| |||
| Sonia Chopra | |||
| After surviving almost three hours of this well-meaning but unbearably indulgent film, the audience is likely to be perplexed. There is a definite buzz around the film for its dewy romantic look, its lead actors, and for Pankaj Kapur ' an actor par excellence who has dabbled in writing before but makes his directorial debut with Mausam. These expectations crash resoundingly in the first half itself, and get further pronounced as the film progresses. The film delays in getting to the point, is manipulative to the extent of using common tricks like tearful toddlers, plus the newbie filmmaker is caught up in managing a canvas so complex that's set in different time spans and locations, he overlooks humanizing his characters. Mausam starts encouragingly enough. The love story is clichd from the start, but the atmospherics and beauty draw us in. Harry (Shahid Kapoor) lives in a laid-back Punjab village where there are sugarcane fields, tractors, and women exclaiming 'hai main mar jaavan'. Harry falls in love with new girl on the block ' Aayat (Sonam Kapoor) in a typical filmi first meeting where he has a clumsy accident and she finds it hilarious. The viewer sits through the two exchanging shy glances again and again. Just when their love story is about to progress, they are separated. Aayat leaves the village overnight and the two lovers are to have a coincidental meeting several years later. This pattern continues throughout the film ' circumstances seem to control this couple's coupling. Covering a decade, writer-director Pankaj Kapur borrows from real events like the Kashmir insurgency, Kargil war, communal riots, and the 9/11 terrorist attack. Kapur's aim is well-intentioned, but when an entire film rests on a romance, the film has to have a solid couple at the centre. Both charismatic actors otherwise, Shahid Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor don't make for an extraordinary couple. Part of the fault lies with their characterization ' Harry's character is utterly ordinary transforming into Hero No.1 towards the end, and Aayat's character is put on a pedestal of purity. It starts with the name (which means holy couplet, the film informs us), the mainly white-hued wardrobe, to the head-lowered "jee bua" type dialogue, and the graceful ballet dance scene. One concedes that Kapur wanted to make an epic, old-fashioned romance, but the characters at the center of the story cannot afford to be this staid. They have to draw out the viewer's attention at least, forget emotions. Humour is induced almost forcibly. So you have fat guy jokes, Gujju accent jokes, and so on. Suddenly, Shahid breaks into a Punjabi song to turn on the Jab We Met charm. Sonam is stuck with the ethereal beauty act yet again after Saawariya. She's dressed in pretty pastels, long neck framed by cascading curls, pale face, and measured voice. The actors do marginally well, but do not create magic as a couple; no, not even when they're ball-dancing ever so stylishly. Shahid's performances is consistent but one that's too controlled and self-absorbed. Sonam is convincing in this half-baked role, but one is still waiting for makers to cast this heroine in varied roles. The supporting cast, especially, Supriya Pathak, does well. But the level of acting overall is below the actors' potential (a pregnant lady must touch her tummy again and again, so the audience gets it!). The finale, unbelievable and completely out of sync with the rest of the film, could put the cheesiness of yesteryears' 'bichde hue judwa bhai' plot to shame. The script has some gaping holes. There is no explanation for the lack of communication between the two lovers in an era of mobile phones. Even if one argues that mobiles were rarer a decade ago, the landline could have been a tool. Aayat knew Harry's sister's number at all times. Even Aayat's dressing is inconsistent, flitting from burqas to salwars to skirts to colourless sarees. The best part about the film is veteran cinematographer Binod Pradhan's soulful camerawork. There are some humane moments that leave an impact ' the Kashmiri man who has fled to Punjab and is alarmed by innocuous commotion at night. Or the secularist take of the film in showing how all communities are adversely affected in the face of riots and bomb blasts. Mausam is a film one wanted to like. But the truth is, it's marred by long-drawn storytelling, mediocre performances, and a bizarre finale. Find your reasons, if you must watch it! Verdict: One and a half stars | |||
Story: Mausam revolves around a Kashmiri girl, Aayat (Sonam Kapoor) and Punjabi boy Harry (Shahid Kapoor). It's a love story, the first season of which begins as a mere adolescent attraction, in a small village of Punjab. Then, it develops into a youthful love between the duo in season two. Their love realises its own depth in the hours of separation through season three. And finally, in the fourth season, their love culminates into togetherness, after losing many precious things in life.
Story Treatment: Although, the storyline of Mausam does not have many flaws, as it centres around two lovers taking it forward, however, the treatment is not flawless. The first half of the movie builds up expectations amongst the audience, but an overtly-dragged second half leaves audience disheartened. So much so, that Sonam-Shahid's love story clubbed with the reasons cited for their separation become a bit difficult to digest.
