Yash Chopra's Veer-Zaara is a visually stunning and emotionally touching picture about star-crossed lovers who meet once and are tied forever. Chopra artistically combines realism with unrestrained emotion and even some overdone sentimentality. On paper, the love story itself, the separation and everything else is quite typical, but Chopra infuses it with a different energy, masterfully emphasising the respect the two leads have for each other, the honour they pay to parents and elders, and their genuine willingness to sacrifice themselves for each other. While it is a cross-border love story between an Indian and a Pakistani, their nationality is not what really prevents them from being together. The lovers connect at the human level. Phenomenally well shot, Veer-Zaara flows smoothly through the stunning views of Indian and Pakistani fields and groves, and colourfully shows the bright sides of each country and their respective people. That the film does not define a specific period of historical time makes it universally relevant.
The love story is portrayed with grandeur, where larger-than-life orchestral music of heavy violins and piano accompanies the crucial moments, but at its core, it's beautifully old school. That is, the growing romance between the leads is not sleazy, it's not mainly driven by sexual tension or uncontrolled passion; there's pure interest to be together and be there for each other. The soundtrack is perhaps of the most beautiful assigned to a Hindi film in recent years, and that it was actually composed many years ago and rediscovered for this production, contributes to the epic mood of the film. Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta are great choices for the titular roles. They resuscitate their characters with restraint and dignity and have a credible chemistry despite not having much physical interaction. Khan is the main soul of the film and he is believable in everything his character goes through. Tremendously nuanced, Zinta is beautiful and compelling as the intelligent and headstrong Zaara, and looks ethereal in traditional outfits.
In the film's interesting progressive stance, religion and nationality are used as mediators to integration by means of shared human values. Among other issues, the film also addresses women's empowerment through Zaara's fierce independence and liberal views about women's rights, as well as Rani Mukherjee's role of a Pakistani lawyer who struggles to overcome societal norms. Indeed, Mukherjee, whose beauty appears so radiant throughout the film, makes a great impact with her relatively minor but pivotal role of the tenacious, level-headed Saammiya. She is natural and impressive and walks out leaving a mark. In general, as one would expect, Chopra manages to bring together a remarkable group of skilled actors to play the supporting roles, including Kirron Kher, Divya Dutta, Boman Irani, Manoj Bajpai, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, and Anupam Kher, all of whom play their respective parts to perfection, bringing layering and realism to their different, relatively short but memorably interesting characters.
Veer-Zaara, though a completely entertaining and often overwhelming epic romance, is not the greatest film you'll see, and many might think it often goes over-the-top with its abundant emotional quotient. I personally found much of it easily totally in place within the context and parameters of the film. Script-wise, it might be far from flawless as some loopholes exist, while several open questions pertaining to some of the proceedings remain open or unanswered. Having said that, it just doesn't matter here. This film is far ahead of anything it can be blamed for. It is a portrait centering on and endorsing the main values a person should cherish in life: humanity, respect and love, and it conveys this message very well. Many non-Indians were affected by this film even though it's not their immediate taste, and it's easy to see why. As a cinematic experience, it is both a visual and artistic treat. In this regard, it is one of those films which become instant classics, and I recommend it to anyone, whoever and wherever he or she is.
