New York

The trend of providing an umbrella to new cutting edge directors under big banners is a well dressed move. Karan Johar, once said that he ideally wanted to be the only director directing for Dharma, but better sense and unkind competition prevailed.
Films directed/produced by the Chopra clan too have not tasted the sweet smell of success off late. Finally a film, justifying the glory of the Yash Raj banner. Director Kabir Khan, with ‘New York’, has put an end to the wait for quality Bollywood entertainment. Feels like Aditya Chopra has finally broken the evil witch’s spell with three easy steps:
1. Writing a nice story
2. Deciding on not casting Rani Mukherjee
3. Deciding not to direct it himself.
Now lets tango!

New York is a story of three friends and how the aftermath of 9/11 not only changed the sunrise on the city’s horizon but also their lives forever. Many films have been crafted on terrorism, most have revolved around either dramatizing the detention cell ‘Khuda Ke liye’ or have been in defense of the situation created thereby ‘Maachis’.
These have been listed as turning point cinema and ‘New York’ may not rank that high, but it definitely deserves to be in the listing.

Omar (Neil), from Delhi is a fresher at the New York University. There he befriends two Americans, Maya(Katrina) and Sam(John), and becomes a part of their lives faster than mustard melting over hotdog. Sam is the loveable college showoff who doesn’t miss an opportunity to outshine an opponent or flirt with Maya. Maya is the Students Rep, whose smile is warmer then the autumn breeze. Omar is the shy outsider, who gets swept away by this breeze and mistakes her warmth for reciprocation. An incident one night creates a closure to the two years of this directionless triangle. Maya realizes she actually does love Sam. Omar realizes Maya actually loves Sam. Sam is just plain happy.

The story quickly moves to 9/11, a day the world will never forget. The Twin Towers exit from the skyline as does Omar from Sam and Maya’s lives.
7 yrs later, circumstances force Omar to cross paths with them again. This time Sam, Omar and Maya are only images of the people that once existed on the New York college campus. Things have changed, they’ve changed, motives have changed.
Omar due to the past he shared has been framed and planted by the FBI (Irfan Khan) as an undercover agent to uncover Sam who is believed to be running a sleepers cell, a potential threat to the safety of the country. Omar reluctant, agrees to co-operate only to prove that he and his friend could never be involved with anything as menacing.

As time passes, much to the FBI’s frustration Omar can get no such evidence on Sam. He’s secretly relieved. Short-lived however. A sudden twist in tale, though some shout predictable, keeps the momentum going.

More than dwelling on terrorism or the impact it’s had on the lives of these protagonists, Aditya Chopra still keeps the story close to the love and camaraderie shared between the three friends.

Neil has done a decent job of playing Omar, a shy, good looking, righteous man who believes in the virtue of friendship and all its goodness. John has transformed well in his character of playing ‘the Sam that once was’. But Katrina in my space deserves a special mention. Can’t say it’s for an award winning performance, don’t know if it’s the way she looked or her justice to Maya’s character, which wasn’t too performance driven anyway. But all I can say is her presence lit up the screen like a thousand fiery autumn leaves.
Irfan Khan, belongs to a league where commenting on his acting would be like trying to sell a map to a flock of birds flying south.

The only clichéd I’d like to warn against is ‘ Muslims are being targeted all over. Some, due to their own misinterpretation of the Islam. But it will take one good deed from one good Muslim, to turn it all around’. What happened in New York was wrong. What happened with a lot of muslims was wrong. But these wrongs also happen against Hindus, against Christians, against other religions. And just not in America.

The end was a bit sad and predictable, but I can’t think what else would be more befitting. It is a Bollywood film at the end of the day! Pritam has excelled in giving us youthful tracks like ‘Hai Junnon’ and ‘Mere Sang’. ‘Tune Jo na Kaha’ is a soulful track and pertinently sited.

The cinematography too deserves a mention. Some shots are out of the box, though very subtle, they make you sit up and notice perspective. Overall, I would say even if you have to go watch it alone, do it, cause I did and didn’t regret it for a minute.