Jab We Met

Jab We Met is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Imtiaz Ali and produced by Dhilin Mehta under his banner Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision. The film stars Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor with Tarun Arora, Saumya Tandon, and Dara Singh in supporting roles.
Primarily based in Mumbai, Bhatinda, and Shimla, the film tells the story of Aditya Kashyap (Shahid), a heartbroken businessman who walks out of his corporate business and boards a train bound for Delhi where he meets another passenger, a talkative Punjabi girl Geet Dhillon (Kareena). She is sent off aboard when he gets off the train, but both end up being left behind. Beginning their journey together, she tries to have him accompany her to her residence in Bhatinda and then to elope with her boyfriend Anshuman Singh (Arora) while planning to get him married to her sister Roop Dhillon (Tandon).
Jab We Met was released in the United Kingdom a day before its worldwide release of 25 October 2007. The film received widespread critical acclaim since its release, and was among the top-grossing Hindi films of the year. Ashtavinayak later announced that Jab We Met would be remade in four other Indian languages: Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. However, eventually, it was remade only in Tamil as Kanden Kadhalai with a subsequent Telugu dubbed version titled Priya Priyathama.
Jab We Met fetched several awards, among which was the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer awarded to Shreya Ghoshal for the song "Yeh Ishq Haaye", which remained a chartbuster for many weeks.
Plot
Aditya Kashyap, heir to a wealthy but broken family, is depressed and suicidal as he walks out of an important company meeting. He wanders aimlessly and boards a random train where he meets another passenger, Geet Dhillon, a jovial and talkative young girl. At one point, Aditya is shown to be so deep in this thoughts that he seems to be contemplating suicide, but Geet shakes him out of it. He gets off the train in the middle of the night at a random station. Geet tries to get him back aboard as the train is about to leave but ends up getting left behind herself. She gets Aditya to drive her to the next station, but ends up missing it again.
Geet blames Aditya for the mess and insists he accompany her to her home in Bhatinda. The next morning, they set out for Bhatinda and bond along the way. He opens up to her about how his girlfriend ditched him to marry someone else. Geet wins him over with her theory of self-love and he lets go of his reserved nature. She tells him of her plan to elope with her boyfriend Anshuman because her family won't accept their marriage due to religious differences.
Geet’s relatives are immensely grateful to him for bringing her back and ask him to stay with them for a week. Her family decides to fix her wedding but an uninterested Geet pretends to be in love with Aditya to drive away the groom. She runs away from her house the very night and plans to see Anshuman. Aditya tries to dissuade and take the potential consequences seriously. She however convinces him to help her elope. The two of them arrive in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, where Anshuman stays. She tries to take Aditya along to introduce him to Anshuman but he bids farewell, heartbroken because he has fallen in love with her.
Embracing Geet’s jovial approach and enjoying a renewed optimism to life, Aditya successfully revives his company's financial status. He also reconciles with his mother who had become estranged after her extra-marital affair. Nine months later Geet's family sees him in a brand launch event on TV. They confront him at his office, citing that Geet hasn’t returned home since they eloped. Although unaware of her whereabouts, Aditya promises to bring her back in the next ten days. He returns to Manali where he learns that Anshuman had turned down her proposal because he had no plans of getting married.
Aditya traces her to Shimla where he is disappointed to find her leading a quiet life as a reclusive schoolteacher in her former school. Aditya convinces her to leave from there and tries to help her regain her positive outlook towards life. Meanwhile, Anshuman attempts to start afresh. Uncertain about him, the three of them leave for Bhatinda together. Her family is still under the impression that she had eloped with Aditya and she repeatedly fails to tell them the truth despite having the opportunity, leaving her confused. Aditya advises her to talk to Anshuman the next morning.
The next day, Aditya sets out on his way back home as Geet meets up with Anshuman. As a train passes by, Geet realizes that she loves Aditya and not Anshuman. She runs to Aditya, confesses her love and the two of them share a passionate kiss. Anshuman leaves the scene confused and hurt. Their wedding takes place with their families' blessings.
