Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Cast: Hrithik Roshan,Farhan Akhtar,Abhay Deol,Katrina Kaif,Kalki Koechlin,Ariadna Cabrol

Director: Zoya Akhtar

'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' opens on a familiar note. Three boys get together for a bachelors' road trip where it would be them and only them in Spain. As their journey continues through the scenic locations of Spain, something which actually eats up at least a quarter of the screen time of ZNMD, Hrithik, Farhan and Abhay indulge into various sports activities. So while an oh-so-extended scuba diving with Katrina Kaif in company hardly manages to excite and actually starts boring after a while, the second sports activity comes way too late in the day. Thankfully it is the most exciting of the lot as the three guys get into some sky diving mode. And then there is this enthralling but abruptly cut short 'running with the bulls' (which incidentally was the original title of the film) sports which could have been just the kind of climax that would have raised the film's fortunes. However it turns out to be an anti climax of sorts where one ends up wondering whether the concluding reel has gone missing from the final print.

So while the first half of the film actually keeps you engaged for most part of it, the second half doesn't quite carry much steam and even though there are a few good sequences thrown in, one does feel as if something is really missing. As for the end then well, it makes one truly believe that in an attempt to break rules, ZNMD has actually gone a little too far. Thankfully there are witty one liners as well as realistically narrated sequences between the trio that keeps one's interest alive in ZNMD. So whether it is Farhan's constant 'bag worship', his mildly flirtatious ways or pulling Hrithik's leg time again it all works in favour of the film, especially during the film's first half. Ditto for various tricks that Abhay plays on not just a few unsuspecting victims but even his friends when he claims to know their 'hidden secrets'.

On the other hand it won't be wrong to say that Hrithik's track is the weakest of the lot, what with majority of his scenes with Katrina acting as frequent speed breakers in the narrative. Yes, Katrina does well in what one could term as an extended special appearance (she just disappears for most part of the second half before making a sudden comeback) but then her constant 'gyaan' around life's philosophy only ends up distracting one more than being involved. This is the reason why even Farhan is fine as long as he is having fun but once his poetry starts playing in the background, ZNMD turns into a different film. Having said that, most of the cast members have approached their part with full conviction. Hrithik starts off on an okay note but gets on his own during the latter part of the film. Farhan is the pick of the lot and that's because not just is his characterisation very convincing, he does quite well as an actor as well. On the other hand Abhay is quite adorable to begin with but as tension mounts in his personal life, his 'audience friendly' charm also goes sliding down. Katrina is fine and does her best not to be bogged down by a role that requires heavy-duty dialogue-baazi. Kalki's part had scope to be much funnier but she does well in her limited screen time. Naseruddin Shah is good in his cameo.

I am sure Zoya Akhtar's intentions would have been quite right when she embarked upon 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'. She could have perhaps said to herself that 'Ok, let me make a film about male bonding with an element of philosophy about life being thrown in. In addition, I will break away from all the clich�s which means there won't be any skirt chasing, boys' visit to the night clubs and those pseudo 'hey dude' calls'. Well, to a good extent she succeeds as well and though her story telling is unconventional, one doesn't see much harm even as it tries to go against the tide. Now how one wishes that the momentum was maintained right through those long two and a half hours of play time with a definite ending at the least that could have made all the difference for ZNMD to be real class apart than turning out to be a story which is good, but that's about it.Some movie experiences can be summed up in a few lines. Others can take longer. This one would be hard to define. And to try to slot it or give it shape in any other form but the visual would take some doing.

The witticism, of course, flows. With Farhan Akhtar around, what else can we expect? But the spoken lines (a brilliant fusion of the colloquial and existential) are so doggedly wedded to the visuals that we come away with a complete and satisfying cinematic experience, so replete with life’s most luscious home-truths that we want to carry the plot’s bumper-sticker wisdom in our hearts forever. Farhan Akhtar did it ten years ago, in “Dil Chahta Hai”. He got three friends on the threshold of a career on a road-trip and let them come to terms with their own weaknesses and insecurities, even as Farhan, that wily filmmaker, discovered his own strengths as a storyteller. Now it’s Farhan’s sister Zoya Akhtar’s turn to take that road trip. Some day we need to figure out the Akhtar siblings’ affinity to films about three male friends on a journey to self-discovery. Suffice it to say that “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” (ZNMD) takes the theme of male bonding to a more illuminating plane than “Dil Chahta Hai”.

