The poor choice of an inspired title disappointed many. The unexciting trailers didn’t have anything above the routine. And the monotonous look and feel couldn’t create any kind of buzz before its release despite all the big names involved. Still expectations were right there both from Shah Rukh Khan and Imtiaz Ali, particularly from the director having his own cult following despite many box office duds.
Fighting with the criticism of making repetitive films based on a similar plot, Imtiaz has been struggling since his last many films as far as box office results are concerned. But at the same time, he has been successfully able to build a distinctive fan-following appreciating the soul-searching in his films introducing various relatable characters. That’s the key reason why there are many die-hard lovers of his films (including myself) such as ROCKSTAR, HIGHWAY and TAMASHA, despite their below average or average performances in commercial terms.
However, this time the story is entirely different, as Imtiaz has made a film that never bounces back with any kind of thoughtful twist or angle, progressing in a quite distasteful and boring manner that was never really expected from a director of his caliber.
The film begins on a lighter note coming straight to the point dealing with a lost ring and then manages to hold your interest for the first 20 minutes with a different Shah Rukh and an interesting Anushka Sharma. But post these initial engaging moments, JAB HARRY MET SEJAL doesn't come up with a single novel twist and goes on and on offering the same seen-before sequences with a strange overconfidence taking the viewers for granted. Remaining plainly bearable before intermission, it becomes completely bland in the second half making the otherwise average songs also sound dull and poor. And then such a casual and pointless climax crushes the remaining expectations too in a highly irresponsible manner.
Known for his characters reaching out to the young audience rendering many well-written life-teaching dialogues, Imtiaz offers nothing of that sort in JHMS and I cannot say why this kind of worthless, flat film was conceived, approved, agreed and then worked upon by both Imtiaz and Shah Rukh together as its creative heads (which possibly might have been the problem too). Trying hard to look and behave like a young man in his 30s (to the extent of overdoing it), Shah Rukh once again becomes the victim of an unappealing writing or a questionable choice of script as evidently witnessed in his last many films.
Anushka repeatedly plays a silly, talkative kind of character having nothing new to display (how many times she will do it!) and the supporting cast isn’t able to register itself in just a few scenes. Continuing with his obsession for Punjabi language, Imtiaz adds more than one Punjabi-based song in this film too, which has always been the case with his every single film released till date. But too much use of the language actually hurts, when at times even the dialogues are not understood by the viewers not familiar with Punjabi language and its most common phrases (especially in the first half).
In all, apart from the initial fresh moments, exotic foreign locations, eye-catching camerawork and a couple of above-average songs (with Pritam getting into the typical Rahman mode), JAB HARRY MET SEJAL simply offers nothing in terms of content or execution. And I never thought I would be using such phrases to describe an Imtiaz Ali film. Unarguably the weakest, or in more blunt words an unbelievably ordinary and soulless film from an otherwise thoughtful writer-director.
Concluding with an indicative quote, “It’s better to fail in an experiment instead of disappointing with such a project made on some given instructions.”
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Shared below are views - Beyond the initial writeup with more interesting insights.
Continuing from the detailed review given at the link above, many might desperately try to find new meanings out of the zero chemistry between the lead characters of JAB HARRY MET SEJAL and their onscreen persona. But the truth remains that there simply exists NONE and the film is not even close to the ones made in the west that solely revolve around just two characters and their personal revealing conversations.
Now Imtiaz Ali made this in some kind of pressure or as per the given instructions cannot be said, but the director is completely missing in the film and isn’t visible in even one sequence post its initial 15 minutes of progression (including the soundtrack). However I would not like to blame anyone else other than the reputed director himself, since an Imtiaz Ali film is supposed to be an Imtiaz Ali film alone and nothing else.
So using some strong words (other than the ones used in the tag line), would like to conclude the result of JAB HARRY MET SEJAL in the following indicative quote without any holding back,
“When you choose to be a puppet then the choice is all yours and the blame too.”
Rating : 1.5 / 5
In addition, (as usual) once again the prices were increased by the multiplexes specifically for JAB HARRY MET SEJAL shows and though public doesn’t complain accepting it as their open exploitation, BTC will continue its revolt by deducting one star from the film’s ratings for this shameful practice.
Final Rating : 0.5 / 5
