Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se
wogma rating: Add to 'must watch' list (?)
Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se certainly evokes emotion. Even if it's only towards the end. By climax time if you don't want bad things to happen to the characters, however small their roles were, something has gone right somewhere. Only, I wish it got me involved right from the beginning. On the other hand, the closing credits themselves made the film for me, doubt they would have worked if I had not seen the story that was told before them. So yeah, mixed feelings because of the execution, and because it's a perfect history lesson. A must-know story with dull narration.
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Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se - Preview
Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey sounds very exciting because of the walk down history it promises. One, I don't regret getting bored in History lessons. Two, it is almost guaranteed to be 'different' from the regular romance, action, masala. Now whether or not it will be a good film, we will know soon enough.
I look forward to Ashutosh Gowariker's films despite the frustration the extra-grand and extra-long Jodhaa Akbar caused. I have after all, thoroughly enjoyed almost all of his other films. Besides this could be that one commercial success Abhishek Bachchan needs. To top it off, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey might see Deepika Padukone in a very different role.
Unfortunately, the romance ain't going anywhere -
More unfortunately, the dialogue in the promo sounds very lame and the promo itself isn't engaging save a couple of shots here and there.
One of my biggest issues with Gowariker films has been their length. This time Ashutosh promises to keep it under 3 hours. That's still long. Hopefully with a little mental preparation, it will be easier to take in. And yet, I really hope it has that much more to say and isn't slow just because.
I'm listening to the music here. Even though I'm enjoying the album, I'm not sure if I'll buy it so that I can listen to the songs on the go. Here's what some others have to say about the music.
milliblog - "Sohail Sen takes a giant leap forward in Khelein Hum… after a tepid debut! "
music aloud - "8.5/10 "
Bollyspice - "3.5/5"
Bollywood Hungama - "3/5"
HappySing - "some good songs and some good instrumentals too"
- meeta, a part of the audience
A chapter in history that begins with the geography of the country. The classroom effect is hard to shake off and is made only more difficult with Abhishek Bachchan digressing from a Math lesson straight into a mini-lecture on revolution. After this lame sequence, I didn't know whether I'd laugh or cry for the next 2.5 hours; all while the cast/crew wanted to inspire. The audience around me was laughing. And that grew louder with Deepika Padukone's entry. The lady just breaks into a song! BUT, things settle down. It's not that the unintentional laughter dies, but slowly, very slowly you are hooked. And it goes into 5th gear post-interval. The execution of the plan is engaging, despite the complete lack of depth in characters.
There are some 60 odd revolutionaries, about 7-8 main ones. But none of them have any distinguishing character. They are all willing to give their lives for the cause, they all care for each other with heart and soul, they all want to make whatever little contribution they can. Maybe in that time and age the mob identity was their personal identity. And yet, the reactions by different people to the same situation is both eye-opening and touching. You will have to wait for the second half to see this though.
Director, Ashutosh Gowariker's plan to keep the set-up of the grand plan in the first half, and focus on execution and aftermath in the second half is a huge dampener to the pace. The portrayal of the aftermath is the most interesting and well-executed part of the film and the end credit roll is as good as it could get.
Another decision that either the director or the writer made is to assume that the viewer knows the history and the backdrop of the Chittagong conspiracy. This decision is what kept me from getting involved. Also, the narrative is like a father is telling a story to his son, "this happened, then that happened, then this happened". A flow is missing. A little background, a little rhythm to get the viewer into the atmosphere that the characters were living in would have made me care for the characters much sooner.
And despite that, I was on board by the end. And that I think is what a good basic plot can do. As you realize by the end, there is no great dialogue, no room for brilliant performances, and yet you are with the characters. The pathos created in the last third of the film has gone a long way in doing that. So many characters and each is given its own room in the true story and thus in the film. So much so that, in this star-driven world of Hindi cinema, you don’t see either Abhishek Bachchan or Deepika PAdukone get in the way of their characters (until the end, where I guess they had to justify Abhishek's fee). And they all do just fine.
They were crazy. Anyone who leaves the comfort of their home and fights for a cause that is not necessarily theirs has to be crazy. They fought for our freedom. Who is to say that the struggle, which lasted a few centuries, wouldn’t have gone on for 80 more years? Who's to say we wouldn't have to stay out of the McDonalds and the multiplexes along with their dogs? We don't know why they were so passionate about our freedom, but they were. The least we can do is be aware of their story. So what if it's not told in the most engrossing manner.
Not screwing up our freedom that they were eccentric about is too much to ask for, right?
