Highly Disappointing First things first, I am a big fan of Imtiaz Ali's films. He's one of the finest directors of the last millennium, and an important name in changing the face of Indian cinema. From Socha Na Tha, to Highway, he has come this far because of the enjoyable and different movies.
Imtiaz's USP is the fact that he knows the youth and his films depict how young people behave and think in a perfect way. With Jab We Met, Love Aaj Kal, Cocktail (scripted by him), Rockstar, and Highway, every time his films kept getting better, and his audience grew fivefold each time. Then we were introduced to Tamasha, which was highly anticipated due to Imtiaz's brand, as well as the pairing of Deepika and Ranbir after a hiatus.
Sadly, Tamasha disappoints big time. The film begins in an interesting fashion, and the locales of Corsica set the pace right, and it feels like an Imtiaz Ali movie altogether. However, even there you feel the spark of Imtiaz's earlier films missing completely. There is no chemistry depicted between the characters and they suddenly fall in love in a few days. SHIFT TO India. This is where the film drops rapidly, and doesn't pick up until the last twenty minutes. I don't want to reveal much plot, but to be honest, there isn't any. This is the biggest flaws in the film that there is no narrative in the first place. It reminds you of modernist/avant- garde cinema at certain points because of the unusual and ambiguous characters, but you don't expect stuff like this in a commercial Bollywood film, so it doesn't work at all. There are times when you question HOW and WHY certain things happened, and those questions remain unanswered. I got the point of the movie, and it was similar to LOVE AAJ KAL in certain ways. However, the wonderful chemistry, emotional moments, and sharp humour that were prevalent throughout LOVE AAJ KAL was completely missing here.
Nonetheless, the last twenty minutes of the film were brilliant. It was the highlight of the film because of the style of narration, and Ranbir's performance. It was very convincing and gives a great message. But that doesn't do enough to cover the flaws of the rest of the film. I wish that the entire film was as well made as the last twenty minutes, as they were clear, concise, and entertaining. However, what went throughout the movie was neither. One sees VIVEK MUSHRAN after a long time in this movie; however his theatrical and loud acting throws you off completely. Even Ranbir's scenes with him were terrible (acting-wise) and served no purpose. Yes, one understands the confusion of the characters in the film, but what's problematic is the confusion of the film itself. After a point you have no idea what's going on, and why it's happening. There is no connection between you and the (bipolar) characters because of the lack of their development, as well as their constantly changing patterns. One of the most important factors is that Deepika was rarely in the movie. You see her in the beginning, then in some parts when the focus shifts to India, but after that she disappears for a long time. And that doesn't help at all.
Overall, TAMASHA is a big disappointment. From a director of Imtiaz Ali's calibre, one could never expect such an imperfect product. It seems like the script was rushed, and so was the production. You lose track of the flaws after a while because the film is full of it. Sadly, it is probably the worst film of Imtiaz's career. It might do well at the box office due to the great publicity, the Imtiaz Ali brand, the popular music, and the casting of Deepika and Ranbir.. However, it will be remembered as one of the weakest films by Imtiaz Ali. This one is Imtiaz Ali's JAB TAK HAI JAAN.
Sadly 5/10 (that too, thanks to the ending!)