Director: Yash Chopra
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif
‘A Captivating Classic’
Few actors in Bollywood are as beloved as Shah Rukh Khan. Ever since his toward recognition in the 1990’s, Khan has become one of the greatest actors in the Indian film industry. Whether it is star-crossed lovers, gangsters or doomed superheroes, Khan has proven he can portray many characters. Arguably, Khan’s finest strength as an actor has always been his charisma. He has often been of those rare actors with the abilities to use his charisma to attract audiences to the theatres. Through his abilities to play characters which prove to be compelling, Khan has created a legacy that’s lasting. Known as the Badshah of Bollywood, Khan has stood the test of time as a great icon in Indian Cinema. Despite reaching the ages of retirement, Khan hasn’t lost his passions for making engaging entertainment. An icon in India, Khan has become a bold actor whose movies commonly attract audiences to the Cinema. Throughout his long-lasting career, Khan has appeared in several unforgettable movies which are definitely without a doubt worth watching.
I’m a huge fan of Khan and admire the films he has created in his career. However, “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” definitely stands out as being his most poetic film. Released in 2012, Yash Chopra’s film offered a powerful portrait of bomb disposal experts. Packed with strong production, engaging storytelling and bold performances, it’s a breathtaking Bollywood romantic drama. At the centre of it all is an extraordinary performance from Shah Rukh Khan, who portrays a bomb disposal expert that faces romantic tension. Although “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” is a riveting romantic drama, it isn’t a flawless film. It suffers from uneven pacing testing viewers’ patience. That being said, it offers captivating entertainment that will satisfy fans of Shah Rukh Khan.
“Jab Tak Hai Jaan” tells the story of a bomb disposal expert that questions his purpose. Shah Rukh Khan portrays Samar Anand, a musician that feels burdened. Samar shares a strong romantic bond with Meera (Katrina Kaif), a woman he has always loved dearly. However, Samar’s live drastically changes when he suffers a painful accident causing disaster. Following the accident, Samar is heartbroken as his relationship with Meera becomes emotionally distant. Faced with a dilemma, Samar decides to become a bomb disposal expert in India. As all the odds are stacked against his favour, Samar questions whether he will ever be able to recover from the end of a romantic relationship that faces disaster.
Yash Chopra has always been fascinated by the romance genre. A legendary Bollywood filmmaker, Chopra has made timeless films about lovers facing disaster. His iconic film “Veer-Zaara” offered a powerful portrait of two passionate lovers torn apart by intense India-Pakistan tensions. With “Jab Tak Hai Jaan”, however, Chopra crafted his first ever war drama. It was the filmmaker’s attempt to capture the lives of army veterans facing romantic adversity but he succeeded. Using strong cinematography, Chopra captures a war veteran embarking on a journey to find his identity. Evoking Michael Cimino’s “The Deer Hunter”, Chopra deftly uses handheld camerawork to capture a war veteran that’s forced to abandon romance. For instance, handheld camerawork elevates the bombs disposal scene. During this heartfelt scene, Samar faces tension as he tries to dispose of a bomb. Through handheld camerawork, Chopra creates a portrait of war vets that’s engrossing . Handheld camera is tricky. As Aditya Chopra’s “Mohabbatein” suggested, handheld camerawork elevates Bollywood movies about college. Nevertheless, it works immensely. Using stunning visuals, Chopra captures the hardships that army veterans in India are facing.
Another admirable aspect of “Jab Tak Hain Jaan” that merits praise is the production. Chopra has always excelled at staging the musical sequences of his movies, and “Jab Tak Hain Jaan” showcases his strengths as a filmmaker. Chopra effectively uses cross-cutting to create musical sequences about veterans which are engaging. For instance, the cross-cutting elevates the Challa song. During this unforgettable song, Samar sings songs using his guitar on streets of London as a struggling musician. Using captivating cross-cutting, Chopra created a portrait of musicians that’s engaging. Furthermore, the music score is magnificent. It gives the film a tense atmosphere capturing the burdens army veterans bear. Using bold production, Chopra captures Indian army veterans that face tension.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “Jab Tak Hain Jaan” is a Bollywood movie that’s engaging. The film is expertly written, and effectively uses dramatic monologues to capture hardships Indian army veterans experience. Evoking Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now”, Chopra effectively uses monologues to capture war veterans facing a row. For instance, monologues elevate the farewell scene. During this emotional scene, Samar bids emotional farewell to Meera as he embarks on a journey to become a war veteran. Through captivating monologues, Chopra creates a portrayal of war veterans audiences can relate to. Monologues are a tricky technique. As Nikkhil Advani’s “Kal Ho Naa Ho” suggested, monologues enhance Bollywood movies about terminal illnesses. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this film. Through a spectacular screenplay, Chopra captures Indian war veterans which face a price to pay.
One admires phenomenal performances.
Shah Rukh Khan delivers one of his finest performances as Samar. Khan first earned appreciation for playing romantic heroes in classic Bollywood films. With “Jab Tak Hai Jaan”, however, he took on his most mature role. It isn’t simple to portray an Indian war veteran facing adversities but he succeeds. This is the actor unlike you have ever seen him before: intense, charming and serious in his most poetic role. With bold expressions, he captures the angst, bravery and grief of a veteran that faces tensions. It’s a terrific performance from one of the finest actors in Bollywood today.
While the movie is mainly a bold showcase for Shah Rukh Khan, the supporting cast is also spectacular. Katrina Kaif is captivating, bringing heartfelt emotion to a woman that is forced to separate from a lover engaging in warfare destruction. Anushka Sharma is spectacular, bringing charisma to a woman that falls in love with a traumatized veteran causing a dilemma. Lastly, Sarika deserves appreciations. As an elderly woman, she is unforgettable.
Although “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” is an engaging Bollywood drama, it isn’t a flawless film. If there’s a minor shortcoming to the movie, it lacks engaging pacing. Chopra’s decisions to tell the story using flashbacks is bold but doesn’t entirely succeed. Due to this faulty technique, scenes focusing on Samar’s past romance relationships aren’t as engrossing as his war-time journeys. As Karan Johar’s “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” demonstrated, flashbacks elevate Bollywood movies about sad families. Therefore, “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” can’t quite capture struggles of Indian war veterans people adore.
Nevertheless, fans of Shah Rukh Khan will definitely enjoy “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” and so would audiences that seek heartbreaking entertainment. A breathtaking Bollywood romantic drama, it honours an actor with charisma in India.
Nearly 15 years following the release of a groundbreaking Bollywood movie about an Indian army veteran separated from lovers facing tension, it’s a riveting reminder of an incredible actor that has built a long-lasting reputation through ability to portray strong characters in memorable movies that merit celebration.
4/5 stars
The Film Buff 