| Movie Review | Malaysia | 11 Sept 2016 | Asia Samachar |
• CRITIC’S RATING: 2.5/5
• Despite a promising start, the roller coaster ride fails to keep the audience engaged in this rom-com. (Warning: May contain spoilers)
• Baar Baar Dekho is a misleading title, watching it once may be fine, but surely hard to watch it Baar Baar (again and again)
• Main Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Katrina Kaif, Ram Kapoor.
One of the most awaited Bollywood films of 2016, Baar Baar Dekho sadly fails to live up to expectations. A regular Bollywood romantic-comedy but presented atypically in an unconventional manner.
Despite the superhit number ‘Kaala Chashma’ suggesting otherwise, Sidharth and Katrina were unable to ignite chemistry the audience had hoped for. The plot of the film, a love story narrated through time travel was also a severe let-down.
Set in North Indian background, Jai (Sidharth Malhotra) and Diya Kapoor (Katrina Kaif), a couple understandably meant to be together despite the apparent differences in their characteristics. Jai, a brilliant mathematics professor is completely career oriented while Diya, despite her huge potential in the world of arts, is more interested in starting a family. Eventually the both of them decide to get married.
Wedding preparations are in full swing for a big fat Punjabi wedding. All is well initially. However, a night before the wedding, it all explodes. Jai and Diya get into a terrible argument. Tensions arise when Jai loses his temper and in the heat of the moment, confesses that his career is all he cares about leaving Diya hurt. His fellowship at Cambridge had just been accepted and he was offered a job there. Jai even admitted that he was willing to call the wedding off to chase his dreams.
This is when the drama unfolds. The flow becomes unbearably slow and draggy in parts and the time travel consequently is when the film gradually starts to lose the audience. The film paraded how Jai’s life would fare with and without Diya as his partner.
Narration into the future showed Jai glimpses of the highlights of his life such as his honeymoon, the birth of his first child, family death etc. This is when the entire narration proved too long, confusing and also started to annoy the audience. The unconventional plot failed to show the clarity desired.
While the concept of time travel was not necessarily appreciated by the audience, the values imparted through various scenes were indeed genuinely valuable. The film had a noble intention of passing on messages such as the importance of setting the right priorities in life and how life could also turn out very differently if wrong priorities are set. While work is important, know the balance between work and family.
The sound track of the film did not disappoint, though. The entire score was impressive. From the soulful voice of Jasleen Royal in Kho Gaye Hum Kahan and Nachde Ne Sare to the electrifying voice of Neha Kakkar, Amar Arshi and Badshah in the rebirth of Kala Chasma and Teri Khair Mangdi by Bilal Saeed, the songs are unquestionably pleasant. The entire album deserves credit. All those associated with the music of the film deserve a special mention, namely Amaal and Armaan Malik, Arko, Badshah and especially Jasleen Royal. The innocence in her voice has a way of getting to you!
To sum it up, while the idea of the film was refreshing, the concept adopted could have been better. Sidharth Malhorta deserves an applause for his acting while Katrina Kaif could have been better. The execution of the film failed to produce magic the audience hoped for. The plot was slow and confusing to digest. Having said that, it is nice to see Bollywood moving forward with new ideas but it irks when it somehow gets stuck with typical stereotypes. Views on the film will definitely vary but it surely isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
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