As is the known fact by now, 'Anjaana Anjaani' is about Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra who meet on a bridge where they are preparing to commit suicide. The moment one senses an interaction beginning between the duo, you are pretty much sure about how the story would end.
Really, writer-director Siddharth Anand must certainly be knowing his job after making four films. He brings that to fore by adopting a contrasting color scheme for the two halves of the film. The first half a European touch to it, as evidenced in not just the grey and darker colour shade that follows but also many a claustrophobic close up shots that Siddharth takes of his central protagonists. He knows that in the film, Ranbir and Priyanka are going through a pain in life and in order to depict it all just right, he takes help of his cinematographer as well as background music composers.
While the first 30 minutes pass quite smoothly, its the latter portions that start making viewer a tad impatient. No, the sequences by no means are unbearable. However, for a musical love story, there are far lesser songs in the first half. Also, the pace dips as the film progresses and though it doesn't quite end up frustrating the viewer, it does make one look forward to what the second half has to offer.
To one's pleasant surprise, the second half of the film sees a constant rise in the graph as the two central protagonists decide to whole heartedly embrace life and live it to the fullest without worrying about the future. In the narrative that follows here for a little more than an hour, the colour scheme is far more vibrant and eye pleasing, hence fitting in well with the mood of the protagonists as well as youth which is expected to patronise this film.
As is the requirement for any musical love story, there have to be enough moments that a viewer can take home. In 'Anjaana Anjaani' too, there are quite a few such moments from start to finish of the film. The suicide sequence atop the bridge, the one where they find themselves in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, the point where their car is stolen, the gay club sequence, their separation, the pre-climax revelation and finally the reunion. Really, many such moments ensure that for most of the film's duration, you have a smile on your face.
Not that the film works consistently well from start to finish. As stated earlier, The first half tends to stretch before things start perking up again in the second half. Also, since the treatment is akin to a Hollywood love story, a few who have been fed on Bollywood from start till date may complain of being presented with something unusual and perhaps boring. Moreover, some may also feel that there are too many songs in the second half and hence may be put off.
However, the fact is that for a film like, music actually plays a very important role, both as a part of the film's narrative (Vishal-Shekhar) as well as the background score (Salim-Sulaiman). This is where 'Anjaana Anjaani' score more brownie points.
Priyanka Chopra breathes life to her character and most importantly, plays it in a manner which is totally inimitable. As for Ranbir Kapoor, he is quite loveable once again and is someone who would be adored. However, his uni-dimensional characterisation means that he is forced to emote in a singular manner for most part of the film's duration.
Siddharth Anand has an eye for visuals and that is apparent once again after seeing his work in 'Anjaana Anjaani'. For the right results in 'Anjaana Anjaani', producer Sajid Nadiadwala has left no stones unturned to give the film a polished look and that is visible in practically every single sequence in 'Anjaana Anjaani'.
At the end of it all, the observation is crystal clear: You can't really ignore mainstream love stories for the big screen. Well, as long as they are presented beautifully, packed with two superstars, laced with more than half a dozen melodious songs and quite importantly promoted impressively. This is what 'Anjaana Anjaani' is all about, a package deal that works for most of its duration.
Rating: ***1/2
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