Jhoom barabar jhoom [DVD]

The film begins with a mysterious gypsy-like musician
leading the crowds at Waterloo station in London in a dance to the title song.
At the station, two strangers, Rikki Thukral and Alvira Khan, wait for their
respective fiancés. Rikki is a fun-loving Punjabi boy from Bhatinda who lives
in Southall, while Alvira is a middle class Pakistani girl from Lahore who is
more assimilated into British culture. The two share a table in a café
together and to kill the time they talk about how they met their partners-to-
be. Rikki, handsome but primitive in the Desi way, says that he met his
fiancé, Anaida Raza, at the HÃtel Ritz Paris, the same night that Diana,
Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed left the hotel to take their last journey
together. Rikki explains "When two lovers die, another two are born", as he
fell in love with Anaida that night. Alvira says she met her fiancé, the
dashing lawyer Steve Singh at Madame Tussauds in London when he saved her from
death by a falling Superman wax model. The encounter changed her life and she
was smitten by the lawyer who also helped her sue Madame Tussauds for
substantial damages. As Rikki and Alvira talk they begin to enjoy each other's
company and their different backgrounds cease to matter. They exchange numbers
and go to meet their partners. However, it is then revealed that they had not
gone to meet their respective partners. Rikki is in fact at the train station
to meet his business partner, while Alvira is meeting her relatives. As they
leave the station separately, they realize they are in love, but believe their
love is unrequited, each of the other. The two get in touch when Alvira calls
Rikki, pretending it was a wrong number. They decide to meet up at a disco
where there is a dance competition but both try to maintain the fiction that
they are engaged. Out of desperation, Rikki hires Laila, a prostitute, to pose
as Anaida, and Alvira asks Satvinder -- a mummy's boy/optician -- to pretend
to be Steve. The four meet at a club and take part in the dance competition,
while throwing insults at each other. Rikki and Laila emerge as the winners
but Alvira is jealous and storms out in tears. Satvinder goes to Rikki's flat
and tells him that he has fallen in love with Laila. He also tells him that
Alvira is not engaged to him. Rikki, realizing what has happened, goes to see
Alvira, who is at first moping in bed and later tries to convince her cousin
not to marry her. Rikki calls her from a neighbor's window. The film ends with
the mysterious gypsy musician showing how Rikki and Alvira invented the
stories about the non-existent lovers by taking inspiration from Alvira's
newspaper and Rikki's comic book. Review Jhoom Barabar Jhoom belongs to
Abhishek first and Preity next. Abhishek is in terrific form. It wouldn't be
erroneous to state that his performance makes the goings-on watchable at
times. A lesser actor would've fallen flat on his face in the absence of a
cohesive script. Preity is lovely and takes to her character like a fish to
water. In fact, the two actors make an attractive pair. Bobby is relegated to
the backseat. Also, would someone please tell Mr. Deol to chop off those
locks? Lara Dutta is confident, though she's not in the forefront either.
Amitabh Bachchan adds to star-value. He only appears in one song, flashed
throughout the movie. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is quite good. 'Ticket To
Hollywood' is the track you carry home. The title track is another foot-
tapping composition. Cinematography is exceptional. The film is a visual
treat. Choreography [Vaibhavi Merchant] is different, but Abhishek carries it
off very well. Aki Narula's costumes are smashing. --entertainment.oneindia.in