Baar Baar Dekho is a sweet visual delight, even if preachy

At one point in the film, Katrina Kaif’s character, Diya Kapoor, says “There are two kinds of people in the world: drivers and passengers. And you, are a passenger!”, to her clueless significant other. This remark is at the heart of the conflict facing the two protagonists in this film about two people in love.  Baar Baar Dekho, is a simple story about the evolution of a relationship between the characters of Sidharth Malhotra, named Jai Verma, and Katrina Kaif. It does not pretend to be anything other than that, and therein lies its strength.

The story of the film starts with two childhood sweethearts on the brink of marriage when the groom starts getting cold feet. This leads him into an experience of a lifetime where he zips forward and backwards to various significant moments in his life. Since the film is in fact a sweet love story, by the end of it, all’s well that ends well.

The film unfolds slowly, allowing the viewer to absorb each beautifully crafted scene. From the background aesthetics to the music, the film is a visual delight. Not to mention the fact that the two leads are particularly easy on the eye. The futuristic visions are interesting, and the use of closed bridges and corridors to denote the movement through time is clever, even if predictable. 

Even though love stories are far from uncommon to Hindi cinema, the advent of new directors, in this case Nitya Mehra, and changing relationship patterns are making perspectives fresher than ever before. The story traces how, despite being in love through their lives, marriage proves a completely different ballgame for Diya and Jai. Jai is completely devoted to his work, leaving Diya to feel that she is entirely on her own when it comes to managing the house and family, finally straining the relationship to breaking point.

This is a common feeling among many women today. Perhaps the feeling has always been there, but  as women are increasingly finding their voice and asking for their better halves to meet them half way, this perspective is increasingly coming to light. The interesting part is, that the story does not put blame on any character, with each being  brought out as well meaning and genuinely interested in making things work. It is just that they don’t see each other beyond a point. That a female director has made the film is not quite the coincidence, since the film is essentially from the ‘female gaze’.

Sidharth Malhotra portrays the mathematical genius, Jai Verma, with sensitivity and honesty. Kaif’s Diya has relatively less complex emotions to portray, but she is quite adequate at what is required of her. She shines in the physique, dancing and dressing departments, however.

The only real weaknesses of the film are its somewhat preachy tone and a pretty much singular storyline. So, the upshot of the film is essentially that one needs to find work life balance. I get that and don’t get that. Of course family needs time but other things are important as well, especially if you are doing breakthrough work in your field. Therefore, a more layered take on this subject might have been beneficial.

All in all Baar Baar Dekho is a pleasant watch, just don’t go in expecting to be too emotionally moved or come out enlightened. If nothing else, watch it for ‘Kaala Chashma’.