(Spoiler – The review reveals the plot and climax, so it is suggested to read it after watching the film.)
Valentine Day is here and so is Dharma Production’s another glossy film based on a love story with the same routine developments inspired from more than one films from the west. Releasing with a perfect planning & timing, offering the viewer nothing fresh in real terms, EMAET is a clear example of the fact that in India we are now more into making business projects and less films on some new stories.
No doubt EK MAIN AUR EKK TU has two fine performances from the lead pair Imraan and Kareena. But in absence of anything fresh in store for the viewers (other than its confused climax), the fabulous acts fail to make the desired kind of impact on the audience. Whereas Imraan surprises with his controlled performance, Kareena delivers an extension of what she earlier did as Geet in “Jab We Met”. Though it does have some enjoyable moments which occasionally make you smile and laugh, yet due to the same old routine developments, the film cannot be rated much higher, intelligently timed for a Valentine release.
Truly speaking EMAET can easily be termed as a foreign dish served with some Indian toppings and masalas, which actually ruin the real taste of the recipe all together. In reality the problem is that at one end our young film-makers are pretty inspired from the western films, their directors and want to try something unique on those similar lines. But on the other, our Indian market, traditions and the concept of love, don’t allow them to cross certain boundaries which in turn results in a pretty weak product hanging in between, reaching nowhere. Now let me try to explain what I found deliberate, illogical and unloving in this Love Story.
The film starts off with all seen before kind of scenes relating to Imraan’s arrogant and classy parents forcing all their wishes on to their child. And the child is now a grown-up architect (of 25+), working in a big foreign company but still so dumb to continue to be the puppet of his ruling parents. Now after he gets fired from his job, Imraan meet this full of life girl Kareena and they spend some good time together in a pub drinking heavily. In their drunken state they even get married unknowingly and become an official couple as per the law. And from here onwards EMAET copies its initial main plot straight from WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS (2008) and the Mexican film RECIEN CAZADO (2009).
But in a very amusing way, the first time director Shakun Batra makes an Indian change in the idea and puts some clothes on to the naked people in his script. In both the original films, the couple find themselves naked in a bed together in the morning and scream loudly as they come to know the truth of their shocking marriage. However in EMAET, the couple wakes up in their full clothes on, lying on the same bed and then start screaming. The presentation clearly shows that we still have dualistic minds working behind the projects wherein some film-makers are coming out of the shell with films like “The Dirty Picture” and some still want to make movies as per the old rules.
The fact is proved again later in the film, when the couple files for an Annulment in the court (a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void, different from divorce) and the Judge asks them a question about their Sex life saying , “Did you have Sex together?”. To this Imraan replies ‘No’ and Kareena says “Yes”. Justifying her strange reply, she further adds, “No, not with him, but I thought you were asking with other people”. Now this was quite confusing as far as characterization is concerned, because the film nowhere talks about sex in the short life of the married couple ever in its narration (may be because its an Indian film). Strangely it neither happens on the first night of their unplanned wedding, (when they were both madly drunk) nor at any later stage when they both stay in the same home for days. Still, Kareena openly admits having sex with others and not Imraan. Probably she was not fond of boys from the Indian origin and hence was not sexually interested in him for that very reason.
Using the borrowed plot of a sudden marriage in its first half, EMAET later moves on to its own path inspired from two other film-makers namely Woody Allen and Richard Linklater (of BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET fame). But here the inspiration is more related to the treatment of the subject only which revolves around just two people on the screen and their enlightening conversations about love. Shakun Batra takes a brave step in conceiving a project focusing on only two characters in the script and he handles them well too. Yet, in what pressure he still goes on to add many over-used kind of sequences post intermission, remains questionable.
Among these above mentioned sequences in the second part of the film, is a highly objectionable and sick scene introducing Kareena’s parents to the audience as well as to Imraan. In the said scene, on seeing a pet dog in the house, Imraan freaks out and asks Kareena to please keep the dog away as he feels uncomfortable with them. Listening to this Kareena’s father laughs and says “Don’t worry my boy, Just tickle his balls and it will be fine”. Now I have never heard this kind of ridiculous thing from a pet-owner ever. What kind of humor was that or why the audience were supposed to laugh at it, remains completely out of my understanding. In clear words, it can only be thought of by a pervert and not an animal lover who has a loving pet in his house. Indeed a great piece of writing by both the writer and the director.
Coming to the open climax of the film which I found highly unrealistic, impractical and illogical, I am surprised that many critiques have appreciated it with an open heart. In short, the couple gets out of the marriage through a legal process but still remain friends. Impressed by the girl’s spirit of living life, Imraan falls in love with Kareena which gets disapproved by her with a reason that she never saw Imraan as her life partner (sounds heard before).
In the final minutes of the film, we are told that even after Kareena’s refusal to Imraan’s offer they both remain very close friends. But Imraan keeps loving her from his heart and is ready to wait for her till eternity. Now even after knowing the fact, Kareena is still shown pretty busy and concerned finding another girl for Imraan (as Genelia did for him in “Jaane Tu Ya Jane Na”). Plus she is also on the hunt of a good husband for herself too since she doesn’t see Imraan in that place. Here, isn’t it an absurd kind of relationship which is not at all practical in the real life.
In reality the moment, a girl knows that a close friend loves her dearly but she doesn’t have those feelings for him, she actually steps back, explaining the situation to him in a decent friendly way. After this explanation, they both can remain friends but not close friends, as the girl from the inside knows that the boy loves her and she needs to maintain a distance from him as she is not interested and it may create problems in future. But in the film the relationship ends on this absurd note where the boy is lovingly waiting for the girl and the girl is finding more better options both for him as well as for herself. I hope I am able to explain the situation correctly and perhaps many of the readers may not agree with the viewpoint here. But for me, the ending was not at all logical and enlightening.
Talking about Cinematography, EMAET has some great foreign visuals but a weak soundtrack with nothing exceptional in its songs except an above average party track called 'Auntyji'. In fact music is regularly coming out be the weakest feature of many new ventures, which indeed is a matter of utmost concern for all producers. The film is largely based on only two characters yet Ram Kapoor shines the most in the supporting cast, with the rest doing their routine acts as seen earlier.
In all EK MAIN AUR EK TU is undoubtedly a daring attempt by the debut director, but it’s also highly inspired, confused and impractical in its on-screen execution. If only the producer-director could have thought of a novel concept for their love story it could have been a gem. However for now it will surely enjoy the benefits of a Valentine Week release planned perfectly.
Ratings : 2 / 5
