Jab Harry Met Sejal – A Journey to Find a Ring Turns in to Something More

I love this movie! From the songs, to the story and characters. I LOVE THIS! It received negative reviews and wasn’t a hit in India, but it did well overseas. And that is what you should know first. This may be an Indian movie, but it is very western in its structure and story. Usually you can be late for an Indian movie 20 minutes and still know what is going on, but here it starts RIGHT AFTER THE ADS! You HAVE to watch from the first unless you want to miss important information. There are still songs done by Pritam, so not so western, and as I said the songs are AMAZING! All different, listen to them if you can, the album is on Spotify!

Summary:

Harinder “Harry” Singh Nehra is a Punjabi tourist guide in Europe, giving tours to Indian tourists. His life changes though when he meets the Gujarati Mumbai living child-woman Sejal whose family and fiancé expect to find the engagement ring that she lost since it is an heirloom while they go back to India. She convinces Harry to be there to help her find it while they travel the cities of Europe hoping to find the ring. A journey starts for the both of them, but it is more emotional than they both had expected.

 

This movie is directed by Imtiaz Ali, one of my favourite directors. I love his movie Highway and it took me a while to warm up to this film because I wasn’t sure what I was going to get. But I am glad I watched it in the end because it’s a VERY GOOD MOVIE. Sure some will hate it or love, it’s an acquired taste unless you know what kind of story you are going to see. It’s NOT a lighthearted romantic comedy like the trailer tried to sell it as and many going in to it expected. Instead it’s a deep character movie where the journey is the main point of it, both emotionally and physically. It’s a movie that profits from many rewatches, so many subtle things one misses on first watch.

 

(Only song I feel like I can show in this without spoilers that shows what the movie is about without spoiling it, since the trailer is really misleading)

Shahrukh Khan as Harry goes deep in to the introspection, being sometimes outright mean, but then again he is hiding years of buried feelings inside of him. Warning to all those with men as their preference! Shahrukh is too sexy for his own good in this move! Tight shirts and buttons that are just short of him doing another ‘Dard-E-Disco’.

Anushka Sharma as Sejal just proves how good of an actress she is, her character development once you see it and have a feeling where it’s going, make it one of the best performances of her career. Her transformation is one all women go through and to see it realised is truly outstanding. As someone who is still going through this phase in my own life I truly look up to her character a lot, and know in the end I will be as brave and independent as her. ALSO PAY ATTENTION TO HER CLOTHES IN THIS! They tell a story all on their own.

The two of them are in the centre of this film and their chemistry is truly something special. This is an ADULT romance, not the epic teenage dream kind like Dilwale Dulhania Le Hayenge or the epic tragic love story of Devdas. The chemistry is ever growing, ever changing and in a way perfect for one another once you see how this journey turns out. Without spoiling I only have to remind you that it is a ENGAGEMENT RING that they are searching. So that should give you a hint.

Europe is also at the forefront of this. From Amsterdam to Prague and many other places this shows Europe as a real place, not as a Swiss alps fantasy or as the fantastical opportunity it is shown in other movies. There are good things and bad things there, good and bad people specifically and how it shows the NRI struggle is very real.

So go listen to the music and watch the movie. I have told you enough that you know what you are getting without feeling hopefully disappointed. Its still on Netflix and I highly recommend watching it because its truly worth many rewatches.

 

 

SPOILERS FOR THIS MOVIE ARE BELOW! SKIP TO THE COMMENT SECTION IF YOU WANT TO DISCUSS THIS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally spoilers! First of Anushka and Shahrukh are SO married in the end. The way they care for one another, love one another, it’s the way married couples do. This film hits me personally so hard because we all want that kind of love in the end, want to give it and receive. As a self conscious person I will know that someone will be perfect for me when I can be comfortable with them without a second thought or if I feel like I can ease in to that comfortableness with them since we are both going through the same thing. Also, if I can sleep in their arms heavily and not in a half-sleep because I am so high in the feelings in me. Sorry to get so personal, this movie really set standard for me in terms of what to know and how relationships SHOULD be. Especially those of a healthy nature, with both parties still having their faults and all. So yeah, nothing else except the songs below and my thoughts on them in terms of their relationship.

 

(This is what we all want. To be like ourselves and just sing like idiots to the morning sky together! A little teenage like in this moment of pure enjoyment)

 

(The in a relationship and dating phase treating her like a Queen as well as Shahrukh’s inability to not look at Anushka as he falls more and more in love with her! Her realising something that she cannot yet put in to words. The two are partly in denial because its so strange and new)

 

(The living together phase)

 

(Sejal comfortable with her body and feeling sexy in her own skin with Harry guiding her all the way. Also he following behind her with a string in his hand, very marriage ceremony Hindu style. Also synched whites for them both!)

 

(The “Oh shit I cannot live without this person in my life” realisation and phase as things turn serious. Also Anushka’s comfortable clothes that suit her and is now grown to be an adult at least in finding her own style)

 

(The married phase for them both from the small loving gestures to their closeness physically as well as teasing that is only for them)

 

(From a cocooned sheltered child-woman Sejal is now a full woman, a butterfly. They love each other without question and according to Imtiaz Ali this is their morning after (sex) song. Bright and happy in a relationship that they both deserve with a person they need and want to be with)

 

Thank you for reading! Happy month of Love that is February!