Milenge Milenge
wogma rating: Add to that never-watched 'To Watch' list (?)
Milenge Milenge is more about the times Kareena Kapoor (Priya) and Shahid Kapoor (Amit) don't meet (Jab they don't meet). Unfortunately, the engaging situations are detailed with lame lines and the good performances are packaged in tacky overalls.
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Milenge Milenge - Preview
NOT A REVIEW - Just wondering how this old wine-old bottle affair will fare
Back in the days when Shahid Kapoor used to looked like the kid-next-door and not a muscular hunk that drives girls crazy. Back in the days when Kareena Kapoor was size some-positive-integer. Way back in 2004, Milenge Milenge went on floor. 6 years and many, many postponed release dates later, we will see these two on screen on July 9, 2010.
I'd have loved to use the adjective "sizzling" for the couple. But, somehow it doesn't seem appropriate now. Maybe because Himesh Reshammiya's music is gawd-awfully dated. Sample 'Tum Chain ho', 'Kuchh to baaki hai', and 'Milenge milenge'. Also something about the picturisation is off. The music and the visuals don't go together which makes the whole experience very disorienting. Not that there's much to go gaga over in the music itself. The music reviews at Milliblog, IANS, and glamsham also aren't very impressive.
Something about destiny playing a role in how a couple meets and parts ways doesn't leave much room for suspense, because they kinda HAVE TO meet again. Not only is there nothing creative about this one line concept, even the names of the lead pair are as commonplace as can be - Priya and Amit. Anyway, the synopsis on the official site goes something like - our lady Priya believes in destiny. She finds love as per directions of destiny foreteller (Kirron Kher). They part, do they meet? Yeah right!
Moreover, gone are also the times when the name Kirron Kher meant something you could look forward to. And her as a tarot card reader types brings an image of a completely disposable stereotype.
Yep! I sound super-skeptical aboutthis film though the hope is that the Jab We Met couple will be charming together at the very least. But, the key difference is the director. I don't remember the last time I enjoyed something Satish Kaushik directed. Let's hope this is the one!
~ ~ ~
This article was first published at meetu's Times of India Blog
- meeta, a part of the audience
A city-bred girl wants to make a successful career out of being a housewife. Her ultimate goal is to mother two kids. Fair enough, that's plausible. The same city breeds this guy who has had an easy life and makes the most out of it by drinking, smoking, and lying. Acceptable. Destiny brings them together. Credible. Answers to how, when, where, are all creative and borderline believable, especially when you accept your fate of having to face cinematic liberty in all its glory. And yet, these parts don't add up to a 'must watch' or even a 'will watch some time.'
When you have destiny as your excuse, nothing really needs to make logical sense, right? Weird, whacky coincidences happen all the time. And despite that, the Milenge Milenge writers have gone to laborious lengths (about 50 minutes) to make a 'chance meeting' happen. That effort we have to acknowledge. But, the trouble is with the unevenness. Amit and Priya get some things so easily and predictably. Some transformations of people around them happen without any effort or reason. But then again, who are we to expect fate to deal an even hand.
With romantic Hindi films, you can usually tell within the first 15-20 minutes which direction the film is headed and what are the possible climaxes. It's just the 'how you get there' part that makes it interesting. And that is done with a few decent and engaging anecdotes here. But, the other part of the how, the visuals, the feel of the film is like that of a fabric that irritates the skin. Primitive camera work, Hindi soap-opera-type background score, Himesh-Reshammiya-style nasal title score running through the film, inane lyrics, music from the 90s, kitschy dialogues for otherwise interesting situations, other situations which are lame on their own merit, and more such stuff - add up to a "when will this chase to meet be over?" feel.
And this is extremely sad because Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor actually do a decent enough job. The playfulness and pain comes through as much as the script allows it to. And you begin rooting for the couple, but Milenge Milenge's script actually doesn't let you get that involved. Especially in the latter half, an arm's length distance is maintained between the audience and the characters.
Yet, it'd be unfair if I wrote the film off completely. I have a feeling that as superficial as the story is, it connected to me, maybe by just a thread, but it did. And who knows, it might just have worked in the days of (Jab We Met.
