On the surface, this movie is a fun-filled breath of fresh air. Fantastic starcast!!! Spain has been captured absolutely beautifully, and its culture has been shown very respectfully from the Tomatino festival to the bull race. It is refreshing to see brand new locales never shown in Bollywood with a down-to-earth yet glamorous starcast. Music is terrific as well.
Each character and dialog has been penned with great consideration, and I am sure they are captured from real life. One can easily relate to the camaraderie among the three friends whether it be their silly, nonsensical inside jokes, impromptu fun-filled moments, or moments of pain and joy that strengthen their bonds, reminding one of his/her own most sincere friendships. Farhan's character's poems are delightful. The movie has been directed magnificently. There are some amazing scenes, my favorite being Hrithik's becoming inundated with feelings after his deep-sea diving adventure. Performances are great by all, but Hrithik is the most impressive. Katrina also suited the role wonderfully.
However, dig deeper and take a step back, and you'll see a brilliant, thought-provoking, and excellently written film. While we are familiar with the Carpe Diem theme, we have never seen it embraced so wholeheartedly and taken so literally as it has been in this movie. As India's economy and mindset continues to liberalize, we see the birth and emergence of the carefree individual. There are numerous instances and decisions that display this attitude. The one that stands out is Abhay's decision to cancel his marriage despite the fact that both he and his fiancé like each other, he has proposed, and both families are involved. Another is Naseerudin Shah's dismissive attitude of his actions when he was young and his running away from his responsibilities for his artistic pursuits. Farhan and Hrithik have a one-night stand not knowing if they will see their partners in the future. All these incidents are not at all shown in a negative light. On the contrary, they are shown as a part of life that one should have the courage to accept so that each person can live his/her dream.
ZNMD captures this mindset prevalent among the youth in India's metros and showcases it on a such a grand scale, which is surely going to accelerate this new attitude as it permeates throughout India. I believe this is going to make this a cult film to remember, which can join names like 3 Idiots, Taare Zameen Par, Udaan, and Wake Up Sid. I personally find it fascinating to see history repeating itself, with India's cultural revolution an uncanny déjà vu of 1960s America, which also had its share of cult films. (Some films to check out include The Graduate and Pleasantville.)
On the whole, this idea of living each day as it is your last, not caring about what others will say, do, or think and pursuing your dreams without worrying about the consequences is encouraged. Some may find this thinking too radical and irresponsible, while others will find it liberalizing and enlightening. Purists and conservatives might find this movie disturbing.
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