Jane tu ya jaane na !

There is a girl and there is a boy. Both are extremely different yet are extremely close to each other. Girl is rich, tongue-in-cheek, dominant and aggressive while the boy has had a middle class upbringing and is submissive, soft-spoken and calm. Opposites attract and so do they but not as lovers, as friends! So when do they realize its love?

Abbas Tyrewala definitely comes up with a winner in the form of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. He tells us an ordinary love story, whose theme is Pyaar Dosti Hai (Love is friendship)… a la Kuch Kuch Hota Hai… however presents it in a much mature fashion than its glorious predecessor. He tackles this confused romantic comedy with élan and impresses you with his subtlety in terms of direction. Not a single scene, actor is overly dramatic. The characters are real, identifiable and extremely cute!

Jai (Imran) and Aditi (Genelia) are ‘best friends’ and are extremely possessive of each other but are definitely not in love. They long for each other’s company and still wonder why close friends and parents believe that they are in love! After giving a deep thought both realize its high time they find themselves a special someone too since one cant spend a lifetime with a best friend! However when they do find their respective ‘special someone’ they realize love is not about finding a perfect someone, it’s about feeling perfectly happy with an imperfect partner.

The film is definitely not flawless. There are rough cuts here and there, especially in terms of editing. The film doesn’t have a great beginning but it picks up as it nears the interval, however again slows down in the climax! The pace keeps fluctuating, which at times distracts you, and makes you fidget in your seat. The story too has nothing new to offer.
It is the casting of the film that saves it from being an average just another youth film.
Abbas’s wife Pakhi deserves a standing ovation for her fantastic casting, as it is the choice of actors in the film that makes it so likeable! All the youngsters are understated, thus highly effective. Rotlu, Bombs, Jiggy, Mau (Genelia) and Ratz (Imran)… the nicknames of the characters make you doubt their likeability initially but as the film progresses, each character grows on you and you start becoming a part of the chirpy cute – just out of college gang!

Imran gets a tailor made role for him, as his petite personality and casual attitude makes him fit the bill of Jai perfectly. He struggles with his expressions initially as gets stuck with one ‘surprised raised eye brows’ expression but gets better later on. Genelia overshadows Imran big time. She looks extremely fresh and lights up the screen with her presence. Prateik Babbar, Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak come up with brilliant performances and provide you with all the light moments in the film. Sohail and Arbaaz Khan too tickle your funny bone with their cameos. Imran’s girlfriend Avantika too makes a special appearance in the film. Watch out for her in a disco sitting next to Imran.

Fashion designer Ashley Rebello deserves a special mention as he dresses Imran and Genelia as per their age and makes them look flawless.

Music is youthful, foot tapping and energetic. Kauddos to AR Rahman yet again.

JTYJN definitely deserves a watch… and not just for Imran.