There is one feature about Karan Johar’s latest directorial effort (also produced by him), Student Of The Year (SOTY) which I like: it has no pretensions of wanting to be the Film of the Year.
Everything about SOTY sounds unreal. The dramatic scenes are devoid of drama, the romantic scenes lack the passion, and the so-called sad scenes are bereft of any pathos. It is a big come-down – SOTY mein Kuch Nahi Hota Hai... Much gloss pervades every frame of the film. The dresses and the colours are picture perfect; Dadiji even wears a crisply starched saree on her death bed! One must not forget the tremendous energy in the songs created by Vishal-Shekhar, and the dance sequences which add generously to the feel of the movie. The debutant star cast performs well, and one can’t attribute it only to the genes – Varun Dhawan is the son of formula comedy film maker David Dhawan; Kayoze Irani is the son of Boman Irani, and delivers the only punch-packed dialogue in a speech at the end); and petite-looking Alia Bhatt is the daughter of Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan. The other debutant, Siddharth Malhotra, who doesn’t have any such linkages, also emotes well. K Jo has been a good teacher, but hasn't been able to put it all together. He also has this serious fixation with gays. In SOTY we have the Dean, played by Rishi Kapoor, having a crush on the sports coach, Ronit Roy.
If not for anything else, the movie will surely be remembered for its ‘Debutants of the Year’.
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