In a mid-credits song sequence, Geet’s grandfather Suryendra tells his two great-granddaughters about how 'mischievous' their parents were and how he knew they were in love all along. Geet and Aditya nod in agreement as they share a smile.
Cast
Kareena Kapoor as Geet Kaur Dhillon
Shahid Kapoor as Aditya Dharamraj Kashyap
Tarun Arora as Anshuman Singh
Saumya Tandon as Roop Kaur Dhillon (Geet's sister)
Dara Singh as Suryendra Singh Dhillon (Geet's grandfather)
Pavan Malhotra as Prem Singh Dhillon (Geet's uncle)
Kamal Tiwari as Gurpreet Singh Dhillon (Geet's father)
Kiran Juneja as Amrit Kaur Dhillon (Geet's mother)
Pravin Purva as Sarabjit Kaur Dhillon (Geet's grandmother)
Veer Pratap Singh as Manjeet Singh Maan (Geet's suitor)
Divya Seth as Ayesha Khanna (Aditya's mother & Dharamraj's ex-wife)
K.F. Jussawala as Advocate Shrikant Sharma (Ayesha's lawyer)
Nihar Thakkar as Raghav Dutta (Aditya's subordinate)
Vishal Om Sharma as Advocate Rohit Bhosle (Aditya's lawyer)
Kishore Pradhan as Station Master (Special appearance)
Brijendra Kala as Taxi Driver (Special appearances)
Teddy Maurya as Hotel Receptionist and Policeman at Railway Station (Special appearance)
Production
Development
In early 2007, the Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Limited announced that director Imtiaz Ali would be directing the then real-life couple Kareena and Shahid Kapoor in their first "full-fledged romantic drama".
Casting
When Ali began casting for the film, Preity Zinta and Bobby Deol were his first choices to portray Dhillon and Kashyap respectively, but were eventually replaced by Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor respectively, the former when Zinta refused to do the film.
On the two lead actors, Ali commented, "I wanted a girl who could look natural in scenes where she misses the train. She had to be without make-up, someone who could be hyper, talkative and interesting but not irritating. I was never a fan of her [Kareena] and hadn't seen too many of her flicks, but I just knew Kareena was perfect as Geet [...] [On the other hand], When I met him [Shahid], I realised he wasn't the forgettable actor that he comes across in several of his movies. He has gone through a lot in life and that maturity had never been brought out. He was perfect for the role of a young, mature, quiet guy."
Filming
The film was shot throughout the Punjab region, and filming started on 20 March 2007 in Chandigarh and later headed to Shimla and Manali, where the crew filmed a song on the Himalayas and the Rohtang Pass. Manish Malhotra served as the costume designer. The summer shots in Punjab of the haveli were filmed in Nabha near Patiala. While shooting the last schedule of the film in Mumbai, sources had indicated that the lead pair had broken up. Though the media projected it as a publicity stunt for the film, it was later confirmed that the couple had indeed parted ways. The title of the film was decided by a popular vote; moviegoers had a choice between Punjab Mail, Ishq Via Bhatinda ('Love via Bhatinda') and Jab We Met.
Post production
To promote the film, the actors appeared separately on different television shows. Kareena Kapoor appeared as guest judge on the singing talent contest Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007 whilst Shahid Kapoor appeared on STAR Voice of India and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa; they later appeared together on the television show Nach Baliye. Apart from this, the producers also painted two full local trains in Mumbai from the Western and Central lines with Jab We Met imagery, where Shahid Kapoor chatted up with fellow passengers and informed them about the film. On the night of 23 October 2007, a special preview of the film was organized at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai for those associated with the film and their families.
