Planet Bollywood
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
 
Producer: Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin, Ariadna Cabrol, Naseruddin Shah
Music: Shankar Ehsaan Loy
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Genre: Drama
Recommended Audience: Parental Guidance
Film Released on: 14 July 2011
Reviewed by: Bhavikk Sangghvi  - Rating: 7.5 / 10
More Reviews and Analysis by PB Critics:
    • Feature Review by Ankit Ojha - Rating: 8.0 / 10
 
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Public Rating Average: 5.12 / 10 (rated by 411 viewers)
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Opinion Poll: Is "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" better than "Dil Chahta Hai" ?

‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ is all about 3 young men taking a holiday that changes their lives forever. Kabir (Abhay Deol) has just met Natasha (Kalki Koechlin). 6 months later they are engaged. He wants to go on an extended bachelor party. A 3 week road trip with Imraan (Farhan Akhtar) and Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) – his 2 best friends since school. The only problem is Arjun is too tied up with work. After much emotional blackmail and cajoling the boys set off on a journey they were meant to take 4 years ago.

A fantasy holiday they had planned to take after college but never happened. A road trip where each one gets to do the ultimate sport of his choice and the other two just have to do it with him. Whether they want to or not! Kabir, Imraan and Arjun meet up in Barcelona and set off on an adventure that will not only make them iron out their differences but also face their fears, alter their perception, unravel their fabric, force them to break out of the box and teach them to seize the day.

Zoya Akhtar comes up with a refreshing script and the various adventures (deep sea diving, sky diving and bull raging) of the three men make up for the lack of a strong storyline. Her handling of the subject is so deft that you get engrossed in their road trip and wish you were a part of it (literally!).

The screenplay (Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar) has enough moments to keep you thoroughly entertained throughout the journey (of the film as well as the actors so as to speak). Dialogues by Farhan Akhtar are nothing short of gems and are dipped in humour. Even the emotional scenes are written with a rare maturity.


Performance wise, Hrithik is at his natural best and looks like a Greek God. He gets in to the skin of his character of a no nonsense financial trader with ease. Abhay Deol gives a vulnerable performance and you feel the most for him when he is confused about his feelings for Kalki. The latter also plays the role of a possessive girl friend to perfection and that’s admirable. Farhan has the best lines in the film and the strongest role in terms of characterization. His emotional scene with his father (Naseerudin Shah) when he questions him about staying away from them is heart melting and will surely give a lump in your throat. Katrina Kaif looks gorgeous as usual, but you miss her through the film as her presence in the second half is hardly there. The scene where she walks up to Hrithik and smooches him is super hot. The role of her best friend played by Ariadna Cabrol is fairly okay.

Among the supporting cast, both Naseerudin Shah and Deepti Naval as his estranged wife make their presence felt even in brief appearances. Suhel Seth is functional.

Music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy may not be of super hit variety; but the songs and the lyrics (Javed Akhtar) has a certain flavor which make them sound good to the ears. Cinematography by Carlos Catalan is like a ‘magic brush’ as he fully succeeds in capturing the exotic Spanish locales with flourish. Choreography by Bosco-Caesar and Vaibhavi Merchant is less of ‘dancing’ and more of fun movements which go well with the theme of the movie. Editing by Anand Subaya should have been tighter as the pace of the film becomes slow at times (in both the halves) and the proceedings tend to get too long and dreary. Sound design by Baylon Fonseca is of high standard while costumes by Arjun Bhasic are cool, urban and chic.

To put it in one line, this ‘zindagi’ totally rocks. Worth living every bit of it!

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