Mausam

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.

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.....

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 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.

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.