There are also few loose ends attached to the story, such as the fact that all throughout the film, the two lovers face a problem even in keeping in touch with each other, but surprisingly, they always manage to bump into each other during different situations and at different places. The terror trauma of 1993, Kargil war of 1999 and the 9/11 attacks in USA have been used to underline Shahid-Sonam's deep love. Alas, it fails to strike the right chord. Also, the much controversial IAF portions of the film, turn out to be smoke without fire. The director fails to grab attention during the Kargil war sequence, but the scenes woven around the Gujarat riots, definitely make you sit on the edge of your seat.
Star Cast: Shahid Kapoor steals the show and creates an impression with his outstanding performance. The actor manages to portray Harry at different ages, without looking unnatural. Sonam Kapoor has definitely been blessed with the right director, who churns out the right amount of emotions out of her, without letting her go overboard. Shahid and Sonam, as a pair, seem strictly okay as Sonam's lost and unnatural look kills the effort. There's a pretence attached to the intensely romantic moments. Nevertheless, the actress displays some emotional moments in the second half with grace. Supriya Pathak, as usual delivers a top-notch performance, while Anupam Kher is wasted with his poor characterisation and the character's abrupt ending. Aditi Sharma, who plays Rajjo and seems obsessed with Shahid, plays her part well by doing justice to whatever she's offered.
Direction: Pankaj Kapur's great acting calibre surely forms the spine of his directorial debut. The director tries to present a story based on the clichd love and separation theme in a fresh format, making it visually more appealing. The unnecessary narration of each and every scene makes the plot fall flat, which could have been avoided, as the story in itself has nothing much to offer.
Although Kapoor exhibits his talent of understanding the power-points of his cast and gets the best out of them, the slow paced love story takes off the entertaining quotient from his work.
Dialogue/cinematography/music: Cinematography is good and makes Mausam a visual treat, capturing beautiful locations. Shahid and Sonam look their best, justifying every phase of their life. 'Rabba Main Toh Mar Gaya Oye' capsulises Shahid's attraction towards Sonam, which makes the number more catchy and heart-warming.
Retro-tunes have been effectively used to give a musical feel to the story. 'Abhi Na Jao Chod Kar' is indicative of Sonam's intensity towards her love and 'Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh' truly represents Rajjo's obession towards her long lost love.
The dialogues have been scripted with mediocrity, with most of them resembling everyday conversations between people and fail to impress. However, Shahid's dialogues woven around sunset, where he tries to explain love and its existence, overshadow the chocolate-boy image, which he usually carries.
3 ups and downs: Shahid reigns throughout. After Jab We Met and Kaminey, Shahid has another movie which might give his critics a chance to appreciate him. In fact, Shahid fans can give up on the storyline to see him don the role of an officer in uniform, in a fashion similar to Tom Cruise in Top Gun. If only the director had dealt with the slow-paced narration of the movie, this flick could have been a more pleasant experience.
Film: Mausam
Director: Pankaj Kapur
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Supriya Pathak
Rating: **
There's a stillness about Mausam, which is rare in today's fast-paced two-hours-and-you-are-out kind of films. It may be Pankaj Kapur's first feature as director, but the veteran actor is no stranger to storytelling, having directed plays and some impressive television shows in the past. In Mausam, he displays a distinct, unhurried style, allowing the story to take its course, and letting it develop over a period of time.
The intention was to make a no-holds-barred romance, clearly, and Kapur does just that, unabashed in his approach (the PR machinery would like you to believe it's 'epic', but that's just pushing it). Kapur makes certain scenes sparkle with an understated, sensitive approach.
But Mausam, beautiful as it is in parts, just doesn't work in totality. The story is stretched beyond belief - not to mention it's hard to digest after a point - and unnecessary scenes only add to the misery. It's nothing that couldn't be fixed at the editing table (Sreekar Prasad), but Mausam's follies lie in Kapur's script itself.
Two lovers separated by circumstances repeatedly would be acceptable if the situations were at least believable. But the story demands you to suspend belief repeatedly, and gets convoluted beyond repair eventually.
The first hour of Mausam, though, is a breeze. Set in a village in Punjab, this is where Harry and Aayat meet. Harry aka Harinder Singh is the village bum, naughty but likeable. Aayat's a Kashmiri Muslim, who had to flee because her father was close to Pandits in the valley.
This is familiar terrain, yet there's something refreshing about it. Scenes laden with humour (the village sarpanch is a riot) come thick and fast, many of them adding in no way to the story but creating a likeable atmosphere you want to settle in. About 40 minutes down, you are slightly bothered that the plot hasn't progressed much, but you expect good things to happen. Except, they don't.
Mausam becomes a task to sit through when the 'story' begins to unfold. The romance between the boy and girl has been established (including a marvellous sequence where they pass notes to each other as Harry's sister sleeps in the same room). Now, the conflict sets in: the girl leaves unannounced; the boy has to get on with his life. Time elapses. Till they meet again. And the cycle is repeated. Again. And again.