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, Best Of Bollywood : ...Full marks to the authenticity; every nuance, body language, every tile and banner has a pragmatic bearing.... full review
Thumbs up, bigoye.com : ...Recreating the forgotten revolutionaries and giving them a face on-screen to let people know what has gone unnoticed, has been done precisely and efficaciously.... full review
Thumbs up, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...what comes across on screen is very absorbing, truly informative and exceptionally inspiring. ... full review
Thumbs up, Bollywood Mantra : ...‘KHJJS’ is different, refreshing and thrilling. On would get to experience something real.... full review
Thumbs up, by Smita, Desi Martini : ... Any movie about the freedom struggle is guaranteed to warm your heart and arouse more stirring feelings than Lata Mangeshkars rendition of the National anthem ... full review
Thumbs up, by Sukanya Venkatraghavan, Filmfare : ...Deepika Padukone doesn’t have much to do but she is radiant, confident and a pleasure to watch. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Divya Solgama, Gomolo.in : ...he is total different from all the patriotic leaders we have seen till date on Indian Screen. His body gestures, facial moments, the eyes expressions makes you respect him and his character.... full review
Thumbs up, by Kaveree Bamzai, india today : ...The lack of Bengali accent grates, but then one presumes he wanted to make the film accessible to more people... full review
Thumbs up, by Sarita Tanwar, MiD DAY : ...The first half establishes all the characters and has many light moments, while the second half sets the tempo for full action.... full review
Thumbs up, Mixed Bag : ...I personally feel that Ajay Devgan would have been more convincing as Surjya Sen.... full review
Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...at a time when scams and corrosive corruption permeates the very fabric of Indian governance, and when we seem to have forgotten what brought us this independence, it is the ultimate wake-up call.... full review
Thumbs up, by Supriya Davda, Planet Bollywood : ...Kudos to Sikander for pulling off a supporting actor role so brilliantly... full review
Thumbs up, Review and views uncensored : ...Like it or not, formally Khelein…does not work as a biopic of Surjya Sen. In the film adaptation the revolutionary strikes us an inert, largely emotionless, commandeering individual. ... full review
Thumbs up, by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com : ...Performance-wise, Bollywood divas, Deepika and Vishakha, create a blazing screen for their heroes.... full review
Thumbs up, by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India : ...Abishek's Bachchan's Surjya Sen is simple, uncluttered and played straight from the heart as are Deepika Padukone's Kalpana Dutta, Vishakha Singh's Pritilata Waddedar and Sikandar Kher's Nirmal Sen.... full review
Thumbs up, by Kunal Guha, yahoo! India : ...But overlook these minor misplacements and the film has enough bang for your buck... full review
So-So, by Naresh Kumar Deoshi, Apun Ka Choice : ...the director is handicapped by the need to stay loyal to the history... full review
So-So, by Manu, Desi Martini : ...Interesting but not effective enough... ... full review
So-So, by Aniruddha Guha, DNA : ...Deepika is confident, and doesn’t have much to do, something you won’t really complain about.... full review
So-So, by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com : ...Padukone as Kalpana Datta is decent but she doesn't get enough scope as it's basically Surjya Sen's story... full review
So-So, by Anupama Chopra, NDTV : ...I felt more charged and patriotic in the last 40 minutes of Lagaan than I did in this entire film.... full review
So-So, by Noyon Jyoti Parasara, Now Running.com : ...efinitely not his best game so far. ... full review
So-So, by Subhash K Jha, Now Running.com : ...not as playful, lyrical and lush as "Lagaan".... full review
So-So, by Ankit Ojha, Planet Bollywood : ...Besides that, there’s the characters trying to overdo the accent as far as names are concerned. Poor Padukone keeps shifting between “Pritilata” and “Pritilota”... full review
So-So, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...The courtroom scene with the judge talking in English and Abhishek replying in Hindi, translating the question in Hindi as well, is disappointing. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Stefan S, A Nutshell Review : ...Abishek Bachchan performed credibly as the legendary historical character, although the storyline, in having a number of notable revolutionaries to focus on, tended to dilute the importance of his character, and hence an opportunity for him to shine... full review
Thumbs down, by Beth, Beth Loves Bollywood : ...I loved this simple method of giving credit where credit is due... full review
Thumbs down, by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express : ...This opening stretch infuses the film’s title with a teasing ambiguity – of playing one’s heart out (in sport) as well as playing with one’s life (in revolt) – and that’s the closest we get to any kind of nuance. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...The most annoying part of the movie is the portrayal of all the British Officials, who quite shockingly act and look like characters of some school or university stage play.... full review
