User reviews

Pankaj Kapur is 1 of those people in the industry who have played almost every kind of role with perfection-be it the commoner Mussadi of office- office or Liaqat of Roja.From Tarneja in the evergreen classic Jaane bhi do yaaron to the menacing Abbaji of Maqbool,he has played every role with sincerity & has always provided quality entertainment. With Mausam,he goes behind the camera & directs his 1st film.When people like him assume directorial responsibility,expectations assume gigantic proportions.So did it turn out to be a great film.With a grief in my heart ,I would have to disagree.Its no more than an average affair. The story begins in a small village called MALLUKOT where a fun loving Harry(Shahid) falls in love with A kashmiri girl(Sonam).However,unexpected circumstances leads to their separation only to meet in Scotland a few years later.(Shahid,by the time is serving in IAF while Sonam has become a ballet dancer).Again circumstances lead to their separation only to be searching each other till the end.

The initial 45 minutes of the film are like a whiff of fresh air where a carefree village life is depicted in a realistic,heart warming way.Its really wonderful to see such tender romantic moments between Harry & Aayat which automatically melt your heart like butter.But the real problem begins when the story shifts to Scotland.The film loses its steam & drags on continuously for 3 hours.The logic is thrown out of window & film presents the monotony of deja vu(meeting & separation again & again & again).

One more problem in the film (which is unpardonable considering a person like Pankaj Kapur is at the helm of affairs) is Factual errors.The Punjab Roadways bus model shown in 1992 didn't exist then.It came much later.Moreover,we see a Whirlpool refrigerator cover in the film in the year 1992(The company entered Indian market in 1995).Such errors take away the appeal & seriousness of the film.

The director saddles this film's narrative with some important events like 1992 Babri demolition,1999 Kargil infiltration,11th September to Ahmedabad riots,which don't actually appeal.The intention was noble but execution isn't upto the mark.

In this world of multi genre films,(Action comedy like Singham or Rom Coms),Pankaj Kapur sticks to a single genre of romance which doesn't connect with audience somehow.Moreover,Shahid being a pilot in the IAF,it provided ample opportunity to Pankaj Kapur to explore some fine action sequences of aerial combat,but its just a little more than "BLINK & YOU MISS" sequence!The director takes himself too seriously-which ultimately works against the film.

Shahid Kapur's performance as the village brat Harry is fantastic but somehow misses the mark in his Air force avatar.His appearance seems misfit for this.Sonam Kapoor needs to take some acting lessons,she just misses to portray this complex character well.While Anupam Kher is wasted in a thankless role,Supriya Pathak plays her part with great deal of precision.

The climax sequence involving a horse,a ferris wheel & a child with Shahid's "heroics" is unintentionally funny & serves as a final nail in the coffin.

One thing has to be admitted that while most film makers today find an easy way of plagiarizing hit foreign films,Pankaj Kapur tries to rekindle the old age romance which had been overshadowed by plastic emotions portrayed in movies today.There is honesty in its music(Rabba main to is a very nice song,so is saj dhaj & ik tu hi),the way the film is made with devotion & passion.The only sad part remains that it doesn't click.But Pankaj Kapur has lot to learn as a director,he has shown flashes of brilliance in this film,& I'm pretty confident that when he makes his next film,it 'll be as awesome as he is.

The allure of the first half of Mausam lies in the vintage love story which proceeds through unsaid words, unexpressed feelings, stolen glances and lots of melody (Pritam Singh). The affair which begins in 1992, before the demolition of the Babri mosque has an oriental charm to it and makes for some moments of great viewing. Mausam has lots to offer to the viewer who doesn't mind his cinema languorous, laid back and moody, with loads of beauty. The film tries to strike a balance between art and mainstream cinema and succeeds.

After a long time I watched a movie with calming effect. With all power fight movies in the cinemas, Mausam gives a shade of love and feelings.

Let's just cut to the chase here (something I WISH the movie had done): Mausam is a never-ending borefest. I will never be able to recover the 3 hours I spent on this movie, but I will use the next 5 minutes to help you save yours.

The movie tried too hard to be an epic. Other movies that tie together themes of romance and religious / political conflict (Bombay for example) do so with force and passion -- Mausam tries to be subtle, which is all well and good, but when you repeat the subtle message for THREE HOURS it begins to be less subtle, and terribly boring.

