Imtiaz Ali's Laila Majnu 2018-2024- Reconstructed, Deconstructed

To summarize, in this film, Tripti Dimri's character takes a false oath on her father's head to deny her fondness for the Butt boy, but in the end, or in the progression of the movie, everyone dies except that guy. Well, that's not the only tragedy of this film. Read to know better.

Hi,

So, after much contemplation—actually, not contemplation, neither influence, but sheer lack of choice—I watched Laila Mjanu on Netflix yesterday. I shouldn't have watched it, though. No, the film is not bad at all, but the kind of involvement and intensity it leads you through, even after it ends, is crazy, and for that reason, I felt I shouldn't have watched it. 

I am having a major hangover from this movie as I write this. Yes, it is a good film. The reason, I have not watched this film despite loving Tripti Dimri in Bulbul is that I hate watching stories of star-crossed lovers, and Laila Majnu tops that list all around the world. 

If you ask me, this film is Imtiaz Ali's finest film along with Jab We Met and Rockstar. I never liked Tamasha, or Harry Sejal at all, judge me but I feel the failed projects felt less like Imtiaz Ali and more like some sort of project pressure, stars to be cast or so. 

This Laila Majnu is different, they are from the new-age, mobile-using lovers yet they develop a horrid and useless misunderstanding and spoil their life. You can also blame unemployment but hey, Qais dad was an influential man and despite loving his son, gets nothing but heartache and a heart attack. The main villain of the film remains Parmeet Sethi, who not on just one but multiple occasions ruins his daughter's life by emotional blackmailing. 

Well, I was a hardcore romantic and I spent the entire second half of the film crying badly. The end of the film made me yearn to hear its song again and again on loop mode, turning me into half Majnu, smitten off totally by Qais, played by Avinash Tewary's performance and that intense, love-filled baritone. I almost had a severe crush on him and went to watch a couple of interviews on YouTube to bring that crush down and really hope, that after watching this film, people esp youth should not glorify Majnu. 

What's your mobile number?

It is a tragic love story indeed but it is the only film where the post-credit song is a delight to watch and hear. The song is going to be on my current favorite playlist. I have already played it several times over Alexa and going to download it on my phone too. Talking about the phone, what is more, tragic about this love story is that while the makers made it a modern-day tale, I wonder how the mobile phones suddenly disappear post-interval in this movie, especially at the time when Qais is away from Laila. Their love story began and was processed via cellular, no? Qais could have spoken to Laila over the phone while waiting for her while you kept debating her mourning an abusive marriage despite being a firework, carefree woman in love and longing. 

Nevertheless, there are so many beautiful things about this film that you may let go of this logic to make the story flow. For example- the beautiful backdrop of Kashmir, the political or religious Neutrality approach, and the beautifully written and executed scenes. 

In one scene, Qais accidentally irks a group performing Namaz by passing by from there. He apologizes and confronts them for losing focus while remembering their beloved [Allah] when he didn't while remembering his beloved [Laila] and that dialog hits so hard. I could not stop clapping. Thankfully there was no one to judge me. 

The film has many such hard-hitting scenes and beautiful moments that I feel like watching on the big screen. In another scene, Qais is about to meet Laila after 4 years, and he is careworn over his appearance, that nervousness and the vulnerability with which he meets her is so beautiful that you scream, for his helplessness. You could see the pain so intrinsically that you want to be present there to help him heal, help him stabilize, and meet his Laila. Surprisingly, you do not see Laila in those scenes and wonder what happens to that carefree, rebellious girl who even after going through hardship, is still losing on him?

It is a legend so you can't blame filmmakers. But if you are a hardcore romantic, you must avoid watching this film as it builds and breaks your heart at the same time. PS: I almost re-watched this film again, today till the father-daughter confrontation scene. I do not have much appetite for emotional outbursts and tears, Pushpa, so I left the film there. Probably will download the songs soon.  

The film celebrates a legendary unrequitted love in the backdrop of a beautiful kashmir, in an opera, Broadway style. 

To make things light, a meme will follow soon [So you can revisit the blog]. Keep reading Numerounity.

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