Thumbs down, by Deepa Karmalkar, Bollywood Chaska : ...fails to inspire and ignite that goes bumpy, lump-in-your-throat patriotic feel.... full review
Thumbs down, by Gautam Chintamani, Buzz in Town : ...What’s sad is the fact that Manini Chatterjee’s prologue packs in more than Gowariker’s entire film. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Harjeet, Desi Martini : ...Editing bhi Karo..Jee Jaan Sey!!! ... full review
Thumbs down, by Gaurav, Desi Martini : ...Is Khel Ka anth nahi... ... full review
Thumbs down, by Rony D'Costa, Desi Martini : ...with every film he is going down the hill.... full review
Thumbs down, by Payal, Desi Martini : ...Too long to leave an Impact!!!... full review
Thumbs down, by Blessy Chettiar, DNA : ...All the revolutionaries, including the teenagers, do a commendable job, each of them believable and tough... full review
Thumbs down, by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions : ...Gowariker blazes ahead with mammoth 3-hour long wannabe epics that barely come alive, despite the larger-than-life canvas and fervent background music.... full review
Thumbs down, by Deepa Gahlot, Film Impressions : ...slightly better than a droning, boring old-style Films Division documentary... full review
Thumbs down, by Vikram Phukan, Film Impressions : ...scant attention paid towards characterization makes this a rather plodding affair that overstays its welcome by at least an hour... full review
Thumbs down, by Deepa Garimella, fullhyd.com : ...Abhishek Bachchan does not help Surjya at all. He keeps bringing on Guru-esque expressions, but cannot keep out being farcical. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times : ...Merely every block, bump and blip on the revolutionary road here is accurately detailed, right down to each officer and his designation flashed onscreen... full review
Thumbs down, by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live : ...Deepika Padukone pours sincerity into her character ... full review
Thumbs down, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...it is a crime to take so much time and come up with characters so pallid : the lead pair specially, Surjya Sen and Kalpana Datta ( Bachchan and Padukone), are the most indeterminate, made up somewhat by the supporting cast, mainly Pritilata Wadedar ( Singh)... full review
Thumbs down, by Komal Nahta, koimoi : ...unmitigated disaster... full review
Thumbs down, by Arun Janardhan, Live Mint : ...It’s the support cast that salvages this project a little—the teenagers are earnest and convincing, contributing the few moments that make you feel for the characters... full review
Thumbs down, by Raj Narayan, MSN Entertainment : ...Seems like directorial ennui is making Gowariker seek glory in history, his own and that of the country!... full review
Thumbs down, by Great Bong, Random Thoughts of a Demented Mind : ...Screwing up “What’s Your Rashi” is one thing. Taking one of the most inspiring stories of our freedom struggle and turning it into an abomination is something else.... full review
Thumbs down, by Raja Sen, Rediff : ...The film's own soundtrack is an ineffective one, but by the time the end rolls around, Gowariker falls back on Vande Mataram and it unfailingly gets the job done.... full review
Thumbs down, by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice : ... The period setting is authentic, replete with vintage cars, weapons, structures, clothes, and homes. ... full review
Thumbs down, by filmbear, Upper Stall : ...There is nothing much to be said about performances as none are exceptional. But neither are they incompetent.... full review
Thumbs down, by Rummana Ahmed, yahoo! India : ...While it's commendable that Gowariker didn't fall into the familiar trapping of overdoing the understated romance between the lead characters, he fails to keep the viewer hooked. ... full review
Thumbs down, by SpiceZee Bureau, Zee News : ...Ashutosh, however manages to recreate the pre-independent India era well with the help of art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai. ... full review
ZainabLoveAshAb: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey #KHJJS what an amazing tribute to all these brave freedom fighters..it's noble message (cont) http://tl.gd/7a1qhr
yuvavoice: The movie "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey" is an excellent adaptation of the book "Do And Die" by Manini Chatterjee and... http://fb.me/NFWrQqPH
vimal089: khele hum ji jaan se rating 4/5
VDeepakSingh: Khele hum jee jaan se - Best movie of the year(I dont give a damn what critics say) I loved it. Evry actor was excellent, children specially
ttwisster: must watch movie --------khelein hum jee jaan sey
suriravi: just watched "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey"-excellent movie
supriyasureshp: Guys go & watch KHele Hum Jee Jaan Se. Patriotic, heart rendering & an absolute must see for all Indians. Ashutosh has done a wonderful job.
sujtweaktweak: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey - riveting and touching, it drove me 2 tears.
subbrahmanyam: My Full View on Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey: Like Shweta said rightly, This movie deserves 2 b seen, deserves 2 b (cont) http://tl.gd/79v34j
sm63: Just saw Khele Hum Ji Jaan Se. Interesting. Brave effort by AG, for sure. Won't work on BO. But thought provoking. To me. Long..
