More Love for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

I watched Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani again a few days ago. I have already written about it here, and I thoroughly enjoyed it this time as well. Whatever the critics think of it, I really, really like it a lot. I was able to focus on some things that I was not able to do earlier, and I still have so much to write about it.

I had written earlier that the first time Kabir and Naina meet is on the train and Kabir stretched out his hand to pull Naina on the train was reminiscent of Raj and Simran in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ). Even the relationship between Kabir and his dad had shades similar to that of Raj and his Pops from DDLJ. I found one more subtle reference to the movie. The first time Kabir speaks to Naina, he uses a similar dialogue that Raj spoke to Simran. Raj says, "Aisa lagta hai maine aapko kahin dekha hai, Robbie ki party pe, nahi?" And Kabir says, "Tum, Aisha, right? Hum Tanya ki party me mile the."

Naina also reminded me of Simran when she said she has never been to parties. Also, when Bunny and Naina are on a day trip to Udaipur and compare life in India and abroad, Kabir says, "Broadway me Phantom of the Opera" and replies, "Maratha Mandir me DDLJ with popcorn." Perhaps that is why Anupama Chopra says this :)

The 2 biggest hits of 2013 -#ChennaiExpress, #YJHD - are both DDLJ derivatives. 18 years later, Raj and Simran are still the gold standard.

— Anupama Chopra (@anupamachopra) August 12, 2013

Earlier this year, in an interview with Rajeev Masand, Ayan Mukerji had said that the one film that changed his life was Dil Chahta Hai. Apart from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani being the story of three friends similar to that of Dil Chahta Hai, Ayan pays tribute to his favorite film in his own way.

The song Ilahi had similar picturization sequences as that of Tanhayee from Dil Chahta Hai, such as the scene in the cemetery, sitting near the edge of a scenic locale, and washing of the face (which comes just after the song finishes in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani). The feeling of loneliness and the wandering of the soul experienced by Kabir matched with the one felt by Aakash. Ayan pays tribute to the film that changed his life in these subtle moments. Just like Sanjay Leela Bhansali referred to his favorite films in Saawariya.

Ilahi

Tanhayee

I was also fascinated by one of the other song sequences in the film. In the song Kabira, Aditi and Kabir sit in front of a mirror while she is getting ready for her wedding. Within three seconds of the song, a lot can be learned about both of them. I loved that Kabir is sitting very close to Aditi in the first frame. In the second frame, he is further, and in the third frame, he is even further but at a higher level. This was very symbolic of his distance and his changed stature with his friends and that he has moved away from them with time. Also, he does not smile even once, signifying his utter unhappiness. In contrast, Aditi does not move at all and remains seated in her spot like she does not move in real life. Her hairstyle in the three frames was symbolic of her own changes in life - from unkempt to tidy to well-groomed - from her rebellious and in-love phase with Avi to putting life on track and learning to accept her unrequited love for Avi, to finally doing something in her life and getting married to Taran. My favorite part was that she also did not smile in the first two frames, but in the third frame, she smiles because she has finally found happiness. I also loved it that they do not show Aditi smiling suddenly in the third frame, but they show her gradually smiling as if she has learned it. Just watch the song to understand what I am trying to say.

Frame 1

Frame 2

Frame 3

Learning to Smile

Kabira.

At one point in the film, Avi and Kabir are fighting, and Avi says to him, "Yaar tere spane, teri life, tere problems, tere bahane, sab kuch tera, mera kya Bunny. Pata kya hai tujhe mere baare me, meri life, mere sapne, mere haalat. Aditi ko to tujhse koi umeed hi nahi hai, Bunny." Interestingly, a few scenes later, Kabir asks for a pair of socks from Avi. Also, Kabir is holding his shoes in his hand. This was again referring to the fact that Kabir was now trying to put his feet in someone else's shoes, i.e., Avi's. He asks for Avi's socks, and he is not wearing his own shoes but keeping them in his hand, trying to understand Avi's problems. Their conversation during that scene also confirmed this idiom of 'putting feet in someone else's shoes' as Kabir offered to help Avi by saying, "Toh phir kya kar sakta hun main tere liye, Avi." That scene was again a metaphorical reference, else why would Kabir hold his shoes in his hand? Loved it :)

Putting Feet in Someone Else's Shoes

What I also liked was Kabir's relationship with his dad. I do not know how to define his relationship with his father. It was very complex. There is a slight touch of rebellion, with an equal amount of love and concern between the two. On one side is Bunny, who wants to live independently and on his own terms, but at the same time, he does not want his father to worry for him and does not want to disrespect him. On the other side is his father. He wants Bunny to live his life fully, but at the same time, he worries for him a lot. He wants Bunny to do whatever he wants, but at the same time, he silently cries because he does not wish for Kabir to leave him and go to Chicago. It was portrayed very beautifully because, in some ways, relationships with parents are—complex, awkward, and loving. And it was really moving when his step-mom said to him that he gave his father the most happiness "Kyunki tumne kabhi khwaabon ka peecha nahi chhoda, apni zindagi apni marzi se jee, vo jaante the apni marzi se jeene ki keemat kya hoti hai." 

