Welcome to Spain – one of the most gorgeous countries in the world. It is seemingly out of a picture postcard and has oh! so many things to see and do – and when you are done with it, you can just laze around doing well… nothing and still feel great about it. A visit to Spain must include and start with this gorgeous place which is arguably the best city in the world – Gaudi’s City aka Barcelona. The Catalan province offers sights that are absolutely out of a picture postcard. One can also choose to indulge in a bit of art especially those from Indian artistes who have fathered children back in India and run away – petrified at the thought of being a parent.
And then you move onto the absolutely gorgeous Costa Brava towards the north east of Catalonia where the probability of meeting a gorgeous diving instructor of Indian origin who stays in London and goes by the name of Laila (Katrina Kaif) is like 100% - especially if you book in advance. The ocean @ Costa Brava defines the term “Clear Blue” and is perfecto for diving. So what if you haven’t dived before and are petrified of the water, the gorgeous instructor will ensure you are at peace and while you are at it, you find some as well…. Inner peace that is. After you have learnt diving, and found inner peace, you move to Valencia where you must spend a few days in a swanky villa courting the diving instructor and then make your way thanks to her request to the La Tomatina festival @ Buñol, Spain. Here you will also meet a cute Spanish girl who will fall in love with you without knowing a word that you speak.
The next stop in your trip would be the all the way down south from the north east, to the all time famous district of Seville which offers you crash courses in Sky Diving – an activity that I have always wanted to do but cannot thanks to me being only about 20 kgs above the admissible mark of weight for sky diving. After your have finished your thrills in life, you have to make your way back up North because a visit to Spain cannot be completed without the Pamplona Running of the Bulls – another brilliant way to have a near death experience. Now mind you, La Tomatina happens late August and the Bull Run in early July but time travel is possible in a Zoya Akhtar movie. After doing all of the above, you would figure out that one must live life for today because Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (You only live once).
By far the biggest advertising campaign that I have seen for Spain in India, I would not be surprised if ZNMD was sponsored by the government of Spain – a brilliant new business model cracked by the smarter breed of movie makers. The only difference between a programme on TLC or Times NOW or Discovery Channel would be decent humour thrown in and some crappy dialogues with some good performances from the likes of a Farhan Akhtar make this movie a decent one time watch. Hritik has always been a good actor but tries too hard as always. With Abhay Deol & Kalki, I am not quite able to figure out if the role demanded it or they were just too uncomfortable with the idea of being in mainstream cinema. Katrina was gorgeous as always. Zoya shows marginal improvement over her first attempt @ Bollywood but she will still come on an pre-Oscar show and pretend to know everything about movie making. And yes, the final dance sequence is blatantly borrowed from Hitch – frame by frame. So much for originality. Overall the movie was average at best.
And any rumours that you hear about ZNMD being close to DCH are just that – RUMOURS. DCH was miles ahead of its time and will continue to be picked in the list of path breaking cinema from Bollywood. ZNMD doesn’t stand a chance. 5 on 10.
Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkpoBIseGAc
How can a reviewer be so biased !!! So u don't think that zoya is hot and she does not pretend to make arty or blockbuster formula movies !! And never mind that farhan akhtar has a lot more emotional repertoire than most other indian actors! Surely the poetry went over ur head and when did u last see a superstar like hritik play a normal guy with weaknesses ??? U were so obsessed to deride the film that u even forgot how abhay deol once more proves his mettle to get into the skin of the role ! Surely u did not even consider the role played by the cinematographer to make spain look good ! And yes - the driving instructor could not have been from india but what the hell - only hollywood can find english speaking tribals in chamba or surinam and we can't find a hindi speaking diving teacher ????? Hello off with those muck tinted glasses ! I unfollow u !
ReplyDelete@Anonymous - at least let me know who you are. I am quite certain you are a huge Zoya fan or have a massive crush on her
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, my opinions are my opinions only. and i am certain that i cannot agree with everyone all the time. So if i have disappointed you, then so be it. But not going to change my opinion of ZNMD. Btw, you are not alone out there. Enough and more people who have a different opinion than i do.
So lets stop getting all senti over what i thought about a movie. if you have unfollowed me then so be it.