Just Married
Film Review
Finally, in 2007 arrives a film where I didn’t wait for the interval, nor did I fidget around for the end to arrive; where the proceedings on screen were crispier than the pop-corn and the narration had more fizz than the Pepsi; where there is filminess to keep me engrossed yet it s rooted in enough realism to ensure credibility. Meghna Gulzar’s second directorial venture is - to put it straight and simple - a delightful film!
Although it has a shaky start (and I had feared that another evening would go waste) but once the lead pair are married off, it settles into a cozy pace, weaving in little nuances and moments, adding rich characters and embellished with subtle humor.
I am deliberately not telling anything about the story or about these bitter-sweet movies with which the entire movie is suitably filled up. In any case, more than the story, it’s Meghna’s warm script that endears the viewers. Some embarrassing and hesitant moments between the newly wed couple are so brilliantly executed that they seem straight off someone’s real life! In the recent past there have been several films on marriage and couples, and Just Married is easily the best amongst them!
Everyone has performed extremely well and I was pleasantly surprised by Esha Deol’s absolutely stunning portrayal of a diffident and uncertain young bride, caught in an arranged marriage that she hadn’t dreamt of. She fits the part beautifully, and in some scenes she just holds attention with just a slight shiver of her body or a cautious gaze of her expressive eyes.
Fardeen Khan is the second surprise - again, Meghna’s casting hits the bull’s eye, because he fits the character and under her direction gives probably his best performance ever. He exudes a warm confidence and comes across very affable.
There are a plethora of supporting cast - of which, Satish Shah and Kirron Kher are the most endearing; an elderly couple constantly bickering but deeply in love. They provide the funniest part and together are a riot on screen! Bikram Saluja, Perizaad, Sadiya Siddiqui, Mukul Dev and Raj Zutshie are all well-suited to their respective roles and add value.
Pritam’s music has been properly placed in the film, and of course, Gulzar’s lyrics are as ever full of everyday imagery.
The direction is unhurried and uncluttered. Like her father, Meghna has peppered it with oodles of metaphors. She has written the dialogues as well and they jell with the script. There are some portions that look extraneous and could have been edited out, but that s being overtly finicky. Also, like the start, she falters a bit in the climax, making it a wee bit too melodramatic and outlandish (involving a bus accident) but overall since the film held much interest, I’d let it all these negatives pass. It’s the body of the film which matters, and there Meghna succeeds!
Overall - Just Don’t Miss It Ever!
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March 17th, 2007 at 10:40 am
first!
March 17th, 2007 at 10:44 am
i liked her first film - filhaal (though it was slow and streched over the end) and it was essentially the same reason as you enjoyed this one - the small moments she filled into the film. the interaction of characters and the moments it creates is perhaps the most emnjoyable thing in a film. And every film need not have a great script, but filled with enjoyable moments, it can become a great film!
am glad this review doesn’t contain any spoilers…. coz i feel like watching it now…. btw, you caught it on the first day!!!
March 17th, 2007 at 10:53 am
Anks - Yep , true…and yeah i had deliberately kept out all film/script related spoilers, coz i want the viewers to enjoy the same as I did
BTW, i hv been catching up lot of movies on the first day these days ( I even saw Nehle Pe Dehla on the first day
)
March 17th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
DJ: What will be the civil way of telling you that you watch too many movies (esp when THE MAGAZINE is not paying).
Lets just say that I always wait for your review to decide.
And you were damn correct about honeymoon.
But last evening I was torn between By-the-director-of-flihal and long leggy missy and the evening turned out to be my “Temptation and Fall”
March 17th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Hi DJ, Thanks for the review. Good one too. Read Ur Village visit post. Looks like U have landed a dream job.
)
March 18th, 2007 at 9:17 am
wow this review is an A +. Must see then
March 18th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Wow! Didnt expect it to be so awesome as you wrote it..I havent seen many promos and I could have easily skipped it..but now that I read it..shall definitely watch it…
Btw read your review of Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd after watching it yesterday! Couldnt have agreed with you more..Liked it but could have been better..lets see.was fishing for movies to watch..Just Married will be next
March 18th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
Read you Village post & this one in one go. Either you posted this one immediately after the earlier one or somehow I missed it.
