Bachna Ae Haseeno is based on this basic premise. Now, the critic won’t talk about inspirations, as the scenes are taken, rather inspired, from a lot of Hollywood flicks; but the point is as long as Bachna Ae Haseeno entertains who are the critics to complain.
Bachna Ae Haseeno is about a lucky boy (so the song goes in the second half) who has had three romantic moorings (so establishes the opening commentary of the film; the non-romantic moorings are discounted). While the first two were just settings to get the girl (laid, if you please); the third one is serious (janmon janmon ka pyaar you know, forever waala forever, aajkal waala forever nahin, as the dialogue in the film goes).
The film opens with Raj Sharma recounting his alliance (rather dalliance) with the three girls.
The first girl is Maahi (Minissha Lamba), in 1996. All gooey-eyed after watching Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge ( DDLJ) (most girls were at that time waiting for her Raj). Enters Raj, all of 18, highly virile and with one soul objective - the kill. His band (rather gang) of friends egg him on to go for it. The boys are vacationing in Europe, thanks to a budget tour (were budget tour operational in 1996, I thought they came in only on 2004, anyways!).
The second girl is Radhika (Bipasha Basu), a small town girl from Ranchi, in 2002. She is his next door neighbour in Bombay (oops Mumbai, is the other Raj listening!?). Like a typical Mumbai-waala, neither neighbour knows about the other’s existence till one fine morning Raj is rocked by the blaring music from Radhika’s flat. Foxed he knocks only to find Radhika and yes, he goes for the kill.
The third girl is Gayatri (Deepika Padukone), a cabbie in Sydney, in 2007. She is an independent young woman who wants to make her own life. She works as a cabbie and supples her income with a job in a departmental store, to pay for her business administration degree. Raj starts off with her and eventually falls in love with her. He proposes to her and there comes the hitch (and the conflict). Though Gayatri too loves Raj, she doesn’t want to marry. Her reasoning, lack of independence!
Payback time!?
Having tasted his own medicine, Raj realises how he had messed up things for the earlier two girls - Maahi and Radhika. Like a true-blue gentleman he wants to apologise to the girls. But is the path as rosy (or thorny) as love?
The storyline is pretty simple, guess, all eligible guys start off and end up (if they ever fall in love, that is) like Raj; what lifts the storyline is Ranbir’s brilliant act!
What rocks the movie:
The tracks with each of the three girls have got a different treatment.
The track with Maahi has an innocent undertone. The entire track is borrowed from DDLJ. The love in the first half (Eurail) and the resolve in the second half (Raj befriending the groom and thus sneaking in the shaadi house).
The track with Bipasha has sexual undertones. Their live-in relationship is well-shot and structured. The resolve in the second half is the best treated of the three. Bipasha unleashing her sadistic streak on Raj is funny.
What chucks the movie:
The track of Raj and Gayatri. There is absolutely no chemistry between Ranbir and Deepika. Deepika’s limitations as an actress comes to fore, as her timing is totally out and she doesn’t leave any impact.
The resolve with Maahi lacks the chutzpah of DDLJ, in fact, it seems long and boring.
Ideally:
The screenplay should have shown the dilemma of Deepika’s character too, in the second half. The
second half should have been cut by at least 10 minutes (the song in the shaadi included).
Verdict:
Ranbir carries of the complex role with sheen. Given the right kind of roles he is the next big thing. Bipasha proves yet again, why she is still considered hot, in spite of being in the industry for almost a decade. Deepika fails to impress. Minissha is fine but she immediately needs a face-pack; with her wrinkly face, she hardly looked an 18-year-old in the first half. It was not Bipasha, but Minissha who looked mature compared to Ranbir. Hiten Paintal impresses. Devika Bhagat could have drafted a better screenplay. Dialogues are good. Director Siddharth Anand is better than he was in Ta Ra Rum Pum, but still not as good as Salaam Namaste. Watch this film solely for Ranbir’s performance and Bipasha’s presence and yes, stylishly shot ’Khuda Jaane’...too.
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