unconditional". I think Tum Mile did a better job in showing relationships in today's generation.

However...the first half of the movie is yawn...there is just build of the love story which is redundant to the main story. Then comes the end...what a downer...it was done in haste...it was like bam the end! And I was like wait WHAT?! LOL! I wish the director spent more time building the end and not the beginning....what's so interesting in the beginning? College kids fall in love party together blah blah...and the ending was so quick which actually could have been made much more interesting! The performance in the last scene was also quite bad. Disappointing! Then the end credits roll and you smile...the scenes of Soha and Emraan all happy with a baby is very sweetly done.

So I don't know...I liked it I didn't like it I hated it...all rolled into one!