The story of Jab We Met has traces of the Abhishek - Ash starrer 'Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke'; which, in turn, was inspired by A Walk In The CloudS, and Govinda - Urmila starrer 'Kunwara' which, in turn, was a remake of a Telugu film Bhavanagaru Bhagunnara, but director Imtiaz Ali's execution of the subject takes it to another level altogether. The principal characters here -- Shahid and Kareena -- are so real, so natural, so believable and so winsome that the viewer gets absorbed into their world as minutes pass by.
Jab We Met is a story of Aditya [Shahid Kapur], an industrialist, is heartbroken as the girl he loves is getting married to someone else. Unable to muster up the courage to return home, he drifts out of the gathering and aimlessly boards a train, bounding away into the night. As destiny would have it, he meets Geet [Kareena Kapoor] -- a beautiful but annoyingly talkative girl who is leaving Mumbai to go her hometown -- Bhatinda. Later, she has plans of eloping with her boyfriend [Tarun Arora]. Geet irritates Aditya to the point of getting him to leave the train. As she tries to get him back on the train, she ends up missing it and the two find themselves stranded on a desolate station with no luggage or money. On arrival, Geet's family mistakes the two for lovers. Before this misconception can be cleared, Geet escapes to her boyfriend in Manali. Aditya leaves with her, confirming the suspicion that they are lovers. In Manali, Aditya feels empowered to return to Mumbai and resurrect his ailing business. Life takes a positive turn and Aditya begins to do well. One day, Geet's family, who think that she is with him, confronts Aditya. He is shocked to learn that Geet has not returned home. He takes it upon himself to find her. He finally tracks her down in a Himalayan town and begins another journey to reach Bhatinda and flow into the colors and conceptions of a loud and happy North Indian family. How their separate journeys become one, forms the remainder of the story.
Opposites attract -- that's the essence of this love story. A deep bond is skillfully and convincingly depicted at the very outset. Although the story bears an uncanny resemblance to some films, it never gives you the feeling of dejavu.
Imtiaz Ali deserves brownie points for handling the subject with such maturity. The fun-laden scenes are truly funny and the emotional ones make you moist-eyed. Pritam proves his versatility yet again. N. Nataraja Subramanian's cinematography does justice to Imtiaz's vision. The writing [Imtiaz Ali] is almost foolproof. Both Shahid and Kareena vie for top honours. Shahid delivers his career-best performance in Jab We Met. Kareena is in top form as well. Pawan Malhotra is excellent as Kareena's uncle. Dara Singh is good. Tarun Arora is awkward, but that gels with his role.
On the whole, Jab We Met is one of the finest romantic films to come out of Bollywood in 2007. It is as refreshing as an ice-cold watermelon juice in scorching heat. Imtiaz Ali's expert storytelling coupled with Shahid and Kareena's sparkling performances make this film a must-watch!
Viewer's Review
Totally Cool
by Anasuya (posted on : 08-Apr-08) Rating: (Excellent)
This was one of the best films I ever saw.The main characters,Geet and Aditya were totally cool.I loved the story,the acting,the music,everything.For those who haven't seen this,you're missing something lovely.Do watch the movie and maybe,just maybe you'll like it as much as I did.
copied and not well
by Annanth (posted on : 16-Dec-07) Rating: (Poor)
this writer put Elizabethtown, A walk in the clouds, a little bollywood masala, a sure hit punjabi song in a blender, pushed the mix button and the result was, the non edible, jab we met. there are no surprises, it lacks visually. the constantly chatty and carefree character of Kareena is so overdone that when she shuts up, the viewer is thankful. the film is full of cliches, about 3 mins in the ending is so clear. to enjoy this film, the viewer truly has to be a fan of the genre. the plagiarized-sappy-no surprise-no story-overacting-pretend family drama genre.
