Jaan-e-mann Hindi Movie

Oct 25, 2006 By GaRaM

Jaan-E-Mann is like a phuski Diwali rocket. It starts on a very promising note and takes your expectations sky high. And just when you expect it to explode and display a dazzling air show, it collapses and disappoints big time.

Jaan-E-Mann is a film that entertains in parts. Actually it entertains in halves. The first half of the film is extremely entertaining while the second half is a major letdown.

Director Shirish Kunder had a great sense of visualization and he has also interpreted his ideas in a brilliant flamboyant manner onscreen. Salman Khan’s introduction scene set in black-and-white in a Filmfare Awards Night of the mid-70s is a skillfully edited and executed sequence.

Anupam Kher’s character of a dwarf is implemented with technical finesse and exudes an endearing charm. The set, art design, costumes and the entire glossy look of the film are even a step ahead of the Johar-Chopra clan and, undoubtedly, are visually appealing.

The geek look of Akshay Kumar in the initial reels and Salman Khan changing his getups from a rock-star to Elvis Presley to even a drag has been meticulously worked. There is a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor in the first half that succeeds in having the audiences in splits.

And if you are still wondering why isn’t there any mention about the story of the film, that’s because it comes into picture only in the second half. And that’s where the entire problem begins. Because Jaan-E-Mann tries to narrate an outdated tried-n-tested, done-to-death triangular love story! Agastya Rao (Akshay Kumar) is a NASA astronaut. But don’t expect him to ignite any patriotic feelings in you like Shahrukh did in Swades. As a college nerd he was in love with Piya (Preity). But Piya married Suhaan Kapoor (Salman Khan).

Subsequently Suhaan and Piya separate. That’s when Agastya comes back into picture and falls in love with Piya. And while this duo is about to get married, Suhaan’s love for Piya rekindles. So who gets the girl? The answer is absolutely predictable if you have seen anything from Dil To Pagal Hai to Kuch Kuch Hota Hain to Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

The two halves of Jaan-E-Mann contradict each other. While the first half establishes the unique characterizations and imparts a fresh feel to the film, the conventional storyline in the second half nullifies the entire effect.

While the first half has some hilarious moments, the second half treads the tearjerker path. When Akshay Kumar, who is funny in the first half, gets emotional in the second half, the scene turns unintentionally funny. While the first half spoofs many a Bollywood cliché, the second half itself is so clichéd that it turns victim of the antics of the first half. While the dwarf Anupam Kher is integral to the story in the first half, the character is completely eliminated in the second half. Instead what you are served with is another Anupam Kher who isn’t a dwarf but a full-length and an underdeveloped character, totally irrelevant to the plot. One wishes to see more of the character than the actor in the script.

After a long time, you love to see Salman Khan. Neither does he ham, nor does he under act – he is simply adorable and perfectly controlled. When it comes to humor Akshay Kumar never goes wrong. His laughing style in the film is as impeccable as his comic timing. Preity Zinta is good. But why the hell did they cast Aman Varma in the film? The hamster is a pain to the senses. And watch out for Pakistani actor Javed Sheikh (Preity Zinta’s father in the film) going gaudy in the family song.

Shirish Kunder’s editing and scene-merging technique is superlative. Unfortunately he ends up being a good editor but a bad storyteller. And blame it to him since he is also credited for the story, screenplay and dialogues of the film.