Anyway, this problem I have also faced - speaking Hindi without uttering English words in between. Hinggoing for dinnerlish is so ingrained in us now that sometimes is a big struggle speaking to a person who doesn’t understand English - you have to search for the exact Hindi replacement words for English & you stutter.. umm mmm..scrach your head .. & then the right word pops out ..:-)
Apart from the bumpy ride, short village trips are always enjoyable…
I am not much of a movie buff, but presently I do have started seeing quite a lot of them - so maybe see this one too…
March 19th, 2007 at 8:26 am
Dhoop - Bhai, yeh sab akele rahne ka nateeja hai
But thanx to the multiplex in Agra, its easier to watch movies, aur aise ek kshaam bhi guzar jaati hai…
Ha ha , so u saw those long long legs - they r good, if only the film was too…
Vidya , Prakash , Kaush - Yep, do watch it . I am surprised that the reviews are all bad - i was actually pretty shocked to see Nikhat Kazmi (TOI)’s disparaging review - it was as if she had some personal axe to grind with Meghna… all the points she wrote hv logical answers in the film itself! Dekhlo, phir discuss kar lenge…
Navjot - I posted them one after the other in quick succession, that’s why both came on together
March 19th, 2007 at 8:42 am
Ya I just read a dissappointing review on IndiaFM
http://indiafm.com/movies/review/12952/index.html
now I really gotta watch it to discuss
March 19th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Mai kab movie jaa paoonga? Don’t want to watch them on CD, and can’t got to thatere because of Aryan
March 19th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Bole toh yeh movie dheekne padegi
March 20th, 2007 at 9:38 am
Kaushi - Yeah the same story repeated on Rediff, TOI etc.
Manish - LOL, maybe u could wait for the sequel - ‘Just Fathered’
Mehak - So its back to the same ol’city for you, and Forum Mall, I guess
Yep, do watch it and lemme know..
March 20th, 2007 at 11:37 am
had a lot to catch up here. for me the entire world is filled with numbers, excel sheets and calculations, reading these posts was a good break.
March 20th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Yaar sachi mein…ppl here are crazy about FORUM.
March 21st, 2007 at 7:07 am
The movie was ok ! Much better than the rest of the season…
March 21st, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Pyaar ke Side Effects, Shadi se Pahele, Vivah, Just Married, Honeymon Pvt. Ltd. Pata nahin aur kya kya
Lagta hai bahar aa gai such filmon ki..
Yet to watch.
March 21st, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Was going to shun this movie for it’s ‘thanda’ cast & trailers didnt evoke enough excitement…but will probably see this on your recommendation
March 21st, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Hi DJ
Its been a long time since I visited blogsphere ! Some problems with accessing the site etc. Today I took time and read your entire story…I liked it a lot…the one thing that struck me was that appearances can be deceptive 
Read your reviews as well…here’s my two cents’ worth about your reviews… Nishabd 
))))))))))))))) Just Married…although people I know are advising me against it, your review is pushing me towards watching it. Ahhhh…feels good to be back after such a long break 
March 22nd, 2007 at 9:31 am
Priyangini - Yep dont work too hard
and hope u survive this March as well. Waiting for ur full fledged return…
Mehak - Ha ha , i know, that’s y i know the name as well, without ever going to Bangalore.
Prakash - Good u liked it … and as u said, much better than the rest of this season…wonder y every review is hell bent on thrashing it…
Juneli - The marriage season is on in Bollywood films
Pratik - Warm welcome here
And yeah, the reviews hv all been bad, but i found the movie enjoyable. Do watch it and let me know…
Zoya - And its great to see you back here
And many thanks for reading the story - i m mighty pleased 
About Just Married, as i hv said in several comments above and in the review, it is a mystery y everyone is running it down. It isnt a classic or the greatest movie ever made, but its pretty entertaining and passes ur time extremely well.
March 22nd, 2007 at 10:43 am
ohhh sachi…u’ve not been to b’lore aur Forum ke charche sunne hai…thats amazing…its smaller than most malls in Ggn & Noida…
btw, b’lore ke traffic aur roads ke kahaaniya sunne hai kya??
March 22nd, 2007 at 11:05 am
Mehak - Bilkul, traffic congestion ke baare mein bhi suna, but also heard that despite the mass its still better managed than most cities…
March 22nd, 2007 at 11:38 am
ha ha ha ha….DJ bahut hasse aa rahe hai…yeh baat kaha se sunn le….better managed..you have to come here to believe this statement…chalo phir ab jaldi se b’lore ka trip banao.
March 22nd, 2007 at 11:41 am
I should stop my b’lore cribbing now.
March 22nd, 2007 at 11:44 am
Mehak - Probably the guy was comparing it to Agra’s traffic
ha ha … let’s see when i can come to B’lore…koi naukri hai wahan pe ? 
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Sirf Naukriyaan he hai yaha par…nothing else.
March 24th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
LOL @ bangalore cribbing
I guess… Mehak hasn’t visited Mumbai….
July 17th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
[…] He also reviews Just Married posted at Random Expressions, he says “In the recent past there have been several films on marriage and couples, and Just Married is easily the best amongst them!” […]