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, by Lipika Varma, AOL INDIA : ...The minutest detail portraying how and when the two lovers may finally make it by coming close to each other, keeps one engaged and excited.... full review
So-So, by GZP, BollyPlus : ...Direction is not that bad.... full review
So-So, by Daliya Ghose, Bollywood Mantra : ...Himesh Reshammiya’s music was just ok. ... full review
So-So, by K K Rai, STARDUST : ...Delnaz Paul, who plays the part of Kareena Kapoor’s best friend, shows chemistry with the actress and acts her part well. Others like, Satish Shah, Satish Kaushik, Aarti Chabria etc pass the muster... full review
So-So, by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India : ...here isn't much that the pair of star-crossed lovers can do, other than catch wrong planes, enter wrong doors, or land up in wrong cities at the wrong time... full review
Thumbs down, by Naresh Kumar Deoshi, Apun Ka Choice : ...throws in half a dozen doze-worthy songs, abundance of banal dialogues, a bunch of oddball characters, and a very predictable climax to boot. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express : ...Just imagine, however, that we were not shown that he had rifled through the confessions in her diary, and that we, along with her, were taken for a ride. How much more powerful the revelation would have been! ... full review
Thumbs down, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...But after its initial hour the movie simply starts following “Serendipity” blindly.... full review
Thumbs down, by Prathna Tiwari, Bolly Spice : ...It fails to entertain, fails to grasp your attentions, fails to give you any decent performances and just fails all around.... full review
Thumbs down, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...With Facebook, Twitter, Google and also cellphones at one's disposal, is it difficult to trace anyone in today's times?... full review
Thumbs down, by Bollyfan, Cinemaa Online : ...Destiny makes a strong comeback through Shiraz Ahmed’s superficial machinations with the script of the John Cusack starrer, Serendipity... full review
Thumbs down, by Vikram Raghav, Daily Latest News : ...The movie seems serious for a humor and weak for a romantic flick.... full review
Thumbs down, by Johnson Thomas, DNA : ...The songs and the music are just as jaded. The writing is sub-standard, there’s not much humour in the dialogues... full review
Thumbs down, by Manisha Lakhe, Film Impressions : ...Shahid and Kareena fans had best stick to Jab We Met. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions : ...Satish Kaushik is a director whose sensibilities are firmly entrenched in the sub-par commercial cinema of the 1990s.... full review
Thumbs down, by Rahul Nanda, Filmfare : ...Shahid and Kareena’s costumes are something you wouldn’t catch either of these stylish actors wearing today even on a bad day... full review
Thumbs down, filmi cafe : ...The way Kareena’s character is established in the opening credits is quite passé and the subsequent series of events completely bore you... full review
Thumbs down, by Deepa Garimella, fullhyd.com : ...No, you doofus, the Internet couldn't have worked, since Immy is just his pet name... full review
Thumbs down, by Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham.com : ... Too much is left on 'destiny' and too little on the script... full review
Thumbs down, by Somak, Gomolo.in : ...Milenge Milenge would have made its place 5 years ago(or maybe not), today these type of films can't run in box-office... full review
Thumbs down, by Mayank Shekhar, Hindustan Times : ...This film was shot at a time its composer, music man Himesh, contributed more to this nation's noise pollution than cigarette smoke ever did to human lungs... full review
Thumbs down, by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live : ...As far-fetched the concept of Serendipity may have been, it was convincing because the characters met and separated the same day; they didn't know each other's friends or their last names even... full review
Thumbs down, by Mirhir Fadnavis, india.com : ...Dead On Arrival... full review
Thumbs down, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...Despite the silliness , and despite the fact that they look like their much younger, outdated selves...they manage to come up for breath. But only intermittently. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes : ... relies so much on destiny that it employs flukes of fate as its USP... full review
Thumbs down, by Komal Nahta, koimoi : ...The film has a nice story but the same can’t be said about the screenplay (Shiraz Ahmed) which has too many holes and flaws... full review
Thumbs down, by Udita Jhunjhunwala, Live Mint : ...The biggest let-down is that you do not feel for the protagonists... full review
Thumbs down, by Tushar Joshi, MiD DAY : ...If you miss the garish costumes, jarring songs and badly choreographed numbers of the late '90s, then MM might help you go down memory lane... full review
Thumbs down, Movie Talkies : ...But it is the twist that he imparts at the halfway point which kind of lifts the film... full review
Thumbs down, by Minty Tejpal, Mumbai Mirror : ... They put on thick lipstick, coloured wigs, wear outlandish dresses and stuff balls for breasts. It isn’t funny. However, everyone on screen is laughing.... full review
