It was the film that we had all been waiting for. This movie proved, once and for all, that Shahrukh Khan, is Bollywood’s biggest star name.
SET in the fictitious college of Gurukul, we see three love stories utilising the younger cast in addition to Bachchan’s strict authoritarian and Shah Rukh Khan’s Raj Aryan – a music teacher with a secret.
Narayan Shankar (Bachchan) rules Gurukul with a iron grip, constantly instilling in his students the school motto – ‘Tradition, Honour and Discipline’ – something he has done for over two decades. Complications arise when Vicky (Uday Chopra), Sameer (Jugal Hansraj) and Karan (Jimmy Shergill) fall in love with respectively, Ishika (Shamita Shetty), Sanjana (Kim Sharma) and Kiran (Preeti Jhangiani). In other words, boy meets girl, girl doesn’t fall in love with boy, boy falls in love, he ponders, he worries, he forgets, then they fall in love and live happily ever after (or a variation thereof) … in triplicate.
Uber-babe Aishwarya Rai makes a fleeting cameo as Bachchan’s daughter and Shah Rukh’s former love. As ever, she is outstanding in a role that demands little of her. Bachchan and Shah Rukh are both given equally important roles, but the length of the whole film manages to detract from their performances.
The cinematography is exceptional and the shots of the school (Surrey’s Longleat House) give the film a fresh feel. Big sets, huge stars and big budgets make Mohabbatein a classic love story.
Uday Chopra (son of director Yash), Preeti Jhangiani and Jimmy Shergill glow in roles that introduce them to a global audience. Anupam Kher is brilliant as a sardar hopelessly in love with livewire Archana Puran Singh, while the legendary Helen is effective as the principal of a neighbouring girls school.
Overall, Mohabbatein is a great film and one to watch if you love to fall in love. Full of bubbly characters, lollypop love and bright colours, Yash Chopra again proves he is a master of his art. The only real negative perhaps being the length of the movie.
