Jab Tak Hai Jaan Movie Review by Rajeev Masand

Rating: 3

November 13, 2012

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma, Anupam Kher

Director: Yash Chopra

Now who’d have thought that a simple promise made to God would become a deal breaker in a relationship? Yash Chopra, in his latest and last film Jab Tak Hai Jaan, serves a missive halfway through a frothy romance between Samar (Shah Rukh Khan) and Meera (Katrina Kaif). Just as we’re buying into their princess and pauper love story, Meera makes a promise that will separate the two, and frankly drag down a film that’s coasting along smoothly until this point.

Fortunately, despite this difficult-to-swallow conflict, Chopra and his leading man lend Jab Tak Hai Jaan an indelible charm. It’s that charm, coupled with the filmmaker’s trademark freshness, passion, and tenderness, that still keeps you invested in these characters and their star-crossed romance.

As a struggling immigrant in London, our hero Samar makes a living washing cars, waiting tables, and singing Punjabi folk songs on the street. Cupid strikes when he meets Meera, the daughter of a rich NRI businessman, but their romance is thwarted when she makes that fateful promise to Jesus. Samar returns home to India, heartbroken and angry, and joins the army. In ten years, he’s grown into a bomb disposal expert who has successfully defused 98 explosives, and is dubbed “the man who cannot die”. Intrigued by his story, aspiring documentary filmmaker Akira (Anushka Sharma) attaches herself to his unit and travels with them to shoot Samar at work. Predictably, the feisty Akira is drawn to Samar’s brooding intensity, and pretty soon finds herself hopelessly in love.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan has the novelty of modern treatment, seen during Samar and Meera’s courtship where they make out in phone booths or cavort in bed. Which is why then that the regressive and old-fashioned bits stick out like a sore thumb. It’s a bit of a stretch to take in typical tropes like an accident that happens not once, but twice to the same character, a spot of amnesia, and that tired routine of having long, loud exchanges with God. The other quibble you’rre bound to have with Jab Tak Hai Jaan is the indulgent, leisurely storytelling that drags its feet in the second half.

The truth is that whether you agree with, or aren’t a fan of Chopra’s brand of love stories, he conveys them with complete conviction. The two female protagonists in this tale are intentionally different – Meera is the classic, Yash Chopra heroine (albeit a modern one who smokes and curses), while he introduces a new kind through Akira, described best in her own words: “I belong to the instant make out, instant break-up generation.” Katrina Kaif looks ethereally beautiful, but her emotions are limited under the shadow of a shaky, unrealistic character. Anuskha brings a spark to the film and has dialogues that stand out with her punchy, spirited take on them. But Jab Tak Hai Jaan rests with Shah Rukh Khan, and we see a subtly magnetic performance that is both charismatic and intense. The actor looks vibrant and so much younger, delivering a terrific turn as Samar, hopelessly devoted to his love.

I’m going with three out of five for the late Yash Chopra’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Despite its many script problems, it’s a consistently watchable film that oozes with feeling and real emotion. A fitting swan song.

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26 Comments
  1. Shinji 12 years ago

    the review and the rating clearly doesnt match, and one can see that masand is more liberal because of Chopra’s demise.

    • Baba Ji 12 years ago

      ” Meera is the classic, Yash Chopra heroine ” ROFLMAO!!!!

      yes the classic herione who is seen stripping in a train while making out in public in one of the scenes 😉

  2. BINOD 12 years ago

    boring muvee, baseless script, i don’t know why rajeev masand is so sentimental abt the muvee and katrina kaif. also army angle was forcefully used. went to join the army after 28 yrs where as the legal limit is 27.

    • Baba Ji 12 years ago

      yes the age limit is indeed 27 and whats this fascination of joining the army to vent frustration of rejection of love? army is not a halwa. lakhs of people apply every year and very few, the truely passionate and deserving ones make it to the final.

