After Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par, we now have Ajay Devgan flexing his directorial muscle with the romantic drama U, Me Aur Hum.
The movie deals with the trials and tribulations of a married couple (Ajay and Kajol) who deal with the wife’s Alzheimer disease. The movie is not all drama as the hunky star has incorporated all the usual elements of a viable commercial film including a considerable portion of the movie being shot on a cruise ship.
The movie is in the form of a flash-back sequence being narrated by a much older Devgan to an equally aged Kajol (The relationship of the elderly duo is not clearly defined at the start but starts coming into focus as the movie progresses). Devgan recounts the tale of a Casanova, Ajay (a young Ajay Devgan) and his encounter with the love of his life, Piya (a stunning Kajol). The first half of the movie dwells on the romantic escapades of our hero as he attempts to win the heart of his soul-mate. The two take the wedding vows after a brief split. All seems hunky dory, till one day Ajay’s wife is diagnosed with the ailment of the brain. What follows is the couple’s and more importantly Ajay’s battle with Piya’s condition and his resolve to help her out of her trauma. The movie focuses on the triumph and power of true love.
The movie has its lighter moments in the form of the couple’s friends, two other couples, one on the verge of divorce (Divya Dutta and the smart son from Sarabhai vs Sarabhai) and the other at the pedestal of marriage (Isha Sharwani and some new dude, most probably from one of the many K serials!!!!). The supporting cast showcases, or at least attempts to, the different phases of a relationship.
In terms of story-telling, Devgan sticks to the main script and focuses on the plot without being too single-minded. The cinematography (by Aseem Bajaj) experiments with many styles and forms an intricate part of the story-telling process in many scenes. Although in the earlier scenes, the excessive use of close-ups tends to get a little annoying.
As an actor Devgan has a repertoire that spans across serious drama (Zakhm) to hilarious comedy (Golmaal). However in this movie, one fails to see the same conviction. Perhaps the onus of producing and directing the movie drained this talented actor of his brilliance; however that should not be an excuse. Kajol as usual delivers and is convincing as the Alzheimer’s struck patient. Her natural exuberance as a girl in love is endearing. But her portrayal as a person who has a psychiatric problem is dazzling. She comes of so natural you tend to forget she’s acting.
The score of the movie is nothing out of the ordinary barring the title song and the salsa number atop the cruise deck. Overall the music fares above average, barely.
The movie is highly recommended for couples at any stage of their relationship. Not because the movie is about couples, but because it personifies the eternal matrimonial commitment, “For Better or for Worse”.
My rating *** ½ Stars.
The movie deals with the trials and tribulations of a married couple (Ajay and Kajol) who deal with the wife’s Alzheimer disease. The movie is not all drama as the hunky star has incorporated all the usual elements of a viable commercial film including a considerable portion of the movie being shot on a cruise ship.
The movie is in the form of a flash-back sequence being narrated by a much older Devgan to an equally aged Kajol (The relationship of the elderly duo is not clearly defined at the start but starts coming into focus as the movie progresses). Devgan recounts the tale of a Casanova, Ajay (a young Ajay Devgan) and his encounter with the love of his life, Piya (a stunning Kajol). The first half of the movie dwells on the romantic escapades of our hero as he attempts to win the heart of his soul-mate. The two take the wedding vows after a brief split. All seems hunky dory, till one day Ajay’s wife is diagnosed with the ailment of the brain. What follows is the couple’s and more importantly Ajay’s battle with Piya’s condition and his resolve to help her out of her trauma. The movie focuses on the triumph and power of true love.
The movie has its lighter moments in the form of the couple’s friends, two other couples, one on the verge of divorce (Divya Dutta and the smart son from Sarabhai vs Sarabhai) and the other at the pedestal of marriage (Isha Sharwani and some new dude, most probably from one of the many K serials!!!!). The supporting cast showcases, or at least attempts to, the different phases of a relationship.
In terms of story-telling, Devgan sticks to the main script and focuses on the plot without being too single-minded. The cinematography (by Aseem Bajaj) experiments with many styles and forms an intricate part of the story-telling process in many scenes. Although in the earlier scenes, the excessive use of close-ups tends to get a little annoying.
As an actor Devgan has a repertoire that spans across serious drama (Zakhm) to hilarious comedy (Golmaal). However in this movie, one fails to see the same conviction. Perhaps the onus of producing and directing the movie drained this talented actor of his brilliance; however that should not be an excuse. Kajol as usual delivers and is convincing as the Alzheimer’s struck patient. Her natural exuberance as a girl in love is endearing. But her portrayal as a person who has a psychiatric problem is dazzling. She comes of so natural you tend to forget she’s acting.
The score of the movie is nothing out of the ordinary barring the title song and the salsa number atop the cruise deck. Overall the music fares above average, barely.
The movie is highly recommended for couples at any stage of their relationship. Not because the movie is about couples, but because it personifies the eternal matrimonial commitment, “For Better or for Worse”.
My rating *** ½ Stars.