Thumbs down, by IANS, NDTV : ...Both the protagonists play professionals. But we hardly see them work except on their ever-palpitating hearts.... full review
Thumbs down, by Nishtha Bhatnagar, News X : ...Shahid has thoroughly overacted and the Kareena in Milenge brings back memories of the actress we had thought had no potential... full review
Thumbs down, by Subhash K Jha, Now Running.com : ...The plot invents various devices from missed flights to truant elevators to hero in drag and heroine in glycerine to keep the love birds apart for two hours... full review
Thumbs down, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...akin to those awkward growing-up photographs we often bury into obscure corners of the closet, is an embarrassing reminder of the time before that.... full review
Thumbs down, by Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Reuters : ...Immy doesn’t agree initially, pointing out their meeting is destined because they meet at a mall which is called ‘Destiny’. It gets better but don’t let me spoil the fun.... full review
Thumbs down, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...For characterisation, you have the girl smiling at everyone, including unsuspecting security staff, buying flowers for no reason, and staring at wedding lehenga-cholis longingly at store windows. ... full review
Thumbs down, by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com : ...Who would care for a tarot card reader forecasting that a girl would get back love in next 7 days, at 7am, and his guy will be in 7 colors clothes?... full review
Thumbs down, by Janhvi Patel, StarBoxOffice : ...Kareena Kapoor’s ever-changing hair colour is horrendous. But she looks cute and pretty even she is plump... full review
Thumbs down, by nagasuryateja, Sulekha : ...shahid delivers a recent performance. kareena can be better. ... full review
Thumbs down, by flyingrodent, Upper Stall : ...Shahid and Kareena have come a long way in every respect. ... full review
Thumbs down, by SpiceZee Bureau, Zee News : ...Writer-director Satish Kaushik is predictable as usual with his lead characters - a teddy-bear adoring, love-crazy girl and a naughty but noble boy... full review
Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.
This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.
Plot Summary
Boy meets girl. By coincidence and not. They fall in love. But…do they live together happily ever after?
What Worked
- Shahid Kapoor's expressions for Satish Shah - over the top, but good acting of having to act.
- The 'No Smoking' scene
- The Naarad muni story
- Having decided to take destiny as a theme, the concept of letting destiny decide (50 Rupee note and book)
What did not
- The first frame itself - the titles - looks dated.
- Ok, who's providing for Priya (Kareena Kapoor)?
- I don't if this is good or bad, but because it made me laugh unintentionally, I've put it here. A tarot readers capabilities are limited to when and where she'll meet her man, what he'll be wearing, but not if he's a smoker, teetotaler, etc.
- Even I'd like to have gone to a college that sends students out to Bangkok for youth festivals.
- The sudden cut to Amit's (Shahid Kapoor's) friend Ashish in the canteen.
- What is a 24 year old doing in college?!
- What kind of hostel in, of all the places, Bangkok have an 8pm curfew?!
- The weirdoes in black, with red and yellow scarves, who show up to sing 'ishq ki gali'
- Amit lying down on the tracks in the same song.
- The suspense built during the life scene. Too melodramatic even for this genre.
Nitty-Gritty
- The denim shirt and jeans combination that Amit (Shahid Kapoor) wears in one of the scenes looked godawful!
Parental Guidance:
- Violence: None
- Language: Clean
- Nudity & Sexual content: A couple of making out scenes and a scene where balls are used to transform men into women, and the ensuing jokes
- Concept: Of life being a lot about destiny and faith
- General Look and Feel: Pretty tacky which also means bright and wanna-be peppy
![[Facebook page of Milenge Milenge]](/static/images/icons/facebook_small.png){kind=icon}
![[Wikipedia page of Milenge Milenge]](/static/images/icons/wiki_small.png){kind=icon}
![[IMDB Page of Milenge Milenge]](/static/images/icons/imdb_small.png){kind=icon}
![[Satish Kaushik twitter account]](/static/images/icons/twitter_small.png){kind=icon}
Comments (7)
Isnt this the movie that was dabbe mein for saat saal?
@Roy yep! that's the one...
If we compare "Milenge Milenge" with "I hate love stories" then what do you think,which one is better??
@Joydeep again, i don't quite enjoy comparisons, but the two are just about the same level of good vs. bad.
@B. H. Harsh I know. The thing is how much weight you give for what's good and what's bad in the film. Just too subjective, movie to movie, person to person and time to time
@lost in confusion haanji, aapka hukum sar aankho par. will do first thing on Monday.
@lost in confusion :) here you go... http://wogma.com/movie/red-alert-the-war-within-review/ and thanks for keeping me on my toes!
@lost in confusion 'almost as i'd expected' - meaning like what?
@lost_in_confusion yeah, that's true of most people who's tastes one keeps track of. I use your full nickname for the benefit of other readers
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