As the workaholic money-obsessed stockbroker (Hrithik Roshan), the happy-go-looking-for-his-dad prankster (Farhan Akhtar) and the about-to-be-married-nice-guy (Abhay Deol) set out on trip through locationally lush Spain (ummm, full marks for seductive eyecandy visuals) we follow right behind. Without trying to set up dramatic road-blocks and U-turns in the road journey, Zoya Akhtar gets us so involved in the drama and adventure of the threesome we gradually forget the actors and see only the characters that they so fluently and robustly play. Oh yes, the ladies take the backseat. Nonetheless Katrina Kaif’s Laila, a gorgeous diving instructor who teaches Hrithik to dive into soul, makes such graceful space for herself among the boys that we wonder how she managed to make herself heard in a film that celebrates the spirit of male bonding in all its robust colour splendour and noise. Oh yes, we forgot! This guys’ film is directed by a woman! The feminine touch is nowhere evident in Zoya Akhtar’s direction. She leaves you wondering if delicacy femininity and the opposite of a snobbish misogyny that our desi female directors have been seen to follow, vanished while we were not looking.

ZNMD is a coming-of- age film on many levels. It celebrates the sheer beauty and physicality of location and their deep connection to the characters’ state of mind, without apology or explanation. Trust me. I looked. I couldn’t spot even one unpleasant face or topogrphy in the entire length and breath of this beautiful film. Yes, the surface is lovely. But so is the soul. Zoya, God bless her aesthetics, sucks us into the beauty of the moment, not giving us any reason to believe that life’s most precious truths are swathed in squalor. ZNMD celebrates splendour. Underwater or up in the air thousands of feet above sea level, the moments of tenderness are not stapled into the climate of camaraderie. They just happen.

The moment when Hrithik discovers love under the stars with Katrina, or when Farhan Akhtar finally meets his biological father (Naseeruddin Shah, in a naturally compelling cameo) or that breathtakingly blistered moment of reckoning when after a bout of male backslapping in the initial episodes, we suddenly realize the cause for friction in the Hrithik-Farhan friendship… These are masterstrokes of muted drama not written in to impress, but simply as an integral part of that journey which we undertake so enthusiastically and willingly with the threesome. Technically the film wears its art on its sleeve. Carlos Catalan’s cinematography captures the pain and the fun in Spain without letting the touristic urge take over. Yeah, the film looks fetching. But not at the cost of the characters’ search for bearings in a world that mocks at the beauty of Nature. Editor Anand Subaya doesn’t cut the film. He carves the material in shapes that a jeweller would probably like to imitate if he only knew how. Every actor seems to the character born. Hrithik’s stuffed-shirt act would have been almost self-parodic were it not so sincere. Abhay Deol is a natural-born reactor. But it’s Farhan Akhtar who steals the best role, lines and moments. He is in his element and the character that evolves in the course of the journey. Oh yes, he gets to mouth his father Javed Akhtar’s evocative poetry.

Katrina Kaif’s Laila is a kind of synthesis of mystique and sincerity that we had seen long ago in Leela Naidu. This film marks the coming-of-age of the Kaif. Kalki in a relatively brief role brings a kind of snide cuteness to the proceedings. Her character is sometimes the brunt of ridicule. She takes it in her stride. Every major character at some point, appears ridiculous. That’s the beauty of the askew world that Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s script tries to make sense with doses of humour and warmth.New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) After enjoying a madcap image of youth in "Delhi Belly", it's time to take a fun-filled trip with another bunch of guys - Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol in the exotic locales of Spain in "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", which releases Friday.

If city-centric "Delhi Belly" took a peep into the lives of a section of youngsters through three friends, "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" too is an urban drama where three friends venture out to have some fun time together. Directed by Farhan's sister Zoya Akhtar and produced under the banner Excel Entertainment, "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" is about a holiday that changes the lives of three best friends - Arjun (Hrithik), Imraan (Farhan) and Kabir's (Abhay) forever. The film was previously titled "Running With The Bulls" but the name was later changed to the present one. It is the second directorial venture of Zoya after critically acclaimed "Luck By Chance". Kabir, a wealthy young man who works with his father's construction company in Mumbai, is engaged to Natasha (Kalki Koechlin), daughter of a hotelier. Kabir wants to go on an extended bachelor party with his best friends Arjun, and Imraan, before he ties the knot with her and invites them to join him.

