‘Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha’ (2024) Movie Review - Neeraj Pandey Ruins A Fantastic Melodrama

As I walked into the theater to watch Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, I was greeted by (mostly) empty seats. There were nine people in the auditorium, including me, and since there was time to kill, I started coming up with possible theories. Did the people not find the title of the film catchy? Who has the patience nowadays to watch a movie named Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha? Titles of old Hindi films like Maine Jeena Seekh Liya and Ram Teri Ganga Maili instantly came rushing into my mind. We, of course, recently got Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, but that film has a "modern sensibility." If you watch the trailer of Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, you will understand that its tone seems reminiscent of a melodrama that audiences today criticize as "not cool" or "cheesy." But it's only "not cool" and "cheesy" if the filmmaker doesn't have the skills to pull off the florid emotional beats. You need to have an insane amount of conviction in your story, and Neeraj Pandey, unfortunately, is not the man for such a film. The main problem with Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha is that Pandey doesn't fully immerse himself in a material like this. He doesn't trust his instincts and surely doesn't think the tragic love story is passionate enough to do its job without unnecessary suspense thriller elements. There was a time when Hindi filmmakers used to do melodrama right by unabashedly pulling at your heartstrings. From the list of filmmakers working today, I will surely pick Sanjay Leela Bhansali, as he has "old school" instincts. Karan Johar, too, knows how to play melodramatic beats, but he spoils his films by being a people-pleaser puppy.

Pandey's flaws in this film are so obvious that they scream louder than the background music. They become very evident when Krishna (Ajay Devgn) meets Vasudha (Tabu) again after many years. The characters' expressions say, "Wow, I can't believe I am looking at you after a long time." We, however, don't believe that the characters are seeing one another after a long time. The culprit is the structure of this film. During Krishna's time in jail (when he is away from the love of his life), we get flashbacks where a young Krishna (Shantanu Maheshwari) is seen with a young Vasudha (Saiee Manjrekar). These past events obliterate the emotional distance in the present: We are never allowed to feel Krishna and Vasudha's separation. So when the characters meet each other as adults, the "long time no see" sentiment merely remains in the actors' expressions. If Pandey had gone with a linear narrative, we would have first observed the story of the young couple, followed by the jail portions, which would have kept Vasudha off-screen for long stretches. This would have effectively generated an atmosphere of longing and distance between them. Pandey could have made more improvements by giving Tabu the Jimmy Sheirgill treatment. Meaning: Don't show her face; only give us glimpses of her body from behind or through a hazy lens. If Pandey had followed this approach, the "meeting of couples as adults" moment would have also left us stunned and speechless.

Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha doesn't fill you with disappointment - it fills you with frustration and anger. The first half of the film works sufficiently well. The reason behind Krishna's punishment is very predictable (I guessed it after just watching the trailer). But leave that aside for a moment. Notice how Krishna doesn't start a fight during his "hero introduction" and chooses to stir up trouble only after learning he will soon be out of prison. Devgn wonderfully sells his character's angst and uneasiness. When he tells someone that he is not ready to face the world, you are almost able to touch the currents of discomfort in his words. The most marvelous thing in these pre-interval portions, however, are two sequences from the song Tuu. Notice how energetically Krishna leaves his house to catch up with Vasudha. His rush of adrenaline is not only palpable but also heightened by the lyrics ("Koyi Jatan Aaraam Na Aaye/Koyi Hakeemi Kaam Na Aaye/Teri Sudh Mein Jab Na Tadpun/Aisi Koyi Shaam Na Aaye"). Later, during the same song, Vasudha writes something on a piece of paper, and it ends up getting stuck on a clay pot, which is then hung into the air by a line of rope. When Krishna climbs on a pyramid of boys to retrieve the paper and break the pot, we hear these lines from the song - "Ghor Amaavas Mein Main Janma/Tu Poonam Ki Rain Mein Aayi/Main Gokul Ka Van Hoon Radha/Tu Barsane Ki Amraai." These sequences gave me a high that I have not experienced from any Hindi film so far this year.

M. M. Keeravani's music is one of the chief assets of this film. The other highlight is, unsurprisingly, the performances. Tabu and Devgn are as solid as you expect them to be. It's the young actors who manage to impress you with their screen presence. Maheshwari and Manjrekar represent unadulterated love. He is completely bewitched and excited, while she is self-effacing and gracious. We sense a loss of innocence when we shift from them to Tabu and Devgn. The actors are consistently fine, and so is the music. But Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha becomes progressively worse after the interval. Pandey starts believing less and less in his story - he keeps pushing himself away instead of surrendering to the movie's logic. He tries to come across as a "cool kid." Hence, when bad guys attack Krishna in the rain one by one, Pandey makes a joke out of this event. He says, "Look how ridiculous this scene is," by having one of the men slip. Towards the end, when Krishna's friend turns on the radio in his car, we get the song Ek Aisi Ladki Thi Jise Mai Pyar Karta Tha from Dilwale, which is an Ajay Devgn movie. This comic moment makes everything worse by converting Krishna's story into a big joke - it undermines the romance at the center. The only "movie joke" that works comes with Sheirgill's character, Abhijeet. When Vasudha goes down with Krishna to bid him farewell, Abhijeet confesses he is insecure. You immediately think about the reputation of another Sheirgill character from Tanu Weds Manu who doesn't get the girl in both parts. Pandey might as well be playing with us as well as the actor by throwing teasing remarks like, "Will another Sheirgill character lose the girl?"

The Krishna-Abhijeet portions are terribly shot. The chintzy lighting and the poorly framed close-ups put you in a cheap TV movie zone. Regarding the incident that puts Krishna behind bars, it should not have been used for twists and turns. This approach weakens the suffering of the characters. And by returning to the site of the tragedy thrice, Pandey further removes any sense of pain from the event. What's worse is that he, knowingly or unknowingly, produces humor from this tragic moment. Whenever we come back to that fateful night, we start with this line: "Badal mat jaana," says Vasudha. "Mausam thodi hun," replies Krishna. But here's the thing - the events undergo changes ranging from minor tweaks to major modifications. Pandey, alas, ruins a fantastic melodrama. He had all the necessary ingredients but failed to mix them with imaginative fervor. His idea of visual storytelling involves showing Krishna and Vasudha with an incomplete bridge in the background. Their love, like that bridge, remains incomplete as well. And why did Pandey include a thriller-like situation set in a foreign location? It is something you never comprehend. Did no one tell him what a mistake this whole sequence is? Pandey becomes his own enemy - he destroys his own production. He could have attached a short clip (his confession) after the end credits stating, "Dushman the hum hi apne, auron mein kahan dum tha."

Final Score – [4.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times