Sethumadhavan: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey- a wonderful supporting cast, some good moments & a genuinely interesting tale makes it worthwhile.
RaoulRan: Be a part of a revolution and see Khelein hum jee jaan sey. It's for all Indians and revolutionaries.
prushe: saw khele hum jee jaan se ... #firstday,,, not a bad movie at all ... slow and long but not too draggy!
prazhari: Khelein hum jee jaan sey one for the years best films....vande Mataram ! Slow yet moving and rewarding #khjjs
palwai: Just saw "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey" - proud of our freedom fighters to whom we are indebted for ever - the story is truly heart wrenching!
palash4: friends pls go n watch ''KHELEIN HUM JEE JAAN SEY'' am not saying only coz am there in d film but every Indian... http://fb.me/uKj7H4i1
nitinchacko: 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey' picks up and offers viewers action filled scenes, emotional sequences and heartfelt acting.
nautanki: I cried & cried! For me, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey is the best movie of the year. Brilliant @juniorbachchan.
manishrajora: Khele hum jee jaan se #khjjs a nice movie worth watch n remember the gr8 revolutionaries
kedarsakru: Everybody watch khelein hum jee jaan sey*
jiteshpillaai: Khelein hum jee jaan sey is a simple narrativeAshutosh Gowariker remains one of the few directors who will not let gloss overwhelm substance
idrrajdeep: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey depicted the unsung revolution with great detailing & dignity.It evokes colossal patriotic feeling.Watch,enrich.
enchantdbharati: 1st day, 1st show :) Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey is amazin!! Luvd Abhi! Kranti Amar Rahe! Vande Mataram. :)
debarnabkarjee: loved khelein hum jee jaan sey...bangladesh and india never seemed so close...
bhaskarchat: I request everybody to hit theaters this week to watch "Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se" this week, particularly with kids..dont watch bootleg DVD pls
amareshhhh: hats up to ashutosh gwarikar...if u r an indian then go 4 khele hum ji jaan se...vande mataram
alok174: After the so many bakwaas movies like-break k baad,action replay,tees maar khaan, fresh air is on-khele hum jee jaan se !
abhishekjhing: what a great film is khele hum ji jaan se, Abhishek is really wonderful as always
abhinav1992: Khele hum jee jaan se is good!
919454610820: khele hum jee jaan se is a very good movie ...
UrsAnilkumar: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey Review: 2.5 / 5 http://bit.ly/gYVeWp
ranjith0725: abhisek's one of the best performances...watch once for abhi:) My rating-2.75/5 http://fb.me/uPpajhZy
pnvarma: If u liked Raktha Charithra u'll like d 2nd too. Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se, potential not used fully. Still highly recommended for movie buffs.
mayankjoseph: Glitz cinemas .. almost empty for KHELE HUM JEE JAAN SE.. nice movie but a bit too long.. http://twitpic.com/3d1egx
jun6lee: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey - #KHJJS - Just another Kraanti film - It wasn't bad, but I didn't enjoy it much - Too predictable & formulaic #fb
vivek_kt: Deepika Padukone better love me now. I just came back from a screening of "Khele hum jee jaan se". It was, to be mild, a disaster.
SrinivasanRI: Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se....totally avoidable!!#fb
sksarraju: Khele hum jee jaan se is like a school play.. Very boring.. Definately this movie misses the magic of @arrahman
santoshn: title of the movie 'khelein hum jee jaan sey' is so apt. the director, producer & actors made the 'freedom revolution' look like a khel
saichakravarthi: My rating on this week release "KHELEIN HUM JEE JAAN SEY" (hindi) 2 stars out of 5...
richa_tripathi: sorry to say but Khele Hum Jee Jaan se is a very poorly made movie with stilted dialogues and worst acting ever done by the lead.
raturi_mohit: watched 2 back2back movies 1. Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (*) - Again the same old ajadi ki ladai, with some new krantikaris, I don't ...
Prettisiingh: Ashutosh Gowariker's "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey" - Insufferable!!
nitishmittal: Saw Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey last night. Sincere effort but no real spark. You don't feel much for most of the performances either.
nasalcrooner: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey [2010] Good lesson in history, bad example of a movie. Too long drawn and bit boring. 2/5
koolkunaly2k: Watched Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se ' with friends. Came back and watched some porn to balance things :p My rating would be- Avoid
iLoveiDevices: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey-flop from Abhishek. Movie-not bad technically but nothing special Deepika fires huge Rifle as if she is Undertaker
chitraraj: Khele hum jee jaan se magar flop ho gaye.
