Jab Harry Met Sejal Review: SRK-Anushka couldn’t save the superficial flick

Movie: Jab Harry Met Sejal

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Evelyn Sharma

Director: Imtiaz Ali

Production house: Red Chillies Entertainment

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

At last, the day we had been waiting for has finally arrived! The much talked about Shah Rukh Khan–Anushka Sharma starrer Jab Hary Met Sejal has finally started screening in the theatres. But, is it the film that will be perfect for your weekend or is it something you can pass? Well, we have taken the trouble to see the film ourselves for you to decide.

Let’s give you the storyline in brief. Harinder Singh Nehra aka Harry is a loose-footed tour guide with a loose character whose life takes a turn thanks to, you guessed it, Anushka Sharma’s aka Sejal. She is the daughter of a Gujarati diamond merchant and is on a family vacation in Europe where she gets engaged. But, then suddenly the ring disappears and Sejal refuses to return back home unless she finds it. Harry quite reluctantly agrees to be her companion. Then, what follows is a cop scene in a bar, long hours of exploration throughout Europe for a ring and, how can one forget, the protagonists transitioning into a state of wonder and self-discovery. The story, after all of its smooth and bumpy turns, ends on a clichéd note. The Butterfly Song comes at the very end, so you can guess what happened.

The beginning of the film couldn’t have been done in a better way. Shah Rukh Khan’s Harry has been introduced as a nearly burnt out tour guide with a string of bad relationships but still refusing to returning to his ‘pind’ in hopes of a better life outside it. The makers have achieved it all with the “Safar” song. No time is wasted in explaining Harry’s backstory (Thank god for that. Cause we are so done with origin stories) and Sejal, in turn, begins to appear on screen without any wastage of time. Anushka Sharma’s Sejal is a character we adored. Her comic timing keeps your eyes off her flaws. Khan, however, although manages to sweep the women off their feet with doing the things that he does, doesn’t come out as likeable one bit! Patented sarcasm, wit and on-screen angst seems to be working pretty well for him. He’s a guy who is caught getting physical with his clients and is going to be deported if one more such case surfaces. It’s surprising that a high profile client like Sejal has been left with a person who is threatened to be ousted due to such cases.

We’d like to ask, WHAT kind of parents leaves their recently engaged daughter loitering around in Europe with a womanising tour guide? And how are Harry’s bosses cool with it? Someone PLEASE explain me that bit.

The first half is an engaging one while the second half seems to be a bit of a drag fest. There are some things, like SRK crying in a church, which did not register with us. And, what’s with putting a song like Beech Beech Mein right after the interval? That bit came across as a bit confusing, much like a MAJORITY of the second half, where you’re bound to ask yourself “Dude, what are these guys upto?”

For the die-hard Shah Rukh Khan fans, there are only a few moments for you all. Go in for the movie if you fancy being lost in the beautiful locales of Europe depicted in a sepia-ish colour palette, and Anushka Sharma as well. She steals the show in this one!

Overall, Jab Harry Met Sejal is not your typical Imtiaz Ali film. The director seems to be out of shape out here since it shows in his toned down proficiency with regards to the treatment in the film. With a combination like Anushka and SRK, Ali had the chance to hit the ball out of the park, but he has delivered a superficial love story with a clichéd ending. We are quite disappointed with this one.