KJo and his prem kahaani mojo

Nonika Singh

Soch nayi swaad wahi is not just another catchline but in more ways than one, it defines the Karan Johar brand of cinema. As the maker with the Midas touch clocks 25 years in cinema, tribute toh banta hai. That the maker himself decides to tip the hat to his own cinematic approach could have easily turned into a pompous statement. Instead, it makes his latest directorial offering (Johar holds the directorial baton after a gap of seven years) fun and breezy. The idea is to entertain, an endeavour in which he succeeds by and large. The tone remains flippant, energetic and though he constructs a make-believe world, the emotions feel real in this prem kahani.

Cultural divide as a villain is not a new premise in both typical and atypical Bollywood love stories. Nor is class divide. But are these not minor irritants in urban India? So how do you conflate the conflict in the 21st century? Not exactly by turning the tables, for that is not KJo’s style and forte. But, yes, he does move his metaphors to create a love story that’s intrinsically a family drama. Rani is a sophisticated news anchor, Rocky is a raucous, rich brat. She is a Bengali, socially and politically correct, and he a balle balle Punjabi who can’t see beyond his ripped muscles and protein shakes. And this contradiction and contrast allow enough room for the writers (Ishita Moitra, Shashank Khaitan and Sumit Roy) to create some rib tickling one-liners like Rani describing her English literature professor mother as ‘our in-house Shashi Tharoor’ and the usual stereotypes. Bengalis are cultured intellectuals, Punjabis are loud and uncouth, driven by money and brands… have we not seen this often? As Punjabis, should we take affront? But if Johar, a half-Punjabi, can laugh at his own ilk, why not us? Though it’s a bit of a stretch to imagine that a man living in Delhi doesn’t know who the President of India is or that there are male classical dancers in the country.

But the beauty and mastery of Johar lie in how he perpetuates stereotypes, only to knock them down. ‘Judge not’ seems to be the mantra here as he introduces some progressive subtexts. In an unlikely melange where golden melodies of yesteryear play all through and seasoned actors Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bachchan have their own track and even a love story, Johar tackles several issues — men can be dancers, women need to be more than appendages, fat shaming, racism, misogyny, snob value of English speaking. It could have been a case of biting more than one can chew if a director of lesser calibre than Johar had been at the helm. Amid an ostentatious, melodramatic fun ride, far removed from reality, he makes us relate.

Old and new coexist in this Dharma production which is at one level a pastiche of several Bollywood films like ‘Khubsoorat’ and many more (Dharma production films very much included) and yet, the film stands on its feet.

Realism and logic might not be Johar’s strongest suits but the ‘two-hankie’ tearjerker film-maker can still make viewers cry, even amid absurd cackle and crackle. Ranveer Singh (Rocky) is a livewire who draws that fine line between silliness and goofiness with his near-perfect clownish act of an earnest man whose general awareness and English-speaking skills may leave much to be desired, but not his EQ. Alia Bhatt, mostly attired in elegant sarees, looks lovely and aces the part of feisty Rani with aplomb. If Tota Roy Chowdhury and Aamir Bashir stand out as Rani and Rocky’s respective fathers, Shabana Azmi as Rani’s grandmother and a woman in love fits in this commercial razzmatazz with the ease of a pro. Dharmendra as head of the Randhawa parivaar, who mostly lies in an amnesiac state till love beckons, exemplifies the power of nostalgia with many songs from his well-known films playing every now and then. Jaya Bachchan as the matriarch of the Randhawa household, too, makes us look back in time. Hers is the archetype part clearly fashioned after the stern disciplinarian act of her husband Amitabh Bachchan in another Dharma production, ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’. But like most KJo films, there is more khushi and less gham in this film.

If you can shed your anti-Bollywood bias, watch the more than watchable film with its fair share of love, laughter and message(s) that cancels whatever negatives it may entail in its prem kahani.