      • kamran basit 12 years ago

        and srk is pasionate in the movie if u saw

        • Baba Ji 12 years ago

          by passionate, i meant those who are so about their country,the ones who have that zeal of serving the nation in army. in the film, srk says he is scared of bombs and guns in first half and suddenly after rejection by heroine ,he not only manages to get himself into the army (inspite of being overage) but also becomes superhero suddenly! and what about the nonsensical subplot about that paki friend? he becomes millionaire suddenly? lmao!

          but these are just small problems with the film if you compare the other fundamental hollowness of the story.

    • kamran basit 12 years ago

      first of all it movie not movee .secondly in london he is not a army officer but a bomb difusor so age is not so high(check on google).thirdly its boring but only for bit in 2nd half otherwise the movie is awesome and not like old typical lovestory its a modern lovestory and all characters do their best specially anushka and srk ,infact after a long a mega starrer movie is came whioch has a story and not a remake of aany south or hollywood, its just new movie which deals with the present . i m sure it get 4 star with masan if the movie in 2nd half is little short but anyway who cares about rating the movie is must watchable its one of the best of srk and yash ji and first katrina did acting and well acting . lastly which is the best part of movie is the dance of srk and kat before ishk-shava(ishq-dance) which is speechless,and songs are very good and u know what i m not a fan of srk i likes amir and ranbir but this time srk is best and the music and songs are very beautiful in movie not aivain sunne me .so overall movie is too good it deserves 4 out of 5.must if u want to see a new kind of lovestory full of lovely music

      • armaan malik 12 years ago

        ab jise film samaj me nahi aayi use toh kharab hi lagegi na guyz. . . . Prashant u said realy well. . . .

      • shan 12 years ago

        Mr Kamran Basit,

        First of all –

        1. It is “it’s movie, not movee”, not “it movie not movee”. Where? In your first statement.
        2. It is “he is a bomb diffusor, so age limit is not so high”, not “he bomb difusor so age is not so high”
        3. It is “after a long time, a mega-starrer movie with a story has released”, not “infact after a long a mega starrer movie is came whioch has a story”
        4. It is “any”, not “aany”
        5. It is “I am sure Masand would have given it 4 stars if the second half was shorter”, not “i m sure it get 4 star with masan if the movie in 2nd half is little short”
        6. It is either “must watch” or “watchable”, not “must watchable”
        7. It is “First time, Katrina has acted and acted well”, not “first katrina did acting and well acting”
        8. It is ” Lastly, the best part of the movie is the dance before Ishq Shava”, not “lastly which is the best part of movie is the dance of srk and kat before ishk-shava(ishq-dance)”
        9. I dont think you want to say the dance is “speechless”, you mean it makes viewers speechless, although technically, the dance is speechless, since it involves no speech.
        10. It is “I like Aamir and Ranbir”, not “i likes amir and ranbir”
        11. “songs are very beautiful in movie not aivain sunne me” – no comments
        12. It is “Must see if you want to see a new love story with lovely music”, not “must if u want to see a new kind of lovestory full of lovely music”

        Second of all, there is no second of all.

        Why am I being an ass and correcting your English grammar? Because tit for tat.

  3. prashant 12 years ago

    nice movie…great acting by srk n anu but kat is a surprise package.. A bit boring smtyms bt overall a nice romantic movie after a long time… 3.5/5

  4. Deepika sthapak 12 years ago

    there iz no logic in any movie,not just in jthj…!! watch it as a love story-a love which iz unforgiving, but forever like a vow- till last breath do us apart..!!!

  5. Deepika sthapak 12 years ago

    if u r talking abt loopholes in dese movie than yes there r many..!!! I have already watched 6 times..and ya i didn’t faint,vomit or any thing like that!! it’s love which has no boundaries…except meera’s imaandari to her jesus (which c has been doing since little) is also supreme. samar replied meera “shadi mubarak ho” spokes volumes as he is anry,sad,hurt and vil not forgive her never ever and vil leave her cause he understands what c is doing in order to protect him though stupid he knows her faith in god,in his words ‘saudaebaazi’ or in her words ‘pujaa’ so he wil give into het demands without any qualms only to break her faith in god..!!
    it is passionate, mindblowing, breath-taking(litrally) silent, angry yet in da end forgiving love story.

    watch it for shahrukh’s comeback as a romentic hero, for katrina classy ethereal beauty…or for yash chopras last epic love story between samar anand and meera thapar..!:)
    watch it for A LOVE WHICH CAN NOT DIE..

