REVIEW: Bachna Ae Haseeno

This year (2008) Bachna Ae Haseeno comes as the second stable offering from Yash Raj films. After their last disaster, Tashan they desperately need a hit. And since Kismat Konnection wasn't loved by one and all even the audience is desperately waiting for a love story. Will Bachna Ae Haseeno be a top grosser as predicted?

The film itself

This film scans Raj Sharma's (Ranbir Kapoor) life from the time he is 18 till the time he turns 30. At 18, Raj is a young boy from Punjab just out of high school who has only one thing on his mind – girls, girls and more girls. As they set out for Switzerland, their group of characters is completely believable. Sightseeing or increasing their cultural awareness is the last thing on their mind. They want to have fun. Here, he encounters Mahi (Minissha Lamba) who is from Amritsar. And the film begins to sag. There is no way Minissha Lamba comes even close to being the bubbly effervescent girl-next-door. She looks far older to Ranbir. Also, the chemistry between them is zero, zilch, non-existent.

Then at another stage in his life, he meets Radhika (Bipasha Basu). Though Bipasha also looks older than Ranbir, at least their chemistry works. But Raj is too much in a hurry to climb the ladder and commitment isn't exactly high on his list of priorities. So, he moves on…

Finally, he encounters Gayatri (Deepika Padukone). There is an old saying about 'Birds of a feather flock together'. For the first time in his life, Raj is truly in love. But the path of true love doesn't ever run smoothly. And Raj realises the disastrous consequences of his earlier lifestyle…. (See the Bachna cast on TV )

A flawed script

While Raj Sharma is the yuppy techie from Punjab on the road to success, his character is totally believable. But then he undergoes a change of heart and you find it difficult to relate to him anymore. Whatever Raj does as an act of repentance or penitence is a trifle ridiculous. And none of the women is a real or a believable character either. The stories about women who could never get over their 'pehla pyaar' were quite appropriate during the Kabhi Kabhi days. But now, they just don't hold true anymore.

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