The film's set in the '90s, so the difficulty to keep in touch might seem valid, but the lovers don't learn from their mistakes. If I was separated from the love of my life for seven long years, the one thing I'll do is make sure all means of communication remain open. Also, how difficult can it be to track down an Indian Air Force pilot? Who's operating from a base, mind you.
What makes Mausam really excruciating is the forced juxtaposition of real events as a backdrop. The Babri masjid demolition, Bombay blasts, Kargil war, 9/11, Godhra. It's like ticking off a check list, without it really helping the narrative in anyway.
'Oh, she's in America, 9/11 to come.' 'She's in Ahmedabad now, Godhra will follow.' Besides, Kapur doesn't really attempt to delve deeper. If the idea was to merely provide a backdrop, the references could have been subtler. Here, everything is in-your-face. And it all leads to a climax which is inane, to put it mildly.
Among the film's redeeming factors are Binod Pradhan's fabulous cinematography and a lilting score by Pritam. Shahid Kapoor exudes charm and confidence. As the young Harry, Shahid excels, while he tends to faulter as the older, more mature air force pilot. But Shahid's surely come-of-age with Mausam, and delivers his most accomplished performance.
Sonam has little to do, or say, and that's not such a bad thing. You don't care much about Aayat, despite her innocence, because Sonam brings nothing to the character. Supriya Pathak and other character actors (Manoj Pahwa, Aditi Sharma, Anupam Kher) do well.
The old-world charm of Mausam is likeable, but doesn't salvage it. In the end, the only thing epic about the film is its unwarranted length.
Pankaj Kapur's directorial debut Mausam has hit theatres today. This love story is different from the usual boy meets girl tale. Here boy meets girl but their walking down the path together is unlike other Bollywood love stories. The director has showcased how destiny brings the two lovers together after parting ways due to socio-political issues and religious conflicts.
The story of Mausam centres on a love story between a Punjabi Air Force pilot Shahid Kapoor (Harry) and a Kashmiri girl Sonam Kapoor (Aayat). This epic love story has been set against the background of religious conflicts and political hostilities. Their love story has four phases and in these four phases they undergo several ups and downs. The first season shows the adolescent attraction between teenagers Aayat and Harry in a village in Punjab, the second phase shows the realization of their love, the last two phases shows the culmination of their love into togetherness and the amount of hardships and sacrifices which enables to learn the meaning of universal love.
Shahid Kapoor is the main highlight of the film. Right from a carefree wastrel to an ardent lover boy and from a solemn pilot to one, who agonizes for his parted love, Shahid has managed to perform each shade of his character with confidence. Sonam brings out the precise blend of native resolve and feminine fragility. She has portrayed emotional moments with grace. Anupam Kher was average; Supriya Pathak has delivered an outstanding performance while Aditi Sharma does justice to her role.
Pankaj Kapoor has tried portraying the love story with sensitivity and style but his narration is too slow paced. The first half of the film is convincing but the second half is unimpressive and tends to unnecessarily meander. This unnecessary narration makes the plot week.
The film has simple dialogues which resembles everyday conversations. Binod Pradhan's camerawork is luminous and a treat to the eyes. The film has enticing and hummable soundtracks by Pritam and wonderful lyrics by Irshad Kam.
Mausam has failed to live up to the expectations. On the whole it is an average film.
Friday, September 23, 2011 7:25:34 PM (IST) Movie Review: Mausam - Good Attempt, but Tiresome |
Movie Review: Mausam - Good Attempt, but Tiresome Anitha S Mangalore, Sep 23: One thing is certain about 'Mausam' - its central characters have much more patience than its audience would. Or perhaps it is to debutant director Pankaj Kapur's credit that he tries to make the audience experience the frustration that the lead roles go through in their quest to unite. Only problem is, rather than empathising, you feel bored. Pankaj Kapur, being the seasoned actor that he is, would be expected to make a movie that defines the class he has set in cinema. But sadly, Pankaj Kapur the Director is not as precise Pankaj Kapur the Actor.
