Director: Shaad Ali
Starcast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah and Leela Samson
Ratings: 2.5 Stars
Shaad Ali is back with another coming of age romance, Ok Jaanu, starring Aditya Roy Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. The remake of Mani Ratnam’s successful Tamil romantic drama O Kadhal Kanmani is about young love, live-in relationships and progressive thinking.
Not just in terms of theme, but also that plight of two capable actors having nothing to work with other than clichéd scenes about live-in complications. OK Jaanu barely touches the surface of such relationships and is content in focusing on the sensual aspects of it. Girl meets guy but neither want commitments. They decide to have a live-in before taking off for Paris and the US. Girl and guy realize they are in love and get married. The story is about a young couple who decides to live in for a while and figure out life as it comes. Their approach towards life and commitment changes once they deal with situations involving an elderly married couple.
Naseeruddin Shah’s love story with Leela Samson- Adi and Tara’s landlords. It’s a pity that they weren’t given more screen time because that’s a relationship the audience really gets invested in.
The Tamil version was a critical and commercial success in the south because of the chemistry of its lead pair Dulquer Salmaan-Nithya, and AR Rahman’s music. While Shaad Ali has managed to rope in Rahman and Gulzar for a perfect musical touch, OK Jaanu is going to be the testing waters for Aditya and Shraddha who mesmerized the audience in Aashiqui 2 earlier.
Naseeruddin Shah’s immense talent is wasted in this Mani Ratnam adaptation. The background score of the film is beautiful. It will make you hum throughout the scenes. The ease with which AdityaKapoor is carrying his character, ShraddhaKapoor is struggling hard to follow. As for the music by A.R. Rahman, the upbeat remix of the iconic Humma and Kaara Fankaara, and the lilting Saajan Aayo Re and Enna Sona are redeeming to some extent. But then not quite enough to make you sit through two hours and fifteen minutes.
Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor star as Adi and Tara and their rapport in OK Jaanu is the ideal example of the perfect no-strings-attached relationship. Aashiqui 2 fans will definitely watch the movie for the leads. It’s disappointing to see a story that loses its plot as it keeps presenting the same thing over and over again in slightly different settings. Unfortunately, OK Jaanu fails to impress completely, but it is a good time pass for all Aditya Shraddha Fans. Must Watch with your Jaanu’s this weekend.
