Yash Chopra’s Timeless Song: Every Love Story Has It's Time
By Kanika Lal
November 15, 2012
This is not a story about courage, nor is it about miracles. This is simply a story about a man who falls in love and dies a little bit every day, chasing a dream that fate has prevented from coming true. Jab Tak Hai Jaan represents Yash Chopra’s rampant passion for life, love, cinema, and his unfaltering belief that love is eternal. Late legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra may have made his last directorial venture, but he has opened the doors for a new element in Bollywood where his legacy can live on.
The kings of romance, Shahrukh Khan and Yash Chopra, join together to create yet another unforgettable love story where certain dialogues, scenes, and songs will remain etched in our minds. Despite the typical, illogical and somewhat repetitive Bollywood scenes, it would not be a Yash Chopra film without drama. Jab Tak Hai Jaan intertwines tradition and modernity, love and sacrifice, and a new mantra that “every love story has it's time.”
Samar Anand, played by Shahrukh Khan, is an Indian immigrant in London who does odd jobs for a living, getting by with broken and comical English. He represents a lost soul, wandering aimlessly with his free spirit and a song in his heart. He sings, he dances, and knows how to charm the life out of anyone who meets him. While cleaning snow from the sidewalks, he meets Meera, played by Katrina Kaif, who is the prototypical, “daddy’s little rich girl,” and negotiates with God to fulfill her wishes. The two captivate one another and immediately fall in love. Dramatic twists and turns separate Samar and Meera, where Samar transforms into Major Samar Anand, “The Man who Cannot Die,” because of his fearless acts of disposing bombs in Kashmir. Akira, played by Anushka Sharma, is a vivacious 21-year-old intern at the Discovery Channel, who films Samar and his squad, and finds herself falling in love for the first time. More twists and turns bring the love triangle together in an unexpected way.
For someone who plays half his age in the movie, there is no one better than Shahrukh Khan, who manages to woo his audience with his quirky humor, seductive charm, and light-heartedness. Shahrukh Khan personifies the typical Yash Chopra hero with his charm and energy in multiple romantic songs and his bravery as an army officer.
The striking aspect of this movie is Yash Chopra’s invention of a female hero. Bollywood movies generally focus on the male protagonist who signifies strength in the relationships, but Chopra portrayed the exact opposite in Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The characters Meera and Akira act as crutches for a mental and emotionally crippled Samar. Showing the power of women is a pivotal depiction in a culture that is typically patriarchal.
Anushka Sharma does a brilliant job acting as a bubbly, spirited girl who does not waste time crying over emotions and embarks on adventures every chance she gets. Yash Chopra brings his audience into modern times where Sharma’s character aims to sleep with every man with a different accent and represents the “instant make-out, break-up generation,” as she so eloquently says in the film. Although Sharma’s performance is refreshing and almost accurately reflect India’s westernization, Kaif’s traditional character of sacrificing love for family and God is what is familiar. Chopra understood and realized the breakthrough of modernization in Bollywood, but he held on to the conventional love story that he has always created for his audience.
The shots of London and Ladakh are beautiful and easy on the eyes, the dialogue is engaging, and although Kaif’s performance is unemotional and lacks engagement, Khan and Sharma perform very well, offering liveliness, substance, and captivation on screen. Unfortunately, A.R Rahman’s musical contribution went way below expectations, and will not have audience members humming the tunes after the movie. Although the film had a nice pace, the movie did drag a bit in the second half, bringing it to a three-hour long movie.
Overall, Yash Chopra always manages to add magic to his films, making you a strong believer in faith, god, love, and the impossible. Watch the film for not only the beautiful characters and Shahrukh Khan’s charm, but also for the message that Yash Chopra lived by: love is eternal. His spirit lives on through Jab Tak Hai Jaan and will continue to resonate in the romance of Bollywood.
The kings of romance, Shahrukh Khan and Yash Chopra, join together to create yet another unforgettable love story where certain dialogues, scenes, and songs will remain etched in our minds. Despite the typical, illogical and somewhat repetitive Bollywood scenes, it would not be a Yash Chopra film without drama. Jab Tak Hai Jaan intertwines tradition and modernity, love and sacrifice, and a new mantra that “every love story has it's time.”
Samar Anand, played by Shahrukh Khan, is an Indian immigrant in London who does odd jobs for a living, getting by with broken and comical English. He represents a lost soul, wandering aimlessly with his free spirit and a song in his heart. He sings, he dances, and knows how to charm the life out of anyone who meets him. While cleaning snow from the sidewalks, he meets Meera, played by Katrina Kaif, who is the prototypical, “daddy’s little rich girl,” and negotiates with God to fulfill her wishes. The two captivate one another and immediately fall in love. Dramatic twists and turns separate Samar and Meera, where Samar transforms into Major Samar Anand, “The Man who Cannot Die,” because of his fearless acts of disposing bombs in Kashmir. Akira, played by Anushka Sharma, is a vivacious 21-year-old intern at the Discovery Channel, who films Samar and his squad, and finds herself falling in love for the first time. More twists and turns bring the love triangle together in an unexpected way.
For someone who plays half his age in the movie, there is no one better than Shahrukh Khan, who manages to woo his audience with his quirky humor, seductive charm, and light-heartedness. Shahrukh Khan personifies the typical Yash Chopra hero with his charm and energy in multiple romantic songs and his bravery as an army officer.
The striking aspect of this movie is Yash Chopra’s invention of a female hero. Bollywood movies generally focus on the male protagonist who signifies strength in the relationships, but Chopra portrayed the exact opposite in Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The characters Meera and Akira act as crutches for a mental and emotionally crippled Samar. Showing the power of women is a pivotal depiction in a culture that is typically patriarchal.
Anushka Sharma does a brilliant job acting as a bubbly, spirited girl who does not waste time crying over emotions and embarks on adventures every chance she gets. Yash Chopra brings his audience into modern times where Sharma’s character aims to sleep with every man with a different accent and represents the “instant make-out, break-up generation,” as she so eloquently says in the film. Although Sharma’s performance is refreshing and almost accurately reflect India’s westernization, Kaif’s traditional character of sacrificing love for family and God is what is familiar. Chopra understood and realized the breakthrough of modernization in Bollywood, but he held on to the conventional love story that he has always created for his audience.
The shots of London and Ladakh are beautiful and easy on the eyes, the dialogue is engaging, and although Kaif’s performance is unemotional and lacks engagement, Khan and Sharma perform very well, offering liveliness, substance, and captivation on screen. Unfortunately, A.R Rahman’s musical contribution went way below expectations, and will not have audience members humming the tunes after the movie. Although the film had a nice pace, the movie did drag a bit in the second half, bringing it to a three-hour long movie.
Overall, Yash Chopra always manages to add magic to his films, making you a strong believer in faith, god, love, and the impossible. Watch the film for not only the beautiful characters and Shahrukh Khan’s charm, but also for the message that Yash Chopra lived by: love is eternal. His spirit lives on through Jab Tak Hai Jaan and will continue to resonate in the romance of Bollywood.