Director: Siddharth Anand
Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Bipasha Basu
‘A Captivating Classic’
Few actresses in Bollywood are as beloved as Deepika Padukone. Ever since her rise towards stardom in the 2000’s, Padukone has become one of the best actresses in the Indian industry. Whether it’s star-crossed lovers, teenagers or women facing marriage disaster, Padukone has proven that she has the ability to portray many bold characters. Padukone’s finest strength as an actress is versatility. Through strong ability to portray characters in a variety of genres, Padukone has proven to be an iconic actress in India. She is one of those actresses that has the ability to command every scene through her strong presence. An actress with undeniable charisma, Padukone has become an icon in India. Throughout her career, Padukone has produced several unforgettable movies that are certainly worth watching.
I’m a huge fan of Padukone and admire all the movies that she has made in her career. However, “Bachna Ae Haseeno” definitely stands out as her most underrated movie. Released in 2008, Siddharth Anand’s film offered a powerful portrait of womanizers. Packed with stunning musical sequences, engaging storytelling and powerful acting, it’s a riveting Bollywood romantic drama. At the centre of it all is a bold performance by Deepika Padukone, who portrays a woman trapped in a doomed romantic relationship. Although “Bachna Ae Haseeno” is a riveting romantic drama, it isn’t flawless. It builds to a predictable ending without any satisfying resolution. Nevertheless, it offers engaging entertainment which would definitely satisfy fans of Deepika Padukone.
“Bachna Ae Haseeno” tells the story of a bachelor that attempts to amend broken romantic relationships that cause sorrow. Ranbir Kapoor plays Raj Sharma, a bold bachelor with a habit of experiencing bad relationships causing trauma. After he has broken the hearts of three different women, Raj is given a chance to start a relationship having a positive outlook. Gayatri (Deepika Padukone) is a fiercely independent woman with dreams of her own. Seeking to repair a painful past of broken relationships causing despair, Raj strives to pursue a long lasting romantic affair. As all the odds are stacked against his favour, Raj wonders whether he can possibly avoid falling into the habits of being a womanizer.
Siddarth Anand has always been fascinated with the romantic genre. A fantastic Indian filmmaker, Anand has often made engaging films about lovers in danger. His acclaimed film “Salaam Namaste” offered a powerful portrait of lovers struggling to deal with an unexpected pregnancy with a price to pay. With “Bachna Ae Haseeno”, however, Anand made his first ever film about womanizers. It was the filmmaker’s first attempt to capture the lives of womanizers facing adversity but he succeeded immensely. Using captivating cinematography, Anand captures the life of a womanizer embarking on a journey to find identity. Emulating Kunal Kohli’s “Hum Tum”, Anand uses montages to capture the life of a bachelor that seeks to pursue affairs with different women. For instance, the montage enhances the romantic past scene. During this heartfelt scene, Raj recalls his romantic relationship in his past that have impacted his identity. Using montages, Anand crafts a portrait of love that’s engaging. Montages are tricky techniques. As Farah Khan’s “Om Shanti Om” suggested, montages enhance Bollywood movies about reincarnation. That being said, it works immensely in this movie. Using stunning visuals, Anand captures the hardships that womanizers seeking love are facing.
Another admirable aspect of “Bachna Ae Haseeno” that merits appreciation is the production. From a technical perspective, it’s one of the most impressive Bollywood romantic dramas you will ever see. Taking inspiration from Aditya Chopra’s “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge”, Anand successfully uses European locations to stage musical sequences that are engaging. For instance, the location of Venice elevates the Khuda Jaane song. During this memorable scene, Raj has an intimate romantic encounter with Gayatri in Italy. Through European locales, Anand creates a romantic drama which is engaging. Moreover, the musical score is magnificent. Vishal-Shekhar’s music is key to the success of the movie. It gives the film an engaging atmosphere capturing burden womanizers bear. Using strong production, Anand captures lives of womanizers which face tension.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “Bachna Ae Haseeno” is a Bollywood film that’s engaging. The film is extremely well-written, and uses non-linear storytelling to capture tension that womanizers are facing. The film effectively switches back and forth between two distinct timelines: flashbacks of Raj’s past romantic relationships and his present-day affair. Through this clever non-linear structure, Anand creates a portrait of romantic relationships audiences can easily relate to. Non-linear storytelling isn’t always an easy technique. As Ayan Mukerji’s “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani” claimed, non-linear storytelling elevates Bollywood films about friendships. Nevertheless, it works well in this movie. Through a fantastic screenplay, Anand captures romantic relationships that face a price to pay.
One appreciates amazing performances.
Deepika Padukone delivers one of her best career performances as Gayatri. Padukone first earned praise for playing reincarnated lovers in romantic dramas. With “Bachna Ae Haseeno”, however, she took upon her most complex role. It isn’t easy to portray the life of a woman experiencing destructive affairs but she succeeds. This is the actress unlike you have ever seen her before: charismatic, emotional and vulnerable in her most iconic role. With riveting expressions, she conveys the angst, bravery and resentments faced by a woman seeking relations. It’s a brilliant performance from one of the most beloved actresses in India today.
While the movie is mainly a bold showcase for Padukone, the supporting cast is superb and also worthy of praise. Ranbir Kapoor is remarkable, capturing charismatic nature of a bachelor that engages in doomed affairs causing disaster. Bipasha Basu is brilliant, capturing the point of view of a woman that seeks to make her profession dreams true. Lastly, Kunal Kapoor merits appreciation. As a man preparing for his wedding, he brings wisdom to the movie.
Despite its strong performances, however, “Bachna Ae Haseeno” can’t quite capture romantic relationships in an authentic way. If there’s a minor shortcoming to the movie, it lacks a strong ending. It’s a conventional conclusion that fails to bring the movie to a satisfying resolution. Whereas this ending enhanced Imtiaz Ali’s “Love Aaj Kal”, it does not fit with the tone of this movie. At worst, it perpetuates misleading messages of love not true to reality. Therefore, “Bachna Ae Haseeno” is one of those Bollywood movies not everyone will adore.
Nevertheless, fans of Deepika Padukone will absolutely enjoy “Bachna Ae Haseeno” and so will audiences which seek heartwarming entertainment. A bold Bollywood romantic drama, it honours an actress that’s beloved in India.
Nearly 20 years following the release of an iconic Bollywood romantic film about a life of a womanizer facing relationships proving to be tragic, it’s a fantastic reminder of an actress that has created an iconic legacy by her abilities to portray compelling heroines in celebrated movies which have never lost their capability to consistently captivate the public.
4/5 stars
The Film Buff 