When the gust of snow caresses the dormant volcano of emotions, the aspirations of a dead stone melts slowly but surely. Rehan meets Zooni after a span of seven years in unceremonious circumstances. He is on the run and badly injured. The mother of his son, Zooni doesn't recognize him as she was blind when he had last seen her. Rehan wants to escape once again from the strong streak of affection that was throbbing within his heart after seeing the incorrigible similarities his son shared with him. But the storm of Chance prevents him from doing that. Like the unpredictability of relationships, Kunal Kohli's Fanaa surprises with its sheer intensity, as it etches its place as one of the most complex-n-mature love stories of recent times.
The germination of this love affair flares up in the by-lanes of Delhi when Rehan Khan, a charming flirtatious tourist guide gets up-close-n-personal with Zooni Ali Beg, a beautiful blind girl who is in Delhi as part of a contingent of girls who are supposed to be performing on the occasion of 26th January. Daughter of a well-to-do Kashmiri doctor, Zooni, like other girls, is on the lookout for her "Shehzada" and in Rehan, she finds a friend whom she can depend upon. It was because of his efforts that she regained her eyesight but she was unaware that the man she loved dearly was a dreaded terrorist.
Fanaa is an unusual film. It's a love story; yet the subtext of the film raises bold questions about the Kashmir issue. No, it's not abut Pakistan bashing, rather the issue of Kashmiris as an independent identity has been raised by someone in the Hindi Film Industry for the first time. Rehan personifies the misguided Kashmiri youth who is under the impression that elections will be held in Kashmir once it gains independence from India and Pakistan. Zooni, on the other hand is the face of Kashmiri youth that favours the voice of reason. Thankfully, the digressions in the storyline are minimal and maximum time is devoted to the radiant chemistry between Aamir Khan and Kajol (Together on screen for the first time). The lighthearted breezy first half is followed by a slow but packed-with-sentiments second half. And when the movie ends on a somber note, a tear trickles out unabashedly from the corner of one's eyes.
While many people in the audience stayed glued to their seats even as the credits rolled out and their faces screamed the fact that Fanaa has left them speechless and totally dazzled, there was still another section that walked out a bit bored due to the slow pace and uncharacteristic ending. In other words, it's not a movie for everyone. Even Rang De Basanti had a contrasting opinion and Fanaa will add to that list.
Aamir Khan's Rehan is easily his best performance till date. The transformation from a coy tourist guide ready with an Urdu Couplet at the drop-of-his-designer-stole to a scheming-single-minded militant is marvelous. It's as if they are two different people both in terms of their looks as well as body language. The perfect channelisation (Or the lack of it) of restless energy during several scenes gnaws at your heart effortlessly. The scenes where he interacts with his son are extremely special.
Kajol as the blind girl is remarkably different from the awkwardness exemplified by Rani Mukherjee in Black. She looks a million dollars especially in the second half. With age she is getting better-n-super at both her craft as well as her appearance. Aamir and Kajol as a couple look like a cherished-dream that actually comes true. Rishi Kapoor as Kajol's father impresses with his restrained performance while Tabu as the smart-n-hip Chief of Anti Terror Cell is a bit of a disappointment.
The music by Jatin-Lalit touches the heights of melody while Prasoon Joshi's lyrics prove that his efforts in Rang De Basanti were not a fluke. Chaand
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