SHAANDAAR MOVIE REVIEW

Shaandaar, true to its meaning is fabulous with regard to its beautiful location, exotic camera angles, infectious music and convincing portrayal by the cast. Other than that, there is no great story, screenplay or suspense factor in the movie. It is an age old drama of guy meeting girl at a wedding, falling in love with her instantly, sneaking out and having fun, singing and dancing at a grand wedding in England.

Shahid Kapoor is effortless, be it at comedy or romance. With adequate body language, locking and popping in dance, there is a remarkable change in Shahid’s performance. Pankaj Kapoor, with his subtle yet strong portrayal as a protective father, proves yet again why he is a veteran. The portions between him and Shahid never fail to tickle the funny bone. Sanah Kapoor, is surely the highlight of the movie. She is fabulous with her dimples, her infectious smile and her lovely portrayal of a self-confessed foodie. And in-between all this, Alia makes her presence felt. She looks bubbly, acts naturally and easily comes across as every man’s dream.

In order to do justice to the typical Sindhi wedding, the art direction team has gone a long way. The finer details associated with a wedding are well executed with impeccable detail. Music director Amit Trivedi does justice to Shahid’s dance moves, the Sindhi energy, the wedding madness and the romantic fresh pairing wherever necessary. The re-recording also needs a mention here.

There are moments in the film that make you see it like a fantasy. The cinematography is probably why we thought that the movie has got a lot to offer. Kudos to Anit Mehta for his splendid opening frames for Shahid, symmetric shots of England, making the wedding grandeur seem real, his romantic close-ups and for making every frame colorful. Also the animated flashbacks, which is a great relief compared to the usual melodrama.

Sound design for the chai sequence by the stream seems so real and is a different attempt. However, editing could have been crisper. The 2nd half of the movie fails to engage the audience, which kind of tests your patience. Karan Johar tries to contribute with his Coffee with Karan, maybe the only breather.

Shaandaar is extremely predictable, so much so that, you can guess the climax in the first few minutes. A little twist and turn wouldn’t have hurt. Also, maybe the hype and promotions for the movie was too much? Was it the lack of a powerful screenplay? Or was it the fact that the ensemble star-cast was just not utilized well? Or is it because there are a lot of stereotypes? Or is it because we expected a lot more from Vikas Bhal especially after Queen? The questions are endless.

Having said all that, It is not just the fresh chemistry of the lead pair that makes you want to stay through the movie, but also the impeccable biology and physics of the father daughter bond. The audiences are bound to find Karan Johar’s drama, Shankar’s grandeur, Zoya Akhtar’s exotic Europe-journey shots and Ayan Mukerji’s lovely way of capturing love in Shaandaar which make it fairly watchable.