Ayan Mukerji previously directed Wake Up Sid, his directorial debut, and he did a wonderful job with a film that was both refreshing and very good in and of itself. Just as it often goes with second ventures of promising first-timers, his next film, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, is nowhere as good. I knew nothing about this film when I started watching it except that it was an extraordinary mainstream success. But I was quite interested in watching it. The film is not bad at all, but it just doesn't live up the hype it seeks to generate at its core premise.
The film follows four youngsters in one of their last trips together before one of them leaves the country. While the film is beautifully shot and is a thoroughly enjoyable watch, it's never more than pleasant, it's never overwhelming, and there's hardly any reminiscence of what the title prepared us for - you'll see none of the youth craze or even youth culture that you would probably immediately associate with this film, and what is lacking at the heart of an otherwise watchable film is the much called-for wild spirit which Mukherjee doesn't manage to capture.
And it's not that Mukerji doesn't try. He does. There are some scenes of running through the markets, there are catchy songs and pretty girls, but the script often makes the story not ring true. The only portion where it leaves a mark is in the relationship between the two friends who meet after many years. The romantic tension between the two leads does work to a point, but sometimes it's too polished and fairy tale-like to really be impactful. And the biggest problem, it mostly just feels a rehash of previous films. At points the references to old Dharma (the production company under which the film is produced) films, people, and songs, is really pathetic.
The film's characters are merely derivative of previous famous characters, and are never given enough depth. Ranbir Kapoor repeats his Wake Up Sid character, and he does it well although it feels he never allows himself to shed all his inhibitions. Aditya Roy Kapur is exceedingly good in some parts and struggles in others, while Kalki is wasted although she is consistently good. The winner of course is Deepika. Again, her character is just a recap of popular characters (Kajol's Anjali in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai; Preity Zinta's Naina in Kal Ho Naa Ho), but she is wonderful, subtly conveying much through her expressive eyes and the tiny, nuanced gestures on her pretty face.
Towards the end, the film grows incresingly fluffy, corny and starry, much to the point of losing the lighthearted nature it sought to define back in the beginning of the show. Heavy music and numerous sentimental scenes are followed by a most shallow moment of realisation on the part of the male protagonist, which is not convincing enough. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is not bad, I have no doubt some would highly enjoy it. Actually I enjoyed it too, I just expected more from this film and was disappointed. Still so, it is watchable and entertaining, with some nice romantic and musical portions.