The plot is simple but narrated in a complex way. Harinder Singh or Harry as he is known (Shahid Kapur) is this happy-go-lucky popular village bloke who is waiting for a letter of appointment from the Indian Air Force. Meanwhile, enter a burkha-clad Aayat, played by Sonam Kapoor (you can't help wondering what happened to the burkha later on, until it appears again all of a sudden). She is a Kashmiri who has been sent to the village with her aunt to take refuge during the strife in her state. Harry and Aayat fall in love, of course, but one fine day Aayat simply packs off her bags and leaves with the family, and at that very moment Harry too receives his letter. The scene shifts to Scotland, seven years later, and we see them both completely tranformed. A short catch-me-if-you-can kind of chase begins as the two try to locate each other, and love blooms like before, until Harry is called away to Kargil just when he is all set to fix his alliance with Aayat. The characters have a penchant for shifting their houses, and that's what really tires you out. From Mullakot in Punjab to Scotland to back to Mullakot to Jodhpur to Switzerland to America to back to Mullakot to Ahmedabad - Aayat and Harry are forever going round and round, with each one locating the other's base just after the latter's relocation. Since its Bollywood, you know they are going to meet, but the wait is too long and stretched unncessarily. In between you have Harry suffering paralysis in his left arm in the Kargil war, and the bombing of the Twin Towers. The two finally meet in the midst of Godhra riots, and pulsating super-hero kind of scenes follow where Harry with just one arm not only saves his long-lost love in the nick of time, but also helps a horse stuck in a stable and climbs a giant wheel to save a crying toddler. It would have been nice if we could get to know how he manages to climb down from that height with just one arm operating, with a child in tow. At the end, all are happy and united - Harry, Aayat, the crying toddler and the grateful horse.
Cinematography is superb, and I would have given it full marks, except for the Kargil scenes that are less than convincing. Punjab and Europe are captured beautifully, and even the picturisation of the songs wins your heart. Pritam's music is hummable. The movie unfortunately fails to grip you basically because of the director's attempt to put too many things into it. From the beginning of the 1990s to 2002, you have everything from Babri Masjid demolition to Mumbai bombings to Kargil war to attack on America to Godhra riots, but all of them in the background, perhaps except the last one which forms the climax. You would have expected a better dealing of the Kargil war, given the tension the director tries to build up in the movie; but when the actual war scenes emerge, they leave you sadly disappointed. The first part of the movie takes a dig at Sardars, and the meeting of the village elders is delightfully humourous. The controversial train scene in the village gives you an idea of the kind of gritty person Harry is going to evolve into. In fact, the train is an important motif, culminating into the Godhra riots which were sparked off with the burning of a train. Strangely, that very part is missing. Nevertheless, the message the director conveys through it all is simply this - true love stands the test of time, and despite all human strifes, it can still be alive amidst all the death and destruction. That message is also conveyed in a nutshell when Harry saves the child when the entire Ahmedabad is burning.
Shahid Kapur really stands out in his various roles - from a village boy to an IAF squadron leader to a man who has lost his love, he performs each one with elan and poise. Sonam Kapoor is graceful and appears vulnerable, sometimes too much so. Supriya Pathak as Aayat's aunt is in a class of her own, while Anupam Kher and the rest do not have much to do. Aditi Sharma as Lajjo does a fine job.
Being his directorial debut, Pankaj Kapur has done a fairly good job, and one hopes his next venture would be chiselled better. You can watch it once, and get an almost three-hour lesson on patience with it. To conclude, overheard at the theatre - "Yaar... sab mar gaye par kahani khatam nahi hoti..." That, I guess, sums it up.
|
New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) Veteran actor Pankaj Kapoor's directorial debut 'Mausam' starring his son Shahid Kapoor and actress Sonam Kapoor had a good opening Friday as it earned approximately Rs.9 crore on the first day, an informed source said.
Made at a budget of Rs.35 crore, the film released in around 1,900 screens and is going strong with 100 percent occupancy. The film aims to bring back the true romance.
'Mausam' is a love story which shows how a couple is forced to estrange by socio-political situations around.
It captures the crest and trough they go through a span of 10 years until they reunite and make a happy ending. Shahid Kapoor plays the role of an air force pilot and Sonam Kapoor a Kashmiri girl.
The film was supposed to release Sep 16 but it was postponed after the delay in getting a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Indian Air Force which had objections over a few scenes.
Edited by zainab25 - 12 years ago| Topics | Author | Replies | Views | Last Post Reply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Crew - Movie Reviews & BO Discussion (No Spoilers)
Maroonporsche 367 16004 |
Maroonporsche | 367 | 16004 | 2 days ago diasingh2 |
|
crew spoiler reviews
priya185 12 1092 |
priya185 | 12 | 1092 | 12 days ago priya185 |
|
Fighter spoiler reviews- out now on Netflix
priya185 159 10529 |
priya185 | 159 | 10529 | 5 days ago BBOTT |
|
Fighter - Movie Reviews & BO Discussion (No Spoilers)
Maroonporsche 919 44278 |
Maroonporsche | 919 | 44278 | 5 days ago BBOTT |
|
SHAITAAN - Movie Reviews & BO Discussion
Maroonporsche 115 6164 |
Maroonporsche | 115 | 6164 | 17 days ago Maroonporsche |
