Jab Harry Met Sejal (JHMS) starring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma opened in theatres on Friday, August 4. The movie has received mixed response from Bollywood critics.
A certain section of the critics say the movie is entertaining throughout the runtime and will leave viewers in splits. While Shah Rukh looks charming as Harry in the Punjabi look, Anushka's innocent character as Sejal with Gujarati accent makes it a hilarious watch. The picturesque locations in the movie are a visual treat, they said.
On the other hand, a few claim it is a complicated love story that loses its connect with the audience in the second half.
Jab Harry Met Sejal: Fans can now interact with Harry on Facebook in the newly introduced chatbot
Jab Harry Met Sejal has Shah Rukh play a Punjabi guide, Harvinder Singh Nehra aka Harry, while Anushka essays the role of a Gujarati woman, Sejal. They meet during their trip to Europe and what follows is their love story, which forms the crux of the film.
The romantic comedy has been making tremendous buzz since it stars the Badshah of Bollywood, Shah Rukh. Besides the mini trailers, the unique promotional strategies by the makers have raised the curiosity among millions of SRK fans worldwide.
Jab Harry Met Sejal marks the first time collaboration of SRK and director Imtiaz Ali. Shah Rukh and Anushka have, however, worked together in two movies - Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - in the past.
Check the trailer of Jab Harry Met Sejal below:
Check Jab Harry Met Sejal reviews by Bollywood critics:
Anita Iyer of Khaleej Times said: "Being an Imtiaz Ali film, there is a 'sufiness' to the love story that he is known for. But his movies are also known for complicated contemporary love and that is when the audience loses connect in 'JHMS'. If there is anything we know about Imtiaz Ali's love stories, it is that they are not for everyone. So, if you are a fan of the leading actors or have a Sufi heart, go watch this movie."
Manjusha Radhakrishnan of Gulf News said: "While it's delightful to watch Khan in the first half, his intense love-lorn turn in the second half weigh the film down. The climax isn't ground-breaking and is studded with corny, saccharine dialogues between two lovers. However, the cinematography that highlights the beauty of a handful European countries is pleasing to watch. Watch this film if you are strictly a Shah Rukh Khan or Anushka Sharma fan. Others will hesitate to put a ring on this romantic comedy."
Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV said: "Jab Harry Met Sejal is cinema's equivalent of a shiny bauble that glitters wholly in vain. Watch it only if you fancy a vicarious romp through Europe with an off-colour megastar trying hard to get going."
Rohit Bhatnagar of Deccan Chronicle said: "Looks like Shah Rukh Khan has completely lost the track of his films. Dilwale, Fan, Raees and now Jab Harry Met Sejal. This film is purely for a newcomer, you can't expect a film like this with the so-called 'king of romance' in it, especially in 2017. Each time he can't pair up with a beautiful girl who is half his age and romance her in Switzerland. Even the audiences have become so damn smart that they seek content and not stars. Anushka Sharma, who plays this bubbly Gujarati girl in the film, is good but in bits and pieces."
Meena Iyer of Times Of India said: "The journey from Netherlands to Nur Mahal treats you to an opera, pole-dancing and SRK in every frame. Despite it all, you're tempted to tell the filmmaker that the script of this travelogue that seems to have gone missing, could perhaps be languishing in his own backyard."
Swetha Ramakrishnan of Firstpost said: "If you're a fan of Anushka and Shah Rukh Khan, you will love Jab Harry Met Sejal. But if you're a fan of Imtiaz Ali, you will yearn for the depth he showed in Tamasha and Rockstar. And you won't find it reflected in JHMS. But that doesn't mean Jab Harry Met Sejal is a disappointment. Just don't go in with any expectations, good or bad, and you should (more or less) have a whale of a time."
IANS: "Jab Harry Met Sejal has a few genuinely 'cool' encounters between the lovers. But these are too spaced out and too far in-between to engage us in the couple's destined marriage. What clutters the corridors of this posh-looking touristic 'vilaayat-darshan' are the winking flirty exchanges which lead nowhere. A big disappointment for both the fans of Shah Rukh Khan and Imtiaz Ali. They both need to think about what to do next. In separate rooms, please."
Stay tuned for more updates.
