Sab Tamasha Hai! :) - Movie Review

Okay, okay! Accepted I am pretty late to be doing a review on Tamasha when the film has already spent more than one and half weeks at the box office and at the multiplex near you. And agreed, most of you would have watched it by now and reviewed it for your friends and family members who would also have watched it, some probably twice.

But, I am still going to do this review because this is what I am writing in a long time and Tamasha was my after-exams treat. My exams just got over on the 7^th, in case you were wondering, so, yes, I am late.

But, in case you haven’t been lucky enough to catch a screening, please feel free to take (or shun) my advice J as I bring to you reasons why you should absolutely go and watch this flick, just once!

Warning: Spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk! :P

1.      Ranbir and Deepika, together!

Bollywood hasn’t given us more crackling chemistry in recent times. If you are one of those who still mourn their break-up and hang your heads low every time you read about Ranbir and Katrina’s impending wedding, this movie is a treat for you! Admitted, they fall short of the magic they revved up with YJHD, but watching these two love, laugh, dance and cry on screen is a beautiful experience! :)

2.      Corsica

The sheer superior cinematography will blow your mind, as it did mine, and what happened in Corsica, didn’t (un)fortunately stay in Corsica. I carried the visuals all the way from the movie hall, imprinted on my mind. The sunsets, the seas, the sand, the streets, the cobbled pathways, the mountain roads and the French in all their elegant glory…the term picturesque acquires a new definition in the movie :)

3.      Simla and the bachpan in the hills

The queen of hills is a character to reckon with in itself. The grand old church, the magnificent mountains, the seemingly royal house where the protagonist spends his childhood, the complex, twisted family ties, an old storyteller and a gift of imagination…all blend in to give the melodramatic recipe the pinch of spice it needs! You almost feel like hugging the little boy who loves to weave stories of his own, and keeps questioning the old storyteller as to why we get the same old story every time! Cuteness quotient: one hundred per cent!

4.      The storytelling

Scenes from the life of Krishna, the Ramayana, Romeo and Juliet, Heer-Ranjha, Laila-Majnu,and countless old legends of cult status keep flashing in the middle of the main story, and keep the narrative flowing even when the pace of the main story falters a bit. Yes, there could have been sharper and crisper edits, but the constant switch between who one is and who one wishes to be, would perhaps have been lost, then!

5.      The storyteller- Imtiaz Ali

You cannot help but compare this movie to his past ventures, especially Rockstar. I came out with the feeling that all his films, including even Jab We Met, have that common theme of trying to find one’s true self and remain true to that self. It makes me more curious about the man himself, and perhaps, there are bits and pieces from his own life, reflected in the story!

6.      The story-identity crisis

Who is Ved? Is he Don? Who is Don? And how can someone be two people in one, at the same time? Do we ever figure out if we are the Rama of our story or the Ravana? Do we know if we are capable of love or only of hatred? Do we know we are someone else on the outside, and a whole different world on the inside? Do we ever get to know? 

7.      The angst (and the humour)

Sexual innuendo abounds. Apart from that, there is situational humour in some of the scenes, but it fails to impress, though you might end up laughing hard at some silly dialoguebaazi! The angst is another matter, altogether. If you like to have stuff to think about, watch the movie well and re-read point 6.

8.      The music

The best part of the movie, for me, was the song ‘Tum Saath Ho.’ I have always been the kind to love senti-songs in the middle of a senti-sequence, and ten on ten to Tamasha for achieving the brilliant placement of the song, and not just this one. ‘Safarnama’ and ‘Tu koi aur hai’ ring a bell, too J

For those who love flashy, dancing numbers, ‘Matargashti’ is the perfect number with the perfect locale, and perfect moves!

9.      The end

We know there has to be a happy ending! And that is also the correct ending! You can’t help but smile, when Don returns, and once upon a time turns to a happily ever after.  :)

Yes, it may still be the same old story, like every time, but, it made me smile J

And, I couldn’t ask for more. A word of caution, though! Don’t expect a YJHD and you might come home with a feel-good feeling! :)

Not a five-star worthy one, but three doesn’t seem too bad either ;)

Happy watching! Do let me know if you liked the movie!