As beautiful as it was Kabir and his dad's relationship, I loved Naina and Kabir's relationship too. I have written about it earlier in this scene, too. My favorite scene was in the end when Kabir comes to Naina's house on New Year's Eve. He kisses her as soon as she opens the door, and then she starts crying. I don't know why but I thought it was something wonderful. And the fact that both Ranbir and Deepika are such beautiful people makes the relationship look even more gorgeous. I loved that Kabir used to call Naina very informally using 'tu'. I mean, most of the relationships shown in films are formal where people call each other 'tum.' And when he says, "Apne mind me already shaadi kar chuka hun tujhse aur tu bhi kar le mujhse", I felt so happy, I don't know why. The relationship between Naina and Kabir was very contemporary, without any hesitation and formality. My minor quibble is that Ayan did not tell us exactly how this relationship would work. Kabir agreed not to do the TV show but still wanted to travel. How will it work out? I don't know, but I loved this scene like anything.

:'(

I have always loved those characters who have dared to accept their one-sided love and ability to move on with their lives. I have written here many times that once you love someone, you love them forever. In this context, I was really fascinated by Aditi. If there was one character who actually grew in the film, it was Aditi. She will always love Avi, but she realizes that "us relationship me kabhi Avi tha hi nahi, sirf main thi akeli but you know Taran ke pehle main theek hi thi, lekin usse milkar realize hua main khush bhi ho sakti hun, kuch logon ke saath sirf waqt bitane se sab kuch sahi ho jata hai." She chose happiness over love, so what wrong did she do? Didn't Shruti's mom do that in Barfi? Whether it was Rahul in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu or Laurent in English Vinglish or Akira in Jab Tak Hai Jaan or Simran in I Hate Luv Storys or Rishi in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna or Deepa and Sid in Dil Chahta Hai - all these characters dared to accept that love is not always reciprocated but that does not mean you stop living your life, right? Aditi learned to be happy, and as they say, happiness is subjective. I really hope Aditi learns to love Taran as well. There is something poignant about her vidaai scene with Avi, in a way, she is taking leave from his love as well and starting a new life. The song Kabira is too heartbreaking.

Bye to Avi's Love

I loved Naina for her maturity, and I do not think I have seen such a mature character like her who can understand someone so beautifully. She tells Kabir to go away because, "Mujhe tumse pyaar ho jayega phir se, aur tumhe nahi hoga phir se." And of course, when she also says, "janti hu Bunny, samajhti hun tumhe, pata hai tumhare sapne kya hai, ki tum zindagi se kya chahte ho." Or when she says, "aath saal beet gaye hai, usne kabhi mudke nahi dekha aur maine intezaar bhi nahi kiya."

They look so good together that I actually took screenshots of their scenes and have been looking at them for the past two three days as if these are my friends' pictures. 

Dharma Productions uploaded some deleted scenes from the film on their official YouTube channel. I really liked three of them. Naina teaches Kabir some really important lessons in life, in this one, she says, "kisi se kuch milne se badi khushi hai unke kuch dene me." When Kabir asks for her Ganpati, she gives it to him without hesitation. It was a lovely scene in a way she is also teaching him the importance of letting go.

In another scene, they also explain the myth of the Bhutha Parbat. In the film, when Kabir and Naina are trekking in the night, they see an animal. Now, I understood what it meant, and the spirit of the king and the girl blessed them so that they might be together. Interestingly, the narrator says, "us ladki pe waqt beetne ka koi nishan hi nahi tha." If I remember, Kabir says to Naina during the final scene, "beet ta waqt hai aur kharch hum hote hai." Some connection between the lines. 

I was reminded of the deer scene from the Helen Mirren-starrer film The Queen. The scene comes after Diana's death, and the queen is trapped in the jungle. Again, it was a beautiful scene where the deer probably referred to Diana's spirit.

Watch the brilliant scene from The Queen here.

And this scene of Aditi as well :(

More scenes of the film on the YouTube channel.

Trivia:

Kabir's Aawara tattoo

A guest reads 'A Feast of Crows' by Geroge R. R. Martin (Game of Thrones Series)

Kabir reads 'On The Road' by Jack Kerouac -  Fits perfectly :)

Kabir also read Lonely Planet's Chicago

Four old songs in the film:

• Kabir sings waqt ne kiya koi haseen sitam and kabhi kabhi (more poetic) while Vikram sings yeh sham mastani and ek ladki ko dekha to - did not get its meaning completely though :(
• Chumma Chumma by all of them :)

The quote by Benjamin Franklin

The quote by Edward Everett. The face of Zoya Kher looks very familiar.

Naina reads drug elimination in the book on Immunology. Will she take off Kabir's nasha? ;D

I also liked this scene when Kabir comes home and puts the keys on the table. The camera pans over to the keys for three-four seconds. Did it mean that Kabir finally unlocked the solution to his restlessness? He finally came home, and is it time to rest now? :)

Despite all the criticism attributed to this film, I love this film. The last forty minutes are just so splendid. From the Kabira song till the end, the movie reaches its zenith for me. It makes me laugh, it makes me think, it makes me feel lonely, and it makes me feel loved. I won't have these people in my life. Someday :)

Earlier review on Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani here.

Dialogue of the Day:

"Nahi bhool payi, bas nahi bhool payi. Mujhe usse jitna pyaar tha, usse kai zyada use apne khwaabon se tha. Takleef hui lekin is baat ki khushi bhi thi ki main apne saath vapas yaadon ka ek bada sa suitcase le ja rahi thi, jinhe main kabhi nahi bhool paungi, vo din, vo raatein, vo hasi, vo masti, vo dosti..Bunny..vo apne khwaabon ki aur itni tezi se daura ke palak jhapakte hi gayab ho gaya. Aath saal beet gaye hai, usne kabhi mudke nahi dekha aur maine intezaar bhi nahi kiya."

—Naina, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani