MOVIE REVIEW: HAAL-E-DIL

I don't know what got into me before I started to watch this movie; with absolutely no buzz surrounding this film, no popular songs and the most outdated of promos running on the television channels, I was surprised at myself. Well, after the movie got over, the emotions were the same as I thought "What, in this big world, made me see THIS FILM!!!". After the film got over, I was continuously thinking and trying to figure out, what exactly was the story of this film.

Well, I have still been not able to recollect what exactly the story was, so I'll write what I saw without revealing the whole plot (waise there is no point not revealing it, because anyways, its not worth watching, but still, for some die-hard film aficionados who HAVE to watch every film made in the world (I know some people like that ;-) ):

Girl(Amita Pathak) meets boy no. 1(Adhyayan Suman), both fall in love amidst light, misty mountains and their love blooms with the flowers in the valleys. Girl comes to Mumbai and, on her way back to the valleys and mountains, meets boy no.2 (Nakuul Mehta) in the train. Now, boy no.2 is the quintessential naughty-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold (sounds like Saawariya??). Boy 2 loves girl 1, but girl 1 loves boy 1. So, boy 2 tries to win her heart in all the weird ways possible. That's, perhaps, it.

As the movie starts, you can't help but burst out laughing, seeing the way boy 1 meets girl. I thought such hero-heroine intros were gone, right at the start of the new millenium. The boy and gal ka takraana, dono ka chakraana and then pahaad k kone pe khade hoke naach-gaana. But you still want forgive them for a false start. As the scenes unfold and boy 2 is introduced(supposed to evoke mirth, but too loud a humour to burst out laughing, still innovative entry, better than the boy-gal one) and the sequences in the train thereafter, give you a sense of deja vu. The film first tries to copy the evergreen classic, DDLJ, in the initial train sequences, when boy 2 starts irritating the girl. Then, when boy 2 and girl miss their train at a station, you are reminded of Jab We Met. After that, I just don't know what happened;its just a collection of scenes, which are there to fill up some screen time, perhaps because without them, the film's running time would have been just 1 hour.

On the positive side, the film is very well shot. The landscapes of Simla(supposedly, though I am sure it is Switzerland) and Ladakh look stunning.

The flip side: Err..... where is the story???, the characterizations are very very 80s and early 90s, ie, too good to be true (especially the character of Shekhar), the music is very weak barring the title track, the absence of a hit number is felt, more so because this is a romantic flick, and the second half is a huge drag, especially the forest scenes.

The performances: Amita Pathak, being the daughter of the producer Kumar Mangat, is present in every scene of the movie. This becomes a bit irritating, though she acts well. Secondly, she looked very plain and plump in the film, so the sequences where the 2 heroes fall in love with her, in first sight look the least convincing. In fact, they are funny. Perhaps, a better script would have lent more gravity in her performance, but she did well in whatever she was made to do.

Nakuul Mehta is given a character, very very similar to Ranbir Kapoor's in Saawariya. Plus, his expressions remind you of Hrithik Roshan, and his dialogue delivery, of Shahid Kapoor. He is totally let down by a pathetic script and a badly characterized role, though his sincerity shows in every scene and he gives a good account of himself in whatever he is offered.

Adhyayan Suman. Was THIS his debut movie? It looked more like a guest appearance. He is there for not more than three or four 5-minute scenes. Still, he shows some spark in whatever bits he is offered. He certainly deserved a better movie and more flesh in the role to begin his acting career. He is totally wasted in this film.

On the whole, please don't waste your time over this film. There are better ways to utilize both your time and your money. TOTAL NONSENSE!!!

My Rating: *