Reviews

Subhash Ghai's loveliest film in years has a symphonic texture, feel and movement to it. From the opening shots of Katrina Kaif labouring lusciously over the cello to the montage towards the end when Boman Irani, playing a zany surgeon, hops skips and jumps in the hospital corridor to announce the hero's recovery, "Yuvvraaj" reworks old themes of family ties and unequal love matches to suit a new clientele.

It says it's okay to want money. But it's not okay to sacrifice family for funds. The palate is passionate. The look, feel and flavour of the presentation are near-exquisite. Ghai's hard-earned reputation as a showman is on show here with shimmering austerity.

Placed at the exotic backdrops of Austria, Deven Yuvvraaj (Salman Khan) and Anushka (Katrina Kaif) are in love and as clichéd; her father Dr. Banton (Boman Irani) obstructs their relationship. On the initial stages, it's between Deven-Banton and scenario shifts onto different vistas as Deven's father lasts his breath in London. Not for affection and paying homage, Deven gets back to his hometown seeking for shares in father's wealth. Over there, he encounters his unloved brothers Gyanesh Yuvvraaj (Anil Kapoor) and Danny Yuvvraaj (Zayed Khan).

Gyanesh Yuvvraaj possessing autism from his childhood goes the apple-of-eye for everyone in the family, once attorney-close friend of his father (Mithun Chakraborthy) reveals that entire property is favored on him. Not alone Deven and Danny, but other relatives sham themselves to be good with their opprobrious inner evil intentions.

What makes the film so colossally spectacular? Undoubtedly, it's melodious tunes of Rahman and Kabir Lal's visualizing of emblazoned locations. Moreover, on-screen actors performing a different show with their distinct roles surmount your prospects. It's a complete show by Anil Kapoor and this man transfixes your with his simpatico-kind-of-role. Be it his mirthful encounters with Salman or the emotional outbreak in the penultimate, he overshadows everyone and each prop in the frame. Don't miss his fabulous gestures after watching handycam in the climax. Hats off to Subash Ghai! His genuineness of inserting symbolic representation where Anil Kapoor breaks the masks on table after viewing handycam is superb. Of course, the song 'Dil Ka Rishta' following this sequence as broken mask at backdrops of stage. It's something you call 'Director's cut'. A new dawn and a great break for Zayed Khan and let him thank Subash for it. Hope, directors watch out for his performance offering him best roles in future. With her cherubic looks and decent performance, Katrina Kaif steals the show and watching her play cello, it looks realistic. No wonder in appreciating her looks alike of Princess Diana at certain parts. Boman Irani pulls your attention with his laudable performance in all contexts, especially in the climax. Aushima Sawhney sways with finesse and ditto to Anjan Srivastava as antagonist. Salman Khan establishes a perfect room with his pleasing act on all scenarios till the final credits (similar to Om Shanthi Om).

On narration, Yuvvraaj doesn't start off with a gripping screenplay and perhaps, it's merely bits-n-pieces of lad and missy in love and father opposing their relations. Well, things shift on paradigms once Mithun Chakraborthy appears on the screen and unravels a great surprise amongst other characters. Few flaws of uninteresting parts may be spotted in the first half and everything goes diminished in the penultimate of 20-25mins binding your hearts, soaking eyes with tears and sparkling your lips with smiles. It's very rare amongst auteurs blending different emotions within short durations and Subash Ghai deserves grand appreciations for it.

Rahman's musical score is refreshing with 'Tu Hi Meri Dost' and 'Dil Ka Rishta'. Merely, visualizations could have been better for 'Tu Hi Meri Dost' as he could've avoided Computer Generated works. Background score works well, especially where Salman reveals his inner intentions to Anil Kapoor after sipping drinks and penultimate sequences are top-notching. Kabir Lal's cinematography mesmerizes everyone and his enchanting shots of European locales goes in-hand with Rahman's musical. It's a billion dollar question why Subash Ghai had to pass-scenes while characters drive car on such beautiful locales.

As a whole, Yuvvraaj is splendiferous in all parts with exceptional performance by all and it's a perfect family entertainer. As in "Pardes" and "Yaadein", Ghai questions joint-family values and the rapidly-changing equations in modern times. While pricking our collective conscience, "Yuvvraaj" rarely throws up a moment when we can't look Ghai's vision straight in the eye. It is among the finest films of 2008.