Review : Veer-Zaara

This film is a romance through and through. Add a dash of “traditional” values, some humor, vast flowery landscapes (WYSIWYG), melodious music and there you have it. All actors accquit themselves well, and Chopra does a good job of putting the story together. There are logistical flaws however, which is a side-effect of the strong dose of sentimentalism with which Chopra injects each one of his movies.The film starts off with scenes between an aged prisoner in a Pakistani prison (Khan), and a young lawyer Saamiya Siddiqui (Rani) who is bent on ending his unjust imprisonment. The story is revealed by means of halting flashbacks, as the prisoner recounts his tale for the lawyer’s benefit. Through the flashback we realize that the prisoner is Squadron Leader Veer Pratap Singh, an officer of the Indian Airforce, and member of a rescue team. He meets Zaara Hayaat Khan, a Pakistani woman, who has come across the border to immerse her grandmother’s (Zohra Sehgal) ashes in a holy river.

They first meet when Veer rescues Zaara, when her bus has an accident and she hangs from a tree for dear life. As the friendship develops, Veer implores Zaara to visit his Punjab, and meet his parents (Bachhan and Hema Malini). Agreeing, Zaara gets to know him and his family better. Love blossoms, but before our hesitating hero can declare it, in comes Raza, Zaara’s fiance. He has been searching for her, and takes her back with him.

In Pakistan, Zaara cannot forget Veer, and is miserable causing her maid, Shabbo to call Veer, and inform him about the circumstances. Veer drops everything and rushes to Pakistan, ready to marry Zaara . However Zaara ends up marrying Raza, while Veer is arrested by a vindictive policeman on the grounds of being a spy. He has been jailed for 22 years before Saamiya Siddiqui sets out to get justice for him. Can she help set Veer free and unite the lovers ?

The film is set on strong emotional ground and sensitively told. The lead pair sparkles with chemistry, while the supporting cast do their job well. The emotion in certain scenes is a tad overdone, as is the “old age” makeup on both Shahrukh and Preiti. If Preiti is assumed to be in her early twenties when she meets Veer, she surely shouldn’t turn into a doddering old woman in her early 40s (after 22 years). Same goes for Shahrukh’s character.

Bachhan and Hema Malini provide the down-to-earth comic relief, and Kiron Kher and Boman Irani do a beautiful job as Zaara’s parents. Manoj Bajpai as the fiance is as good as ever. Divya Dutta as Shabbo, Zaara’a maid is nauseatingly good. The film hits high emotional notes, often moving (the theater was awash in weeping women viewers), but the dialogues do tend to get excessively theatrical in parts. And of course, as in any other Chopra film, the entire cast is kind and good, and ready to sacrifice personal happiness for the good of others. The music is melodious however, and goes hand in hand with Chopra’s style of direction. An enjoyable watch.