London-based Arjun is a financial trader who works at a huge firm. As he grew up without a father and lived a tough life, so his entire focus is to get bigger, better and faster, while Imraan is a copywriter who works at an advertising agency in Delhi. When Kabir offers to take them on a vacation, Imraan readily agrees, but Arjun is reluctant as he is too tied up in his work. However, after much cajoling he agrees and thus starts their Spain sojourn. All three meet up in Barcelona and set off on an adventure that helps them iron out their differences, get rid of their fears and alter their perception about various things in life. The holiday turns out to be a lesson in life for them and force them to break out of the box. The three-week journey changes their lives forever.

As luck would have it, Laila, played by Katrina Kaif, a bohemian fashion student from London is also there. She takes time off to teach diving every year and this time she decided to do it in Spain, where she meets Arjun, Imraan and Kabir. The mega-budget film has been extensively shot in Barcelona, Pamplona, Bunyol, Andalucia, Egypt and Mumbai. The La Tomatina festival of Spain was re-created for the shoot of the song "Ik Junoon". It was shot in Bunyol, Valenci, in Spain. Almost 16 tons of tomatoes were used for the shoot and were flown in from Portugal. The film has already created a lot of buzz with its songs and promos.

After a long time Abhay got an opportunity to work in a mainstream commercial film and it also gave him a chance to make good friends with his co-stars Farhan and Hrithik in real-life. While shooting for the film, the three did some adventure sports like skydiving and scuba-diving. Zoya has also made the three lead actors of the film sing a song "Senorita", composed by trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, is a rage among people.Deep sea diving, Sky diving, the scenic locales of Spain, Tomatino festival and three friends making the most of each and every moment of their lives. Yes, sounds nearly like a dream and that's just what Farhan Akhtar's sister Zoya Akhtar tries attaining in her slice of life film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD). Whether her dreamy film actually works in content as well or not remains to be seen.

ZNMD is about the journey that changes the lives of three best friends - Arjun (Hrithik Roshan), Imran (Farhan Akhtar) and Kabir (Abhay Deol). Before he gets entangled in a lifelong bond of marriage with Natasha (Kalki Koechlin), Kabir wants to celebrate his bachelor's party with his friends and so the three head out to Spain to fulfil a pact they had formed 4 years ago. A road trip where each one gets to do one ultimate sport along with the other two. How the journey becomes a moment of epiphany for each of them and how they overcome their problems and fears is what forms the rest of the story.

First and foremost, the biggest clarification is that, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is nothing like the false message doing the rounds. The three lead actors, DO NOT DIE IN THE END. And about the second speculation of it being a take off from Dil Chahta Hai, I can only say that the film does give glimpses of DCH but isn't exactly like it. For one to enjoy ZNMD, one has to come to terms with the fact that since the film is about the journey the lead cast takes to Spain (and since the producers have incurred heavy expenses to shoot in the country) there are great possibilities of the film to come across very touristy with many scenes dwelling far too long on each and every tourist spot or adventure. The first half of the film does appear pacy with too many things happening simultaneously. But it's the second half, filled with melodrama that appears too stretched. In the times when the attention span of the audience is diminishing by each film and generally most of the films are having a run time of 2 hours, a proper 3 hour film including the interval appears very long.

There are however, many things that catch the attention of the audience; the timing between the actors being one. It is their infectious camaraderie, humour and joy that transports the viewer into their world. More importantly, the characters are very relatable. Farhan Akhtar deserves a special mention for his brilliant acting. Some of the poems mouthed by Farhan which are originally written by Javed Akhtar are beautiful. Katrina Kaif as Laila, gets a tailor made role for herself and hence plays it well. Kalki doesn't get much to do. Abhay and Hrithik are great but nothing extra.

The review of ZNMD cannot be complete without the mention of the stupendous cinematography of Carlos Catalan. Hat's off to him for giving breath-taking view of Spain. Right from the Tomatino festival to the Sky-diving or the deep sea diving, each and every scene is captured brilliantly. Only if editing by Anand Subaya could've been better, the film could've attained perfection as far as it is visually concerned. Music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy is disappointing."Hi. It's me," says the voice over the phone. You know right away, only a typical girlfriend, Kabir's (Abhay Deol's), in this case (yours or mine, otherwise) could refer to herself in that presumptuous 'me'! The only me, I know, is Me.

