Film: Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
Cast: Imran Khan, Genelia D’Souza, Abbas Tyrewala, Naseruddin Shah, Sohail Khan, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal
Director: Abbas Tyrewala
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.
Performances:Coming to acting, every character has performed well enough.
Debutant Imran looks cool and acting is admirable.
I am not too much in favour of genelia but still she was good in the movie...
It's a love story we all have seen earlier as well. But Abbas Tyrewala made it in such a way that movie looks fresh and touching.
Music: was as expected and well picturized. Thanks to Rehman. Imran would surely notch up a hit with this debut. The movie will surely have a decent opening.
JTYJN definitely deserves a watch… and not just for Imran.
Rating : 8/10
Jalsa, which ripped out huge expectations thanks to the heavy promotional strategies, including a Game show, doesn't offer much entertainment as promised in its title. Pawan Kalyan, after a long time, came with Kushi-like mannerisms. Racy stunts, similar songs and music for all numbers, scenes shuttling between the hero and villain, sporadic comedy is all about Jalsa. Levels of entertainment are just average, and will disappoint those who watch movie with its title in mind.
Sanjay Sahu (Pawan Kalyan) hails from a poor rural family at remote village in Karimnagar district . His brother dies of heart disease as a child. His father commits suicide as crops fail and his mother too is no more soon. While going to burial ground, he repeatedly slips and swoons at a stone pillar. He plucks it out, which enrages the henchmen of a land-grabber Damodar Reddy (Mukesh Rishi). When they attack him, Sahu beats them to near-death, and 
disappears into a forest and joins the naxalites. During a combing operation, Sahu and a police officer (Prakash Raj) meet each other and become good companions under strange circumstances. Sahu comes to Hyderabad and duly rehabilitated as a college student. The police officer's younger daughter Bhagi aka Bhagmati (Ileana) falls in love with Sahu. However, the cop is not willing to sing his daughter's marriage with Sahu, whom he thinks as a carefree 
youth without commitments. Meanwhile, Damodar Reddy is out on a vengeance mission against Sahu, as his lands are distributed among the rural poor by the naxalites. Now, the police officer wants to get his daughter married to a decent young man (Sivaji), but he soon realizes that he is none other than the younger son of Damodar Reddy. How does Sahu accomplish the task of undoing Reddy's attacks and winning the hand of Bhagi? It forms the climax.
Pawan Kalyan steals the show from the start to finish. He shoulders the entire responsibility of doing something now and then to create the mood of Jalsa. However, his characterization suffers from reaching a full dimension. The hero falling in love with the elder daughter of a police officer and later asking the same man to give his younger daughter might sound funny, 
but is a blot coming to hero's characterization. After the interval bang, everybody expects some serious action on the part of the hero, but it turns non-serious further and further. In all there are three heroines – Ileana, Kamalinee Mukherjee and Parvati Melton. All of them are strictly limited to oomph-less glamour, with some saving grace from Ileana. Parvati Melton looked too heavy 
besides Pawan Kalyan. Mukesh Rishi played the hardcore villain of the piece. But, his villainy is dramatic. Prakash Raj appears as a police officer (SP) in funny shades. Sivaji as usual did a small role as a bridegroom. You have comedians – Sunil, Brahmanandam and Ali. But, there is no scene to tickle our ribs. Just deliberate comedy!
Story is weak from the start to finish. There is no justification to the title Jalsa. Screenplay is fragile, testing the patience of the audience, yet with three-hour duration. While first half rolls down with some simple comedy and dramatic scenes, the second half turns out and out action-packed for no good reason, except the personal rivalry between the hero and villain. 
used in a serious tone, the episodes and the happenings later do not match the tone. 
Music by Devi Sri Prasad sounds the same from the start to finish, in all songs. The common audience will find it difficult to distinguish the songs by their numbers. Despite having three heroines, the romance factor is missing. In one particular scene, the hero kisses the heroine (Ileana) unromantically. 
hero plucks the stone pillar and attacks the baddies, is a good watch, packed with emotion too. 
FC Verdict :