Movie Review: Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Rating: 3/5

Needing 4 runs to complete a career average of a perfect 100 in Test Cricket, Don Bradman fell for a duck in his final innings. Eternal romance weaver Late. Yash Chopra Ji's swan song felt the same.

Jab tak hai jaan reeks of old scripts, it’s like a big crossword to locate the references to other Yash Raj movies. It borrows elements from Dil to Pagal Hai in Anushka’s character similar to Karishma Kapoor, the dance sequence Ishq Shava, Silsila in conversations of the two leading ladies, Daag  in the way Katrina comes back into Shahrukh’s life, Kabhi Kabhi and Zindagi na milegi dobara in the way Katrina comes to look for her fugitive mother played by Neetu Singh, the theme of the movie is reminiscent of Veer Zaara in which lovers sacrifice their years for each other’s well being  and the way Katrina doesn’t marry like Preity Zinta’s character in Veer Zaara.

Also one could find tit bits from English movies like Fifty first dates and Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind in this.

The film is based on the threadbare premise of a promise to God which becomes the basis of the entire conflict just like Rab ne bana di jodi where again the almighty played a major role in deciding the fate of love and literally so. The British police allowing a common man to diffuse a bomb while being mute spectators themselves and an accident which happens twice seem unconvincing.

Jab tak hai jaan belongs to Shahrukh Khan who single handedly uplifts the flawed script through his never ending charm, animated emotions and his eyes which speak through unwritten verses. He delivers aces after the other in perfect romanticized resonance in one scene and with a hard to handle stubborn army men in other. The emotions of the unrequited love conveyed by his character of Major Samar Anand are surreal and reminds of his star performance from Devdas. His ability to handle related roles with different emotions and expressions speak volumes about his class.

Brand Shahrukh Khan was build over the years through great scripts like Darr, Bazigar, DDLJ, KKHH, K3G and more, and now filmmakers are using that brand power, charisma and acting genius to steer forward average scripts like RNBDJ, OSO and JTHJ.

The other highlight of the movie is the crackling chemistry between Katrina and Shahrukh, which also marks the first on screen kiss of Shahrukh Khan after 20 years. But, they don’t seem out of place in this movie. Anushka Sharma also does her role of a happy go lucky girl who falls for Major Samar, with utmost élan and confidence. The incredibly tight screenplay of the movie also keeps you engaged throughout the film. Watch for the brilliance of Yash Ji who infests likeableness and his magic touch to the entire film which helps the audience to look beyond the shortcomings here and there.

The songs are melodious and go well with the script but they easily won't be rated among the best works of either Rahman or Gulzar. The cameos of Rishi Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Neetu Singh and Sarika are well put and add dimensions and weight to the storyline and help it move forward.

The use of the title song in the ending credits which was supposed to be shot in Swiss Alps is brilliant and a fitting tribute to the maestro.

Overall, it would be a treat for Shahrukh’s fans, me being one of them, because he can make any ordinary film seem extra ordinary and that’s not just because of his star persona but through his unmatched acting calibre and years of industry experience. At even the age of 46 he gives run for money to the younger generation with his magnetic charisma.

Watch Jab tak hai jaan as a romantic saga without paying much heed to the lapses, you will definitely find it endearing. Think of it as poetry on celluloid allowing for generous bits of poetic freedom.