Soundtrack
Imtiaz Ali initially approached A. R. Rahman to compose the score and soundtrack for the film. However Rahman declined the offer assuring Imtiaz that he would do Rockstar.The score was composed and produced by Sanjoy Chowdhury. The film featured songs composed by Pritam Chakraborty with lyrics by Irshad Kamil. The film's soundtrack was released on 21 September 2007 by lead actress, Kareena Kapoor on the musical show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007.
Joginder Tuteja from IndiaFM gave the music 3.5 out of 5 stars saying, "In 2007, Pritam may have been come up with good music in number of films [...] But if there is one album that impresses most after Life in a... Metro and turns out to be the most satisfying experience, it is Jab We Met. The album is a perfect example of how to get a quality soundtrack which mixes songs for different segments of audience." Movietalkies.com rated the album 4 out of 5 stars, describing the album as "certainly one of the better albums that have come out this year ... Pritam has shown a depth and width of imagination in the manner in which he has used so many different genres and mixed them together to create a fascinating journey of music."
The film's soundtrack debuted at number 8 and later jumped up to number 5 during its second week. Over the next several weeks, the album steadily began climbing up the music charts and saw the album sales increase after the film's release. During the week of 19 November the album replaced the soundtrack of Om Shanti Om and moved up to number 1 but fell back to number 2 the following week. Despite competition from the release of newer soundtracks, the album stayed at the top for over nine weeks. According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 19,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the year's second highest-selling.
Jab We Met soundtrack was featured on Rediff's and IndiaFM's year-end list of 2007's Top 10 Music Albums.
Release
Jab We Met was worldwide released on 25 October 2007. Moser Baer served as the DVD partner and regional distributor for Jab We Met. The film was officially released on DVD in the U.S., U.K., UAE and other international markets on 7 December 2007. A single disc collector's item in an enclosed box with the DVD containing English, Portuguese, Arabic, and Spanish subtitles was also released. Jab We Met was later made available on Amazon Prime Video.
Reception
Box office
Jab We Met opened with an opening of 70% all over India on 26 October 2007 and later increased to 90% during the weekend. Making a total first week net business of 11.75 crores from 350 cinemas, the film went into the second week with very strong collections and saw a massive increase with 40%-50% increment in shows worldwide.
Continuing its strong march in week two with collections of over and a two-week total of , the film was declared a hit. During its third week, Jab We Met managed to add another to its collections but suffered a setback due to release of Om Shanti Om and Saawariya, which resulted in the number of shows for the film being reduced. Due to demand and the poor performance of the latter, the following week saw an increase in the number of prints for the film across the country, and resulted in a 50% increase of the film's collections. Completing 50 successful days at the box office on 14 December 2007. the film received a hit status by BoxOffice India.
By February 2008, Jab We Met had made a net business of over ₹310 million (US$10.9million), and emerged as one of the biggest hits of the year. On 30 January 2008, it was announced that to celebrate the success of its 100 days run at the box office, PVR Cinemas in Delhi would have a special screening of the film on Valentine's Day.
Meanwhile, Jab We Met also opened well internationally, especially in the U.K., where it was released a day before its worldwide release of 26 October. Debuting at number 10 in the U.K., the film grossed £11,488 on its previews night and £144,525 on its opening weekend, collecting a total of £156,013 from 31 screens. The film continued to do strong business and garnered excellent collections during its second week, making a two-week total of £325,996. Over the next five weeks, Jab We Met collected a total of £43,529 from 54 screens and made a grand total of £424,681.
Critical response
Upon release, the film opened to widespread critical acclaim. Critics praised the film for its simplicity, its romance, saying that it was "one of the finest romantic films to come out of Bollywood in 2007". The film's direction and performances were particularly appreciated.
The Times of India gave the film 4 out of 5 stars concluding, "The film belongs to Kareena and Shahid who pitch in memorable performances and lend a whole new meaning to the boy-meets-girl story." Joginder Tuteja from indiaglitz.com gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, described it as "Kareena-Shahid's DDLJ", and concluded that "...it would be a pain if any of the two actors do not get awarded and rewarded for their performances..." Taran Adarsh from indiaFM gave the film a 3.5 out of 5 rating saying it is "as refreshing as an ice-cold watermelon juice in scorching heat." Subhash K. Jha wrote, "...Jab We Met is the kind of cinematic experience that is hard to come by in this day and age of smoky cynicism and borrowed rage."
Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN, who gave the film 3 stars out of 5, described it as "a film bursting with the kind of lovely little moments that'll bring a smile to your face. Khaled Mohamed, of Hindustan Times, gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, saying the film, "is quite a delight, particularly for the chirpy-chirpy-cheep-cheep girl and the retentive, moan-groan boy. Directed with a flair for garnishing even the most abject of circumstances with humour and irony, here’s a feel-cool film. Wonderful.
Reviews towards the director, Imtiaz Ali, were favourable as well. Indiatimes wrote, "After his much-appreciated Socha Na Tha (2004), Imtiaz goes bigger and better and the result is nothing but flying colours".
Most critics agreed that the main highlight of the film was the leading pair and Kareena and Shahid's chemistry. Rajeev Masand further explained, "The real magic of this film lies in the performances of its two main leads who seize your attention from the moment they first appear on screen." Taran Adarsh commented, "Shahid delivers his career-best performance in Jab We Met... Kareena is in top form as well. Jab We Met is a turning point in her career. Fantabulous -- that's the right word to describe her work this time. The confidence with which she handles the contrasting characterization speaks volumes. This film should do for her what Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) did for Kajol." Subhash K. Jha approved the chemistry as well, "...there are sparks...and the ones between Kareena and Shahid are so unselfconsciously genuine that you end up looking at the characters rather than the two actors going through a series of brilliantly conceived and energized incidents..."
Apart from critics, Jab We Met was one of the best films of 2007 according to various Bollywood film directors such as Madhur Bhandarkar, David Dhawan, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Anurag Basu, and Sriram Raghavan.
Accolades
Jab We Met received several accolades including, two National Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards and two IIFA Awards. The film also earned three Producers Guild Film Awards, three Stardust Awards, three Zee Cine Awards and one Screen Award, .
Legacy
Jab We Met remains one of the most popular romantic films in Bollywood. It brought recognition to Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor, both having enjoyed only limited success in their previous films. The couple was named in Bollywood Hungamas list of the top 10 best romantic couples of the decade. Yahoo! Movies India listed the film as one of the Bollywood's top 10 most romantic movies. The film was remade in Tamil as Kanden Kadhalai (2009). The film's plot also inspired the television show Love U Zindagi.
Kareena Kapoor's character, Geet Dhillon, became a popular and recognizable character. She later went on to say about her role, "To play a character like 'Geet' doesn't happen all the time; it just happens. When you begin working on a film, you of course know about the story and your character. However, no one knows how audiences would eventually react to it. 'Geet' did strike a chord with the audiences and became a household name."
Kapoor, for her performance, was ranked number 66 in Filmfare magazine's 80 Iconic Bollywood Performances list. According to HindiFilmNews, she was number 5 in the critic's top ten and number 4 in the popular top ten for the finest performance by a Bollywood actress for the decade. She was also named by Rediff as one of Bollywood's most beloved characters.
See also
List of highest-grossing Bollywood films
List of Hindi films of 1999
References
External links
2007 films
2000s Hindi-language films
2000s road comedy-drama films
Indian road comedy-drama films
Films directed by Imtiaz Ali
Films shot in Himachal Pradesh
Films set in Himachal Pradesh
Indian romantic comedy-drama films
2007 romantic comedy-drama films
Hindi films remade in other languages
Films shot in Punjab, India
Films shot in Mumbai
Films featuring songs by Pritam
Films shot in Mandawa
Films set in Manali, Himachal Pradesh
Films scored by Sanjoy Chowdhury
Films featuring a Best Choreography National Film Award-winning choreography
2007 comedy films
2007 drama films