    • Baba Ji 12 years ago

      just like you are giving free token to the lack of logic in the film by excusing it as a love story, there is no reason you should try to search logic in the masala films.

  6. Serenzy 12 years ago

    How can a Person Survive JTHJ 6Times!

    😐

  7. Deepika sthapak 12 years ago

    oh please, u r saying as if u haven’t watch a movie more than a time!!

  8. armaan malik 12 years ago

    it was awesome love story. . , . . Srk was awesome. . . . . Anuska’s acting as bubbli girl was nice. . . . Sinemetography was awesome. . . . . Overall it was complet pakage of entertenment . Poetry by srk was awesome. . . It deserve 3.5 to 4 star

  9. Reddemon 12 years ago

    Baba ji
    i m trying to explain the ‘loopholes’ to you
    – Samar anand’s grandfather and father were in army so it was very easy for him to get into army with some ‘pehchan’ and 1 yr doesnt really matter. Another thing there are not many ppl who aspire for joining a bomb defusing squad which makes the way even simpler.
    – samar had lost his love and so his life. So now there was no fear of losing his life and in movie he tells somewhere something like ‘me roj mauth ko gale lagata hu..’ so it cleas everythng.
    – about the nonsensical paki friend ‘allah meherban to gadha pehalwan’.
    Nethng else??

    • Baba Ji 12 years ago

      As i said before, the army angle is a small goof up relatively. But to answer you, please read up how to apply in Indian army. “Pechaan” doesnt work.You are not applying in a private limited company.Its merit based.You need to have necessary educational and physical qualifications.There is no separate category/exam for bomb defusing as far as i know. One needs to clear the common SSB interview and physical test. Lakhs of people apply every year. Very few make it to the final. srk would have been disqualified on age itself.

    • Ritz 12 years ago

      “Samar anand’s grandfather and father were in army so it was very easy for him to get into army with some ‘pehchan’ and 1 yr doesnt really matter.”

      Lol.

      This is new addition to the ultimate line from the promos “Zindagi to har roz jaan leti hai…bomb to sirf ek baar lega”

      Someone should upload all such ultimate dialogues from the movie….sorry not a movie. I meant ‘poetry on screen’.

  10. Reddemon 12 years ago

    Baba ji
    lol do you think i am so dumb to tell you all those things without any knowledge?
    This is India and here ‘pehchan’ does work and i knw many ppl who went there on pehchan. Age diff of 1 yr can be easily adjusted if u have some ‘tagda pehchan’ believe it or not

    although there are loopholes in all the movies but i would like to know the other loopholes in JTHJ and some big ones which u r talking about.

    • Baba Ji 12 years ago

      I dont know how smart or how dumb you are in real life. I can only see your comments.So you mean to say srk didnt qualify in the army by merit.he might have been selected by adopting malpractices. Though I really doubt if even that is a possiblity in army but I will take it.

  11. sputnik 12 years ago

    “So you mean to say srk didnt qualify in the army by merit.he might have been selected by adopting malpractices.”

    LOL

  12. Hahaha 12 years ago

    I am just wondering does Masand ever reads these super funny comments! I hope so, he should know what his reviews trigger!

    Babaji is really funny, as his name!!

  13. Suprabh 12 years ago

    shan,

    “It is either “must watch” or “watchable”, not “must watchable” ”

    Hahahahhahahahhaaha LMAO… btw you missed “a army officer” in your proof reading 😛 (I know it must have been hard enough already)

  14. shan 12 years ago

    @Suprabh : Haha. Main bhi insaan hi hoon yaar 🙂 Not The man from earth 😉

  15. Sajal Singla 12 years ago

    The Movie ws ossom and ofcrse romentic as i very much lyk it plzzz guyss watch it today….

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