Life Partner (2009)

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

I just have one question? How do they make money with this kind of garbage - This is Bollywood at its worst.The acting the OTT scenes - the rich spoilt main characters as per usual lately. I mean are all well off Indians behave this way? - I mean take some responsibility of a serious subject - the ending I mean, is laughable - what on earth are these writers/producers on? I carried on watching it (on DVD) to see how bad it could get. Gobinda is as annoying as ever and Fardeen (anyone know why he shakes his head as though hes got some nerve damage?) Fardeen and Gobinda are two prime Idiots who are trying to resurrect their career by playing their fantasies as playboys. Dulha Mil Gaya, this and also Money Hai to Honey Hai - very similar poor directing/story/acting. Every film seems to have a night club scene.Back to the film - it does not make sense at all - with characters changing their life long views at a drop of a hat and suddenly everything is great.Avoid

Rumi Jaffrey after the disaster GTGH last year returns with a family type comedy filmThe film isn't a comedy as the promos showed instead it tries to balance a comedy and a relationship based comedyThe film starts off with some comedy scenes but actually gets better when the characters get married and many of the gags work Tusshar- Prachi episode though straight out of TV serials yet works as it looks real while Fardeen- Genelia episode is also handled well though at times the comedy is too much The film however ends very badly as if the director wanted to hurry up the film The Amrita Rao episode looks too sudden and also the end looks too contrivedRumi Jaffrey seems to have improved a bit Music is okayAmongst actors Govinda works till he plays a casanova it doesn't suit him and also his styling looks made up yet he does a good job in his short role Fardeen Khan though too loud and winny at times does a good job in his role, he is improving Tusshar too though does annoy with his expressions in comic scenes does well in serious portions Prachi is a natural, maybe because of her experience playing such roles on the idiot box Genelia however goes OTT and shreiks so badly with her annoying voice she makes JTYJN performance look a classic Amongst rest Anupam Kher is okay, Darshan Jariwala is very good Vikram Gokhale is likable

There are different types of comedies. What the audience has been subjected to for over a year now has been the inane slapstick comedy that causes irritation, instead of evoking laughter. Subtle humor has been the hallmark of Kishore Kumar, Amol Palekar and Vinay Pathak's films. Then there are those comedies which may be witty, yet silly and genuinely funny at the same time. If your taste in such comedy could devour Partner and No Entry among recent examples, then acclaimed writer Rumi Jaffrey's 'Life Partner' will tickle your funny bone while also providing you with some rational drama that often jumps to melodramatic levels. Nevertheless, the film is better than one would expect….. Karan (Fardeen Khan) plays the lover boy whose love marriage turns him into a house-man of sorts, Bhavesh (Tusshar Kapoor) plays the orthodox Gujju who will abide by the archaic customs established by his conventional father (Darshan Jariwala) while Jeet (Govinda) plays a relentless divorce lawyer to whom marriage is the biggest mistake that one can make. In a turn of events, Karan marries his spoilt rich girlfriend, whose father's negligence in training her led to her disastrous experiments in the household. Bhavesh goes to Gujarat to find a suitable bride but ends up marrying his father's childhood friend's daughter Prachi and Jeet disappears from the screen momentarily. Genelia's disasters at home and excessive indulgence with inactivity frustrate Karan who is working hard to maintain their lifestyle. Prachi's father (Vijay Gokhale) is an open-minded rich Gujarati businessman who is deeply rooted to the culture but respects the independence and choices of his daughter. His principles are in direct conflict with those of Bhavesh's father and it leads to some realistic and likable scenes. While the film doesn't clearly take sides for or against marriage per se, it is Govinda's witty dialogue that makes you want to do so.The film is well written by Rumi Jaffrey and he successfully breaks away from the stereotypes of inane slapstick comedies to give us something more to reflect upon. The screenplay and editing truly hammer the film but the appropriate usage of witty dialogues draw correct emphasis on situations rather than those double meaning retarded jokes we have been subjected to.Pritam's musical score consists of a garba melody, Aage Aage that reminds us of some hit folk song and Kouke koyaliya which has been rendered in such a horrifying manner by Shreya Ghoshal that it bec0mes enjoyable for a while…. Only for a while. Govinda has not had been able to replicate Partner's success over the past couple of years but when it comes to a comic interpretation of society's stresses, there is hardly a better actor for Jeet's role. His performance comes with his trademark style of hilarious expressions, distinct dialogue delivery, one-of-a-kind dancing and exemplary comic timing that elevates a funny dialogue to a higher level. Fardeen Khan gives one of his best performances in the type of role that he is becoming increasingly comfortable with. Tusshar does not give one much to write about but he does justice to his character and he takes the joke on his sister and father in good humor! Anupam Kher and Vijay Gokhale are maestros in their business and therefore, as reliable as always. Among the ladies, Prachi Desai stands out with her convincing performance as a modern housewife yearning to break apart from the strange traditions that threaten to destroy her married life. While Life Partner may not be the best comedy of all time but surely, it is, of recent times. Worth a watch to rid the mind of all the hyped concoctions of the so called 'new cinema' and totally unlike many 'leave the brains at home' type Govinda movies that we have seen before. 6.52 on a scale of 1-10.

The basic premise is regardless of love-marriage or arranged marriage, divorce is the final destination for sure as much as death or taxes. Govinda keeps popping-in and out at regular intervals on the screen to prove his point, add fuel to the fire in the lives of couples and keep his chimney burning. The casting is perfect. Govinda reprises Partner Salman Khan. Fardeen & Genelia are well suited for the modern couple while Tushar & Prachi for the traditional. Anupam Kher was wasted. Vikram Gokhale had an extended special appearance. Darshan Jariwala gets in the skin of the character as orthodox patriarch.The songs are just about okay, Pritam should stop using too using too much of English language in a Hindi film. In his second outing Rumi Jaffery attempts a David Dhawan/ Priyadarshan. Having established himself with the credentials of a writer, Rumi seems to have a bit lost when it comes to wielding the megaphone. The basic flaw apparently is the slow screenplay. In addition, a taut job was warranted by the editor. The tongue-in-cheek humour was pretty much coming. It also takes a perfect dash of slapstick to strike a balance for a good comedy, which was missing too (should have taken cue from David Dhawan/ Priyadarshan). Having said that there is better quality of tongue-in-cheek humour on telly, so how do you make a movie stand a notch above? Abbas-Mustan as producers should have kept a tab on the proceeding.