Correction Appended
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To appreciate the Bollywood tear-jerker 'Veer-Zaara,' you have to accept the possibility that a morose prisoner who has not said a word in 22 years would, upon meeting a beautiful young lawyer who calls him by his name rather than his number, not just break his silence but also immediately pour forth more than three hours worth of his story.
If 'Veer-Zaara' were an American television movie, it would be embraced as fabulously trashy. For its home audience in India, this romance (with the requisite splashy musical numbers) is a Romeo and Juliet story about partition and tolerance; the heroine is Pakistani and the hero Indian. It is also a teaming of three of India's biggest movie stars, guided by the 72-year-old Pakistani-born Indian director Yash Chopra.
The love story, a long flashback, begins in Lahore, Pakistan, with our perky rich-girl ingénue, Zaara Hayat Khan (Preity Zinta), singing and dancing around the house like Ann-Margret in 'Bye Bye Birdie' about how she is never going to change her style for anybody. She is about to get engaged to a man chosen by her prominent, politically ambitious father, but she'll think about that later.
Meanwhile, our salt-of-the-earth hero, Veer Pratap Singh (Shah Rukh Khan), a handsome helicopter pilot with the Indian Air Force, is busy rescuing people stranded in the mountains. The two might never have met if Zaara's Sikh nanny had not died, exacting a promise that her ashes be immersed in her native India. When Zaara's bus crashes on her way to keep that promise, she is among the passengers Veer rescues. After an initial misunderstanding, he joins her on her sentimental mission and takes her home to meet the family (conveniently, it's a holiday).
Amitabh Bachchan is charm personified in a special appearance as the uncle who brought up Veer. In the course of one day, Veer and Zaara fall in intense, irrevocable, karmic-destiny-transcending love, although Zaara doesn't fully realize it until her hideous fiancé meets her at the train station. After that, the gods test the young lovers, things get ridiculously melodramatic, and people behave so nobly that moviegoers may want to scream.
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For once, that thundering soap-opera music (which makes a Douglas Sirk movie score seem subtle) is welcome; it drowns out any embarrassing audience sniffles.
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When Veer finishes telling his story, his novice lawyer, Saamiya Siddiqui (Rani Mukherjee, the film's third megastar), vows to prove his innocence, and the movie turns into a courtroom drama. During a recess, Saamiya goes off on a Perry Mason-style evidence-collecting trip, which yields a highly satisfying surprise ending.
Seasoned Bollywood fans will be in heaven, so to speak. Other American moviegoers, who find the Indian film industry's tastes a little over the top, may not be able to get past cinematic devices that seem shamefully obvious, but over-the-top is part of the fun. In Bollywood, a single musical number can move through a dozen different settings with as many glamorous wardrobe changes. It also seems to rain a lot during musical numbers (some strange Gene Kelly influence?). When Saamiya asks of the star-crossed lovers, 'What century are these people from?' she means it as a compliment. Yet the cultural assumptions of Veer and Zaara add a welcome element of freshness for American audiences. When Zaara's mother reminds her daughter that women always love fully, with heart and soul, she casually adds, 'Men don't have the strength to love like that.'
'Veer-Zaara' Opens nationwide today.
Directed by Yash Chopra; written (in Hindi, with English subtitles) by Aditya Chopra; director of photography, Anil Mehta; edited by Ritesh Soni; music by Madan Mohan, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar; choreography by Saroj Khan and Vaibhavi Merchant; production designer, Sharmishta Roy; produced by Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra; released by Yash Raj Films. Hamari adhuri kahani song. Running time: 195 minutes. This film is not rated.
WITH: Shah Rukh Khan (Veer Pratap Singh), Preity Zinta (Zaara Hayaat Khan) and Rani Mukherji (Saamiya Siddiqui).
FILM REVIEW Correction: November 16, 2004, Tuesday A picture caption on Saturday with a film review about 'Veer-Zaara' misidentified the actress shown. She is Preity Zinta, not Veer Zaara.
The story of the love between Veer Pratap Singh, an Indian, and Zaara Hayaat Khan, a Pakistani..
