Jaoon Kahan Bata Ae Dil

An Anti-Romantic Dramedy with pockets of laughter in an otherwise disturbing setting.

The name ‘Jaoon Kahan Bata Ae Dil’ alludes to a mainstream love story between a boy and a girl something which Hindi cinema has mastered in the last 100 years. But Aadish Keluskar’s film is far from anything of that. It is a dark relationship drama between a couple living in Mumbai. They have been in a relationship for the last one year but still, prefer to go to the clichéd spots in Mumbai before they check in to a lodge and have sex. The characters are lower middle-class people working hard to make a living in the expensive city. Their conversations range from politics to cinema to freedom of expression and sex. They talk about everything under the son but the twist is that it is only one of them who talks while the other is a passive listener. The film is about how a relationship degenerates with time and the reasons for staying together becomes shallow and unnecessary which ultimately leads to addiction to toxicity.

One of the best aspects of the film for me was the excellent dialogues and screenplay which were crafted in the most real way I have recently seen on screen. It is absolutely unadulterated and raw. It is free from any keep of censorship and thus the language is coarse and harsh, something which might make people uncomfortable. The film has direct political references and does not shy away from commenting on a lot of social issues plaguing the country. It is in these moments where the audience feels a part of the film and the place. The cinematography is mainly handheld and most of the shots are one-takes. One of the first scenes of the film where they walk through marine drive is excellently shot and gives you a feeling that you are walking with the couple. A lot of songs from the 1950s have been used in the background and each song adds to the narrative of the film. The film has a brownish colour tone to it in order to give an old-world charm.

It is one of those films which breaks a lot of stereotypes about love and hope. It very cleverly denounces romance to move the narrative forward which felt fresh and real. With fantastic acting and dialogues, this film by Keluskar is going to stay with me for quite a long time.

Credits:

Rachit Daruka

Student – BBA (Media & Communication)