My thoughts on TMK (Naveed)

CONTAINS MANY SPOILERS

To be honest the trailers, songs and even the cast nothing really appealed to me with the exception of Jab Se Mere Dil Ko Uff. However, I decided to venture out to the cinema to give Teri Meri Kahani a dekho and because a friend is a Shahid fan he dragged other friends along. too. It was a dejavu kind of feeling having been tortured (second half) with the male lead’s last film – Mausam.

Anyway film starts of with the 1960 era and both Shahid and Priyanka (Govind-Ruksar) meet at the train station and to be more specific in the train cabin. The feelings and settings did NOT feel like the 1960′s not that I would know ofcourse but having watched a few bollywood films from that era it just didn’t feel right. Throughout the whole first 20 mins I just kept wondering that how is a mega star like Ruksar falling for a struggling musician like Govind but hey stranger things have happened. Then the character of Prachi is introduced and she happens to see Shahid in all his glory and she informs all the people in the residential home (or was it a hotel). To further compound matters we have Miss Prachi announcing to Shahid that she is a girl from the 60′s and he has nothing to feel shy about regarding his… I think you get my point. In a nutshell I didn’t like anything in regards to the 60′s with the exception yep you guessed it Jab Se Mere Dil Ko Uff and just a sheer pleasure hearing Sonu Nigam’s voice in a cinema screening. Now at the end of each era the character of Shahid is left feeling despondent and how Kunal Kohli intertwines all three stories makes up the rest of the film.

The 2012 era I can very much relate to but it was just so in the face. I know many couples love to air there dirty laundry in public but right at the beginning we have the character of Neha Sharma (who looked MEGA HOT) verbally abuse Shahid (Krish) and how other students residing at the Uni are so accustomed to there fighting like as it is to brushing one’s teeth every morning. Anyway both leads meet and surprisingly they bump into each other AGAIN. At this point we have a police officer who arrests Krish because he happens to believe Aradhana (Priyanka) that krish nicked her mobile phone. He doesn’t bother to hear both sides of the stories but escorts krish away. I mean that is soooo NOT how it’s done in England. Arre yaar police time is valuable, granted many stuff their faces with doughnuts but taking someone down to the station and taking a statement is valuable police time and in this case it could have been resolved there and then. We have both characters being very active on twitter and many of their actions many youngsters and even the elderly folk will relate to. I know many who before eating will take a picture and then send it to other friends. Yep it happens and it did in TMK.

The scene where Krish and Aradhana are on a date and his ex (Neha Sharma) decides to take revenge by posting many ‘indecent’ images of her time with krish is done well. The film doesn’t allow for much character development but what I found praiseworthy was how both leads slipped into a completely different character and this is where the film excels.

The intermission comes exactly at the start of the 1910 era and this is where the film really takes off and goes further till the very end. We meet a very confident, brash and fun loving young man in Javed who knows only two things – poetry and bedding girls. In every third sentence he narrates a shayari and at first it’s all smiles but then it’s overdone and to make matters worst Priyanka joins in and doesn’t have the same effect like Shahid.

Absolutely loved the scene where Javed is eating Biryani with his father whilst the mother is nearby and he asks him three questions and the answers of Javed had the whole audience in splits. The 1910 era although filled with many cliched moments and one knew what was coming next it just kept a smile on the face throughout the whole second half (well me anyway). This film is not where one half is better than the other but basically 2 out of the 3 eras are done well and especially 1910 which lifts the whole film. The whole second half is littered with many smiling, romantic and lovely moments making the film a winner.

BACKGROUND SCORE: Loved the usage of Allah Jane in the background especially when Javed and Aradhana were falling for each other. The theme throughout the film is Mukhtasar and even though I don’t really like the song the theme was perfect and used well in the film.

MUSIC: Prior to the film I liked Jab Se Mere Dil Ko Uff but as am typing this review am listening to That’s All I Really Wanna Do and for now and many days later that’s all I really wanna do. Nothing else to write home about and the music is fine for the film.

PERFORMANCES: Shahid is at ease in all three roles especially as Javed and for whatever little of his filmography I have seen this is certainly one of his best performances. Priyanka (even in bad films) does well and I am NO fan of hers. She compliments Shahid well but the constant smiling and then touching her hair was a bit OTT and would have been nice if she could have toned that down. She does well in her role and in many places looked incredibly gorgeous but I just couldn’t ignore her ‘new’ nose. Apologies to PC fans. Both Prachi and Neha did well in their short roles.

DIRECTOR: I have only seen two of his previous films- Mujhse Dosti Karoge and Hum Tum. His TMK is certainly better than the former and on par with Hum Tum.

AUDIENCE REACTION: The occupancy was around 75% which is very good for a showing at 20:30 and taking the weather into consideration it was even more impressive. The first 20 mins no one seemed too bothered and thankfully the film and the audience woke up. The majority seemed to laugh in the correct places which is always a good thing naa. The ratio of men to women must have been 7:3 and it was the ladies who seemed to have really enjoyed it. Some ladies whilst exiting the theater complained that the film was too long and in a film with a running time of 2 hrs that’s not good.

RATING: I always ask myself that would I watch the film again and in this case no. However, the film is an enjoyable good one time watch and take your partner, families along as it can be watched with all (most of it anyway).

3/5

P.S three trailers/teasers were shown at the start.

1) COCKTAIL – I am sooo watching this film now. Always planned to watch the film but seeing the trailer on the big screen (and now with the music) has just nailed it.

2) EK THA TIGER – FUC%ING EPIC and boss this is gonna shatter all opening records. Eid now can’t come quick enough and this was just a teaser. Well done YRF for presenting Salman Khan in such a magnificent way. I may seem biased like I care lol but those in the audience seem to echo my thoughts.

3) BOL BACHAN –