Genders: Drama, Romance, Musical
Countries: India
List subtitles for Veer-Zaara
As Veer Zaara turned 14 on Monday, Preity Zinta remembered late director Yash Chopra for making the timeless film.bollywoodUpdated: Nov 12, 2018 16:21 IST
Veer Zaara turns 14 years old. The film was a critical and commercial success.
Veer Zaara turns 14 on Monday and we still can’t get over Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta’s timeless romance that went on to become one of the most loved Bollywood films of all times. The cross-border love story of a Pakistani girl Zaara Hayat Khan and an Indian Air Force pilot Veer Pratap Singh left the movie goers in tears, grieving over their tragedy of love, separation, courage and sacrifice. The film saw characters grow old and kept alive hopelessly in love for 22 years, before realising the truth about each other.
Going down the memory lane, Preity shared a small glimpse of the film on Twitter and wrote, “Remembering Yash Uncle today as it’s #14YearsOfVeerZaara. I feel so fortunate to be part of this timeless, decent & full of heart film! Thank you @iamsrk, #RaniMukerji & the entire team for this unforgettable experience. #YashChopra #Timeless #Romance #Memories #Ting !”
Remembering Yash Uncle today as it’s #14YearsOfVeerZaara. I feel so fortunate to be part of this timeless, decent & full of heart film! ❤❤ — Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) November 12, 2018
Thank you @iamsrk, #RaniMukerji & the entire team for this unforgettable experience. #YashChopra#Timeless#Romance#Memories#Ting ! pic.twitter.com/2JYaUIj8QB
The film was directed by one of the most celebrated filmmakers – the late Yash Chopra. Rani Mukerji played the role of a Pakistani lawyer who fought for her client played by SRK amid all odds. Hema Malini and Amitabh Bachchan also had interesting roles in the film besides Kirron Kher, Anupam Kher, Divya Dutta and the late Zohra Sehgal.
All the songs of the film were super hits and are loved by the audience even today. The soothing romantic numbers like ‘Tere Liye’, ‘Do Pal’ and ‘Main Yahaan Hoon” touched the hearts of the music lovers. The patriotic number ‘Aisa Des Hai Mera’ and the fast-paced ‘Aaya Tere Dar Par’ had all the ingredients of a hit.
14 years later, Preity is now married to Gene Goodenough and is looking forward to her film Bhaiaji Superhit. Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan will be seen as a dwarf for the first time in Aanand L Rai’s Zero. The film also stars Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma.
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Veer And Zaara Song
First Published: Nov 12, 2018 16:21 IST
New Delhi:
Yash Chopra's Veer Zaara clocked 12 years on Monday and the film's lead actress Preity Zinta is reliving the old days by sharing a special post on social media. In the film, Preity played the role of a Pakistani girl named Zaara, who falls in love with an Indian Air Force officer named Veer Pratap Singh, played by Shah Rukh Khan. Preity shared a special video on her Instagram profile and accompanied the post along with an emotional caption. She wrote: 'Remembering Yash uncle (film's director Yash Chopra) today as Veer Zaara turns 14. I feel so fortunate to be part of this timeless, decent, inspiring and full of heart film. Its sad we don't love like that anymore.' In her post, Preity also acknowledged her co-stars in the film and added, 'Thank you Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji and the entire cast and crew for this unforgettable experience.'
Take a look at Preity Zinta's post here:
Veer And Zaara Songs
A post shared by Preity G Zinta (@realpz) on
Besides Preity Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan, the film also starred Rani Mukerji, Divya Dutta, Manoj Bajpayee, Akhilendra Mishra and Anupam Kher in pivotal roles. The film also featured veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini in special appearances.
Directed by Yash Chopra, Veer Zaara is a 2004 romantic drama, set against the backdrop of Punjab and Pakistan. The film showcases the love story of an Indian Air Force officer -Veer Pratap Singh (played by SRK) and a Pakistani girl named Zaara (played by Preity).
Veer Zaara Full Movie Hd
Veer Zaara not only emerged as a hit at the box office but also received several accolades including four Filmfare Awards and a National Award for the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. The film resonates with today's generation through its iconic songs such as Tere Liye, Main Yahaan Hoon and Aisa Des Hai Mera among others.
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