The 20 plus son's much hyped Refugee falls with a thud but the father keeps the hype alive and wins hands down with Mohabbatein at 50 plus!
Mohabbatein has all the ingredients peculiar to Yash Raj films that also the audience seems to like forever, but the one ingredient that dwarfs everything else in this three and a half hour Diwali treat is Amitabh Bachchan.
As a strict disciplinarian, a stern man, a patriarchal figure, Amitabh strikes just the right note. On seeing the film, you realize that nobody but nobody else could have been Narayan Shankar.
Narayan Shankar is the head of a Gurukul, where he teaches all the rules and regulations of life with utmost commitment. He cherishes values and imparts them to his students with great fervor. There's only one thing that he does not tolerate (probably intentionally), does not profess, does not believe in, and that's love.
Six sprightly, vivacious young students come to study in his Gurukul. They do the forbidden. They fall in love. The patriarch is outraged. The lovers feel helpless. Gradually they start accepting that their relationship was probably doomed from the start. Right then steps in their savior in the form of a music teacher.
Raj Aryan is a matured man, has seen it all, gone through it all. He comes to the Gurukul with a purpose. Not only does he bail the lovers out of the crisis, he also teaches a lesson or two of love to the patriarch. Shah Rukh Khan, one must admit, has made efforts in giving a subdued performance. There are none of those compressed giggles nor any unnecessary sniffing.
Raj Aryan has a past that is related to Narayan Shankar. Shankar is unaware of this. As the story unfolds, we know that Raj is an ex-student of Shankar's Gurukul and had fallen in love with his daughter, the lovely Aishwarya Rai.
Mohabbatein is unusual in a way that the principal protagonists do not have current love lives. Aishwarya is dead. She appears in the film only as memories and nostalgia. So Shah Rukh is shown only to be a believer and preacher of romance and love.
The film's highlights are the one-to-one scenes of Amitabh and Shah Rukh. While the former is a veteran and his histrionics now seem to be an extension of his charisma and aura, the latter gives a matured performance. Shah Rukh is finally a controlled performer with Mohabbatein. He takes Amitabh head on and succeeds in giving compelling shots, not wincing even once.
There are other good actors, who have been wasted. They could have been put to better use or could have not been there at all. Anupam Kher, Amrish Puri (in a 5 minute role), Shefali Chayya, Archana Puransingh, all fine actors, but not having much to do they contribute to the film's length.
The surprise element in Mohabbatein makes you sit up and wonder what is it in Helen that jolts you even today? There's a beautiful dance item by the golden girl of yesteryears, leaving you wanting for more.
The young newcomers look trained but don't do much except sing and wear fabulous clothes. The story is okay, but it is Amitabh and Shah Rukh, who rise above their roles and give the film an altogether different feel, height and look. And if you must know that one person who stands out in the crowd and gets the maximum applause on his entry, the answer is the clichéd, Amitabh Bachchan.
So go ahead and enjoy a Bachchan bonanza backed by an irrepressible Shah Rukh and a gorgeous Aishwarya. Mohabbatein looks like a winner.
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