Mausam is an epic case of boredom. If I wrote that sentence 2000 times, and forced you to read it, you will get an idea of what this movie is like. Please save your loved ones from this gigantic wastebasket of a movie.

The only redeeming factor in this movie was Sonam Kapoor, who is quite beautiful and does her best to look good while playing an insanely boring character. Shahid Kapoor remains an average actor, but my wife tells me he's very good looking too.

I have said everything in above line, still i need to write 10 lines to qualified it as a valid review. Most importantly initial 40-45 minutes are awesome, movie is worth watching just because of this part. It clearly shows how a simple straight story can be so entertaining and heart touching, it was pure delight to watch that. Actually I was under the impression that it is going to be my best Hindi movie but then comes the real Bollywood in action: meaningless struggle, irrelevant side stories and all that crap you find in most of Hindi movies. But one again, I would suggest to give it a try, specially because initial part is better so you can leave the cinema anytime you want after that.

Mausam is the story of two lovers, Harinder Singh, known as Harry (Shahid Kapoor) and Aayat (Sonam Kapoor). Harry is a happy-go-lucky Punjabi guy, whereas Aayat is a Kashmiri girl. In 1992, the two meet and fall in love at Mallukot, Punjab, where Harry's family is from. But before they get to spend some time together, Aayat leaves for Mumbai with her uncle and aunt; and Harry joins the Indian Air Force. In 1999, Harry, now a Squadron Leader meets Aayat in Scotland, where they get closer once again. However, before their marriage, the Kargil occupation happens in Kashmir, and Harry is called back to India to fight in the war, fate separating them once more. After this separation, they begin to long for each other. Overalls story of this movie was too near with my heart.

The story line was boring to say the least. The acting did not connect with the audience on any level.The immaturity of Shahid and Sonam Kapoor was evident from the onset of the movie. Even the content wasn't captivating to keep the audience remotely interested. So much so that I even heard a few snores in the theatre. Pankuj Kapur is a good character actor but direction isn't his forte. One irritant is that the movie abruptly jumps from one end of the world to another losing the flow that should have been there. Veteran actors like Anupan Kher have been side lined and under utilized.Except for a couple of musical scores its been a dull affair. I wouldn't advise watching this movie unless you looking for some shut eye.

The positives: Shahid Kapoor - one of his best performances; Sonam Kapoor: definitely her best performance; Cinematography: remarkable visuals; Music: some beautiful melodies; Dialogues: some wonderful lines, especially between Shahid & Sonam

The negatives: Editing: especially, in the second half - the film could have easily been cut by 30-40mins; The captions of each place really distracted from the movie & made it feel disjointed; Writing: could have been much tighter

I'd recommend it if you're a true blue romantic, who would want to invest time & emotions in a film.

" Mausam "could have been an artistic beauty but it ended up being an erratic Screenplay binding sequence of events which never looked in direct connection with the Characters in the movie and could well have been avoided. The only good thing about the movie is its Art Direction/Camera Work but when it comes to integral concepts of Script & Screenplay it fails on all notes. The other weak point in the movie is the Editing part and painfully slow pace with absolute no beauty in the dialogs & the chemistry between the protagonist & his beloved.

The first 40 Min's in the movie displaying the rural Punjab was the best part in the movie which will impress most of the audience with bunch of light moments of humor and the art direction as well. But when there should have been raising the bar & intensity , movie falls apart on all accounts. Pankaj Kapur has been one of those greatest actors which not only Indian cinema has been blessed with but he has equally stunning with his roles in TV Serials as well. But as they say " Not all Great Players make for Great Captains the same way Not all Great Actors make for Great Directors " although this is TOO early to say. Great Players or Actors always have Great concepts but what remains is the execution of those concepts in practical world.

Concept behind "Mausam" was to show how the chronological sequence of disasters all over world influences the bonding between two people in love .

Riots in Kashmir brings the girl (Sonam) to Punjab at his aunt's place where Shahid falls for the girl. Sonam teases Shahid to meet her in the morning at aunt's bakery to know her YES or NO. Now suddenly Babri Masjid demolition the same day makes entire family to move out of Punjab to Mumbai without notice which i believe was not in connection at all . I mean you can be seriously hurt with your sentiments but there was NO impact in the place you are living then WHY you need to move out of that place which looks much more safe for you then any other place in the country. And this was first bizarre change in "Mausam" rest of the movie from here on brings very erratic & irritating changes in "Mausam".

Suddenly next frame camera location changes to "Scotland" 1999 where both meet again , alas ! destiny my lord has all the privileges reserved for the movie characters !! Shahid is in air force now & Sonam family has settled in Scotland. Sonam calls Shahid to meet her father for marriage and the same day Kargil war breaks and Shahid leaves without notice. Girls's father dies & she moves to Punjab to check for Shahid with no luck and then moves to Ahmedabad and then back to Scotland. In the meantime Shahid calls her sister to meet Sonam and convey his message when Sonam is not there. And this Hide & Seek continues with frequent changes in Mausam like next 9/11 World Trade Centre and finally with 2002-03 riots in Gujrat . I seriously thought this movie will go till recent Delhi Blasts .

Climax looked be in shades of Maniratnam's "Bombay" with Gujrat riots in backgrounds and finally Shahid meeting Sonam but again looked unnerving and nothing intense to get in your minds , in fact that riot looked to have no effect on the ongoings between Shahid/Sonam. Movie fails to build connection with the audience and after such series of drastic events you do not even feel sympathy for any character in the movie and WHY should you ? Were any of them really affected by those events ?

I would call myself a fan of Pankaj Kapoor and his acting ability. His style in acting coaxed me to watch Mausam, which I thought would show his brilliance behind the cameras too, but much to my disappointment this movie is a dud.

Shahid Kapoor has come of age in his performances through his previous movies but through out 'Mausam' he looks limited and sealed. Sonam Kapoor for me is acting challenged. This isn't her space and should either leave or learn.

Script wise the movie is a drab. The first half hour is the only bearable part of what is a really unreasonably lengthy movie. The movie doesn't seem to be going anywhere at any point of the almost 160 minutes movie. It has a plot but the same plot has been shown 10 times in the movie with little bit of the air-force jazz in it for no good reason. Songs don't help the movie either.

I sincerely hope, Shahid Kapoor moves onto something better from this as he is an actor with great potential and for Pankaj Kapoor, I still believe one day he can make a great film

Pankaj Kapur is a really talented actor. Even though direction is not his forte, its not unreasonable to have high expectations from an artist of such caliber. The movie starts really well making you feel its a winner. Then comes the feeling that plot is moving bit slowly. You brush it aside as minor flaw and look forward. Finally, after long wait, you expect and want the movie to wrap up soon and you see an intermission flashed on screen. What???? And then follows strings of impossible coincidences. Not once but again and again and again. Topped by desire to have Shahid in every frame of movie and including all depressing religious flashpoints from Kashmir to 9/11 to Gujarat, into a love story finally killed it completely. I felt sad not from the movie but from the fact that it could have been such a good movie. The idea of showing important world evens in the backdrop of a love story is not new. I have seen it executed well in many movies. Can't recall which one was the first and best. But this is the worst. You got to know when to stop. Also, the idea is to write love story and then fit world events that could be plausible. This script decided on sort of unconnected events scattered around the world and then tried to fit the love story around it throwing logic and common sense out of window!!! You got to know that you are losing the grip over logic. Well, lack of common sense is indeed common. In the end despite all the money and technology the Bollywood is really short of basic ingredients of art and originality. There is kin promotion everywhere including Hollywood. However, if kins are only ones everywhere around in almost every Bollywood movie, you know it has really gone too far.....

Mausam : The Aroma of Springs, the Heat of Summers, the pain of autumns and the Warmth of Winters in quilt ,seasons bound to change holding their own importance neither being good or bad…It's just the matter of preference which one you love. Mausam, the debutant venture of Pankaj Kapoor is a pleasant journey through the dark and unpleasant historical events as a backdrop. Harry (Shahid Kapoor) a young and chirpy lad from a small village of Punjab but with big dreams to fly and run faster than the train falls in love with a beautiful and innocent Kashmiri girl Aayat (Sonam Kapoor) who came to stay at the relatives place due to communal tensions in Kashmir. The first season of the movie can be described as the vintage love story between the two couples set in a sceneric beauty of realistic Punjab village and lovable music which ends up with the separation of the couple where Harry joins the Air force and Aayat left for the Mumbai.The second season starts after 7 years of the separation is Scotland where the couple meets again -Harry as Sq. Leader Harinder Singh and Aayat as a dancer in Royal house of dance. Their romance has grown a step higher with the physical intimacy which ends up in separation again due to urgent recall of Harry by Indian Air Force due to Kargil war. Then again separation, reunion, separation and director seems to be lost somewhere..??? How Read on

Thumps Up Thumps Down (TUTD TM ) Analysis 1) Performances Shahid has grown himself one step further in the acting school from a young chirpy guy to a serious lover to a responsible Air force officer, he has lived all his characters well and in perfection. Sonam was decent and watchable but the best thing is its ensemble cast which support main characters perfectly 2) BeaT SenSE The music of the film is composed by Pritam while the lyrics are penned by Irshad Kamil. This is an excellent album to be kept in collector's edition with such a meaning lyrics and fresh music. 3) Art Sense The cinematography by Binod Pradhan is worth mentioning. Each frame is well captured especially the rural Punjab. 4) For the Director Pankaj Kapoor is a well know actor and this is his debutant venture as a director. The first half of the movie is extremely watchable. The rural Punjab on screen immensely claims applauds which is real as life yet charming and far from Yash raj's Punjab, Johar's lavish living halls and bhansali's BRB (Blue. Red .Black) Sets. The vision of the plot is honest and appreciable but the problem lies in Second half with lot of potholes in the script. a) The 10 years depicted were from 1992 to 2002 covering four major events as a backdrop i.e. Babri Mosque riots, Kargil War, Gujarat's Godhara Riots and America's World trade tower's attack. It would have been nice if the director could have taken one or two events rather than infusing all riots because it seems to be overdose in the script and actually lower downs the pace of the love story b) Second the period from 1992 to 2002 is not a very old period; director must have this in mind that internet and emails were very much in fashion in Indian and abroad in this period, so writing letters by main female lead for years to hero's old residence in Punjab is quite illogical. Also even the email part ignored assuming they were not net savvy Aayat could have left her address and contact details to Harry's sister Voice machine in Scotland, which she earlier done than why she was keep writing post mails and traveling to Punjab to Mumbai to Ahmadabad to Switzerland to Scotland -doesn't it cost money for travel?? c) Shahid role as an Air Force office is very limited to uniform drama only…No dialogues at all. During War he seems to be busy checking Jet's wings, Fan, wheel base with a backdrop of a song. Also the controversial fighting sequence is hardly 25 seconds where audience expected to had more c) The white horse in the climax was quite funny thou it was not used to carry on the story thou its presence neither justified anything .The second half script demands better screenplay as its first half.

5) Golden Moments There are few scenes worth mentioning like a) The scene between Harry and Aayat where the Harry initiates a conversation with Aayat by handing over small chits to her and she teases him by putting them in a glass of water. The scene has a sweet song in the backdrop which is not in the album b) Their second meeting in Scotland in Coffee shop where the couple is having conversation in eyes , thou funny at place but appealing c) In a scene when Harry saw Aayat outside a train in Switzerland and his feet chase to catch her. d) The Climax Giant Wheel Child saving sequence is breathless. Chalte-Chalte Mausam like its name has all the flavors including a beautiful Cinema, heart winning Music and a bit of cold scripting … But it's worth experiencing. It may not suits Delly belly audience and critics but then Choice is yours

Review Courtesy

www.Thecritiquelab.com

Mausam (2011) - 40%

A Perfect Example Of How A Beautiful Story Can Be Ruined By A Boring Screenplay... Pankaj Kapur's "Mausam" Had Everything Which Could Have Made It Among The Top Romantic Films Of All Time, But Too Many Subplots, Weak Acting From Sonam Kapoor & Uninteresting/Unconvincing Premise Makes It A Dull Fare... Although The Soundtrack Is Fabulous & All The Songs Are Very Much Enjoyable, But They Can't Carry A Poor Film For Long & Eventually, Crash Landing Takes Place After Sometime... Shahid Kapoor, Supriya Pathak & Anupam Kher Perform Well & Save The Film From Being An Absolute Mess... Also The Film's Beautifully Shot With Several Eye-Catching Locations.