Ameya_N_Joshi: Ashutosh Gowariker has FRAXed big time on Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se....awful stilted school-playish effort #XLRI #KHJJS
AbithaAnandh: After attending the screening of #Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey - The film was neither made with any jee nor jaan.
2desi: Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey is a bore film, its a one time watch...WAY too Long. Lagaan is long but at least it was good.
This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.
Plot Summary
A young Congress leader wants to deviate from the party's decision to take the non-violence route to fight against the British. In 1930, they set-up a plan to shake the foundation of the British administration in their small village. The setup, the execution and the aftermath is what we see on screen
What Worked
- The casting. Superb especially when you see the end credits.
- The makeup for burns and bullet shots.
What did not
- The phrase "svatantrata sainani" is a tongue twister of sorts. Almost all characters were having trouble saying it, especially the teenagers. Sounded really out of place because it wasn't coming out in the flow of the dialogue.
- Everyone greets everyone by their name. When I meet my friend Ritu, the first thing I say to her isn't "Ritu", especially in a tone that implies I'm trying to confirm her name. Also here it was as if they wanted the audience to get the names right.
- Surjya asks Ananto who was at the door when Ananto opened the door. Like he couldn't hear what was going on from 20 feet away!
- The interviews
- The pink sky shot.
- How did Preetilata get caught
- Only the names of people were being called out with a Bangla accent. Nothing else in the language implied Bengalis were speaking
Parental Guidance:
- Violence: Loads and some gore too. But it's a lesson from our bloody history after all
- Language: Clean
- Nudity & Sexual content: None
- Concept: That of our struggle for independence
- General Look and Feel: An attempt to give a rugged feeling
![[Facebook page of Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se]](/static/images/icons/facebook_small.png){kind=icon}
![[Twitter account of Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se]](/static/images/icons/twitter_small.png){kind=icon}
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Comments (11)
Excitement apart, don't you think the posters look uncannily like Lagaan? 11-12 people standing in a line together, as if revolting! The flavour is the same, the title is just creepily lending to this thought of mine. Lagaan could've have been called that.
When I first saw the poster, I was like, "Who's this ape trying to make a Lagaan?" and then I saw the director's name. Gulp. Maybe it's just me. But for my sake I hope there's a different in the treatment.
@swetha actually, it looks like any movie that is about reprisal. No? All I'm looking forward to is a non-romcom, non-nonsense-comedy, non-wannabe-action, non-hollywood-inspired, non-Bombay-underbelly film. :D
While I appreciate Gowariker's honesty towards the subject - he, Rajkumar Santoshi, Shyam Benegal are the select few who do justice to periodicals - KHJJS is his most thanda film, so far. The promos don't look interesting, they're devoid of great lines, and full of shouts of Vande Mataram, the cliche of every periodical made in India. But can't help, since he's being honest with history. Had this film been made in 1960, it would have been a blockbuster, but doubt if it works today. We need a revolutionary way of storytelling, something which Rakesh Mehra did in Rang De Basanti.
Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey Movie Review
http://www.bollywoodchaska.com/content/khelein_hum_jee_jaan_sey-2056/
This is a paragraph from our history books that filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker elects to expand into a full-fledged three-hour-long feature! His intention is very noble but sadly his execution of the narrative is not.
Shweta : The resemblance with Lagaan goes far beyond the poster. This was the story of the Chittagong Uprising forcefitted into the Lagaan mould.
Minesh : I wouldn't even credit Ashutosh with honesty of intention here. He's quite an experienced filmmaker and if his intentions were honest, he should have known that retrofitting a true story into the mould of a fictional one just because the struggle for independence was a common theme between both was not the right thing to do.
Any emotion that the film evokes is purely on the strength of the story itself and to some extent, the production values. But its a complete fail for Gowariker as a scriptwriter and a director.
@bollyfan regarding your reply to Swetha - what?! forcefitted in to Lagaan? How? Just because they interviewed to set up a team?
Yep! ALL emotion that the film evolved might have been based on the story ONLY. But what worked, worked. And you gotta give credit for that.
This Post is very good ur site info is better
Liked it. I am generally fan of truth based stories though and do not care for Abhishek as such....
Really it's a awesome movie.Abhishek and deepeka done well job. twitter given Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se an average rating of 3.2/5.0. 30 yays, 16 days,
Bahut achhya hein. Very ncie blog. Good looking.
best patriotic movie ever I seen.Abhishek Bachchan or Deepika PAdukone get in the way of their characters.And they all do just fine.
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