I was fascinated by the
name of the movie “Qarib Qarib Singlle” and also by the unusual pairing of the
lead actors Irfan Khan and Parvathy who was making her debut in the Bollywood.
So even with the ocean of work going on, I decided to sneak out and watch the
film.
The film is about two
individuals Jaya and Yogi, in their 30’s who met each other through a dating
site “Ab tak single” and what follows next is a series of fun filled surreal
experience where two exactly opposite people get to know each other and fall in
love in the most unusual way! Jaya (played by Parvathy) is a successful workaholic
woman who rules her workplace, but lacks confidence when it comes to her
personal life. She is mostly spending time in her home or dedicating her Sundays
to baby-sitting, and tries to please everybody around her. She hasn’t fully
recovered from the trauma of losing her husband at a considerably young age.
While Yogi, is jovial, outspoken, exudes confidence, wears bright red and
yellow clothes, and believes in living in the moment.
“Naam Hai Hamara
Yogendra Kumar Devendra Nath Prajapati Urf YOGI”
With this dialogue
Irrfan proves why he’s someone who can act even when he’s not doing anything. He
plays the role of a poet who makes you read some of the most heart-pleasing
lines of his life. They first meet for a coffee date, which Jaya truly regrets,
but slowly his quirkiness makes her unsettled and she starts taking decisions
uncanny of her usual ways. When Yogi invites her to accompany him on a tour to
meet his old girlfriends (remember he is a poet with numerous flings in the
past) she disdainfully rejects at first but later on agrees to it.
“Total Teen Bar
Ishq Kiya… Or Teeno Bar Aisa Ishq Matlab Jaanlewa Ishq, Matlab Ghanghor Had
Paar”
On their first
destination to Hrishikesh, Yogi misses his flight leaving Jaya confused and
regretful however the way they interact during their stay in ashram in a room
with the common door, or meeting his first girlfriend who is now married and
calls him ‘bhaiya’ is beautifully enacted.
The second destination to
Jaipur, where they travel via vintage Fairy Queen train has some very quirky
moments, like Yogi getting down to fetch pakodas and accidently entering into
another train going in the opposite direction, while she really gets pissed
off, Yogi play cards with his co-passengers! Interestingly by now she has got
used to his actions, so she enjoys her stay while he hires car till the
destination. Another beautiful scene is where Jaya gets high because of the
sleeping medicine and her real uninhibited self comes out leaving Yogi highly
surprised.
Their
last destination to Sikkim is intriguingly beautiful because both of them start
feeling emotions for each other however are reluctant to speak of it On the climax, they finally nail it with the
famous and clichéd Bollywood dialogue in a defiant way “sath jeene marne
ki kasamein toh nahi thee”. What I loved most was the beautifully
executed climax scene where both of them get to meet/see their ex-lovers and
have this longing for each other, and then Yogi for the first time in the film
catches the same transport and confesses his love in very uncanny way.
Interestingly
the film seems very gender balanced at particular instances where Jaya insists
on paying the bills, sharing the expenses, asserting her decisions and Yogi
respecting her feminist attitude! Though it’s projected that he had past
relationships at the same time he gives her own space and time, also respecting
her way to drift apart. There are no forced notions of breaking certain
stereotypes or forced efforts to project that film is gender balance however it
flows which makes it more realistic and connecting!
On and
all it’s a beautiful slice-of-life film about solitude and companionship;
it keeps audience hooked with its irresistible charm accompanied by soulful
music and commendable acting :-)
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