JOOTHA HI SAHI MOVIE REVIEW

Cast : John Abraham,Pakhi,Ragu ram, Manasi Scott, Anaitha Nair

Music : A. R. Rahman

Lyrics :Abbas Tyrewala

Direction : Abbas Tyrewala

Producer : Madhu Mantena

Written by : Pakhi

Distributed by: Saregama-HMV

Release date : 22 October 2010

Theater Watched :Takie town,Hyderabad

Rating: 3 / 5

Jootha Hi Sahi Hindi Movie Review:

Every film should be judged purely on the basis of its merits/demerits. Comparisons or drawing parallels with another film, even if it's helmed by the same director, is not right, in my opinion. But if the posters/billboards/newspaper ads/promotional material of JHOOTHA HI SAHI has an eye-catching line that screams 'From the director of JAANE TU YA JAANE NA', if not comparisons, the expectations from JHOOTHA HI SAHI do multiply five-fold, since JAANE TU YA JAANE NA was, in terms of economics, the biggest hit of 2008.
Sadly, Abbas Tyrewala's new offering JHOOTHA HI SAHI falls flat for this reason [it doesn't meet the expectations] as well as several other reasons. What comes across is unexciting, boring and lethargic. Moments make a love story work and JHOOTHA HI SAHI never reaches there. It lacks the fizz and heart, to put it bluntly. Also, the chemistry between the lead pair - John Abraham and Pakhi - is plastic.
Another department where the film fumbles, besides writing, is its music. It's an unspoken rule that love stories should be embellished with terrific music, but maestro A.R. Rahman's compositions in JHOOTHA HI SAHI are lifeless.

Story:

Siddharth (John Abraham), an average Joe who works in a bookstore in London during the day, volunteers to work on a suicide helpline, at night. The counselling goes on fine until he receives a call from Mishka (Pakhi) who keeps him up the whole night with her threatened suicide. The enigmatic woman causes him to seek her out in real life and soon there is love in the air. Of course, Mishka doesn't know her stammering boyfriend is actually the smart phone friend. Does love prevail when the web of lies is busted? Is all actually fair in love and whatever...

Artist Performance:

John makes a sincere attempt to look the part, but he's awkward, especially in sequences when he stammers. Pakhi is a complete miscast. She looks too matured and has her limitations as an actor. Amongst the sundry characters, Raghu Ram is noticeable. R. Madhavan should avoid such flimsy characters.

Techincal and Other Departments:

Debutant Pakhi writes a smart screenplay, peppered with loads of wise-cracks and humour underplayed. The film recreates the youthful lingo of Jaane Tu Yaa Jaane Naa. Only, there's a bit too much of `Tauba' from the Pakistanis. AR Rahman's score has shelf value with numbers like `Cry Cry' and `Maiyya Yashoda' topping the charts. The natty Asian (Indian-Pakistani) immigrant lifestyle comes alive in true and vibrant hues.

Analysis:

Jhootha Hi Sahi may be a love story, but it's smartly written and told by the duo, Abbas Tyrewala and wife, Pakhi. The script has a few teasing twists and turns that do not let it fall into the rut of predictable run-of-the-mill romances. The parallel friendship -- and romance -- between the angst-ridden Mishka and the geeky bookstore employee Siddharth, who doubles up as the anonymous and wise helpline buddy, zigzags across the picturesque London backdrop in an engaging manner. John's grubby apartment, his goofy encounters with Pakhi in the bookstore and the DVD store, his zillion slips of the tongue which are hastily covered by a series of lies, all have a sparkle and wit to them. But more than all this, it is the gang he hangs out with which provides most of the fun and the games. It's an odd assortment of characters -- gays, Pakistanis, unmarried mothers-to-be, a desperate wannabe groom -- that form his `Friends' circle and lends meat to the proceedings with their crazy banter. Leading the extended family bratpack is best friend, Omar (Raghu Ram), the Pakistani who doesn't miss a chance to joke about the testy Indo-Pakistan equation. The fringe-folk fraternity is more reminiscent of the Hugh Grant gang in films like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill than the Ross-Rachel-Joey-Chandler-Monica-Phoebe Friends circle.

The film largely follows the idiom which Abbas Tyrewala enunciated in his debut venture, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, reiterating his use of youthful lingo (strange becomes ajeebs here), wisecrack humour and `cool gang' bonding, with a celebration -- and a spoof -- of the traditional Bollywood `andaaz' (style) of essaying romance. Needless to say, it's an idiom that has a refreshing quality and an allure to it, as was proved by his earlier film. Jaane Tu... however, stood out due to its novelty while Jhootha Hi Sahi is a successful encore with a brave attempt by John Abraham to break the mould and prove his mettle as something more than molten beefcake. His stutter does seem awkward in places, but we'll forgive him these minor glitches, since he does manage to get the Clark Kent imagery quite right. Add to this, a peppy music score by AR Rahman, a confident debut by Pakhi, a strong support cast and you have a fun-filled film waiting for you this weekend.

Final View:

Overall, 'Jhoota Hi Sahi' is fun and refreshing. It's definitely a cool watch for the youngsters. What more, the final moments lead to the airport too!