Tamasha

The title, Tamasha,  is more of 'spectacle' than comedy.....so let's set that expectation right at the very word go

It's a story of self discovery and the tough and traumatic process of getting there.........and hidden right there is also the possibility of living life as a role, without finding oneelf....existing, as spectacle, because you choose to make it your reality.

Like Ved says...Dil aur Duniya ke beech phas gaya

Ved (Ranbir Kapoor) as a child is this endearing little boy, fascinated by stories. He uses up all his pocket money and even steals money, to go listen to stories told by an old man under a tree. He's mesmerized by the stories and grows up on them....Ramayan, Helen of Troy, Laila Majnu, Heer Ranjha....and that's the world he loves. He lives in his flights of fantasy.

The movie starts off in beautiful Corsica, France, where he meets Tara ( Deepika ) and the two decide to fake the week. No identities, no truth, no sex, no meeting ever again...no past, no future....just be. (but cupid strikes)

It's a week where they 'just be', ironically in a non truthful space, but where they are truly themselves. Only Dil........no Duniya.

So the first half you just enjoy the exotic and beautiful locales of Corsica, and Deepika's never ending legs.

Interval....and then four years of time and reality gone by, and you have Tara still in love with Ved.

Imitiaz Ali uses a really innovative style of story telling.....it has plenty of story within story, lots of theater, and some great music to elevate the movie to an intensity that maybe just dialogue could not have conveyed. 

While they decide they will never meet again, as Tara so beautifully says....'years passed and I did everything I needed to...work, party, friends, fun........but you were always with me.....I thought with time I'd forget, but four years gone, and I realized it's not going away......and that's when  I started to look for you'. (I simply loved the expression).

Ved on the other hand, has gone through life very differently. He has given in to the demands and expectations of life. An intense and sensitive child moulded into conformation, and it's so authentic and genuine, that he's transformed. 

And the rest is the story of his rediscovery of himself....a tortured and twisted process where he almost loses his edge, but he's protected by love, and comes through to a different stage (pun intended).

The stage is used as nice metaphor, Costarica, Simla, Delhi, Japan...and then back to the theatre stage.  In the end there's him, him as the story teller he wants to be, and his absolute gratitude to Tara for enabling him to find himself......  though dramatized. After all it's a stage......it's like license to exaggerate to make the point. But then who says he shouldn't and who even says life can't be an exaggeration. 

Ranbir and Deepika are brilliant in their roles, and while I don't see the movie necessarily going down well with all folks, for I guess apparent reasons,  it's good story telling and a soulful love story.

Matargasti and Agar Tum Saath Ho are beautiful numbers which just stayed with me

I'd say, go watch....... you'll either love it or hate it...but you should put yourself through it.