For Kabir, it's the girl (Kalki) who he recently got engaged to. He's on a bachelors' trip. Before he gets married in a couple of months. She's insecure. As all girlfriends (why, even boyfriends) eventually become: possession, being the flip side of any kind of love. She hops on to a flight, actually joins her fiancé's friends on their stag party across the breathtakingly, bravely picturised (Carlos Catalan), intensely scenic Spain. What a bummer, right? Right. But this female intrusion's brief. The fiancée leaves soon enough. The three men, best friends, carry on. They have a bet to honour, an old promise to keep. Which is to perform three scary stunts, suggested by each, on a holiday together. "Together, 'til death do us part?" Well…? Sort of. The film is a hard-core male-bonding 'bromance' all right. Though in a consistently comical way, as against something expressly melodramatic or corny. Their dares probably have more to do with overcoming their own personal, pet fears, or phobias, if you like. Of the two other friends, one (Hrithik Roshan) is, as the film puts it, a corporate "slave" (forever stuck to his job), or "whore" (works for money alone). A beautiful girl (Katrina Kaif) he befriends on the trip exposes him to a wonderful world beyond, which he may be missing out on. He wishes to pile up all the wealth and retire by 40 (the ultimate urban mirage). "What if you don't live until 40," the girl asks him. True that.

The other buddy (Farhan Akhtar) is a closeted poet, and an advertising copywriter by day "creative type", as it were. He's in his early 30s like his best friends. Between these "three musketeers" plays out a picture that instantly takes you back to the said lead actor's own stunning directorial debut. Comparisons, even allusions to a possible sequel, are inevitable. It's been exactly ten years since fall, 2001, when Farhan's Dil Chahta Hai, a game-changer for Hindi films, brought to us the rich, carefree, well-kept metro-sexual man of the urban Indian multiplex. The film also coincided with ten years of an open economy that, among other things, eventually split India's cinema audiences into (metropolitan, mall-rat) "classes", and (unwashed, single-screen) "masses". Dil Chahta Hai, in trade journalese, debatable as these terms may be, was a film for the "classes". Probably, so is this.

Character traits of three thick friends there, could be somewhat swapped with the smartly cast actors here too. Well, more or less. There's the intense guy (Hrithik, for Akshaye Khanna's role); the goofy, hen-pecked one (Abhay, for Saif Ali Khan's character); and the compulsively flirtatious (Farhan, for Aamir Khan's part). What's important is that you love this film for about the same reasons you adored the light, breezy Dil Chahta Hai. It shares with it that wicked, wry sense of humour that, say, made the line, "Cake khaane ke liye toh hum kahin bhi jaa sakte hai", iconic, immortal. Farhan's character is the repository of those subtle, self-mocking repartees in this film. They should equally survive the test of time.

In fact, judging by his outstandingly timed performance, it'd be fair to suggest the actor, who's since proven himself as rock-star, dancer, stand-up comedian, TV show host (possibly the most multi-faceted Indian talent film-wise, or otherwise) should have played hero in his first film as director-producer as well. While entertaining her audiences throughout, the writer-director (Zoya Akhtar, Luck By Chance), with a firm voice of her own, still manages to keep things artistic, without its pretensions; a lot of times, even poetic, literally, with profound poetry on love and life that you wish to hear again: "Aankhon mein hairaaniyan lekar chal rahe ho? Toh zinda ho. (You still walk with amazement in your eyes? You're alive)." This is rare. Some may find the film "slow". It's not. No film is (they all move at 24 frames per second). It's the pacing, or rhythm, that's an issue: too much, by way of plot, is packed into the first half; too many minutes get spent in tying up various loose ends in the second. When the movie does break into a song, you can tell, the soundtrack's relatively second-rate (save for the striking ‘Senorita').

None of which eventually matters. What you take home are memorable, amusing moments of three truly adventurous amigos we've all grown up with. And will continue to. Facebook can't change that. You figure how your best friendships (especially those from college or school) remain frozen in fountain of youth. We never age in relation to the other. Mine date back to 1995. We're 16 still, ever-ready for that kill. Thank god. Inspired, I'll take up these boys' awesome holiday plan. Soon. You should check out their movie, for sure.