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Jhoom Barabar Jhoom
2007 film by Shaad Ali From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (transl. Keep On Dancing) is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic comedy film directed by Shaad Ali and produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner.[3] Based on an original story by Ali, with a screenplay by Habib Faisal, the film stars Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Bobby Deol, and Lara Dutta, with Amitabh Bachchan appearing in a special appearance.[4] Set in London, the narrative follows two strangers who meet at a railway station and invent fictional tales about their romantic partners, only to find themselves entangled in unexpected emotions.
The film marked Ali’s third collaboration with Yash Raj Films following Saathiya (2002) and Bunty Aur Babli (2005). Principal photography took place across international locations including London and Paris. The music was composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, with lyrics by Gulzar, and choreography by Vaibhavi Merchant.
Released theatrically on 15 June 2007, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom received mixed critical reviews. Critics praised its soundtrack, vibrant visuals, and costume design, but criticized the screenplay and narrative structure. The film emerged as a moderate commercial success, grossing ₹38.4 crore (US$9.3 million) worldwide against a production budget of approximately ₹27 crore (US$6.6 million).
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Plot
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At London’s Waterloo Station, two strangers—Rakesh “Rikki” Thakkral, a lively Punjabi from Southall, and Alvira Khan, an upper-class Pakistani from Lahore—await the arrival of their respective fiancés. To pass the time, they begin talking and end up sharing elaborate stories about how they met their partners.
Rikki recounts meeting his fiancée, Anaida Raza, at the Hôtel Ritz in Paris on the night Princess Diana died, claiming their love blossomed under fateful circumstances. Alvira narrates how she met Steve Singh, a lawyer who saved her from a falling Superman statue at Madame Tussauds, leading to a successful lawsuit and eventual romance.
As they continue talking, Rikki and Alvira develop a connection. Unbeknownst to each other, both stories are fabricated—neither is actually engaged, and each is simply at the station for unrelated reasons. After parting ways, they realize their feelings for each other but assume the affection is unreciprocated.
Seeking to reconnect, Alvira orchestrates a meeting by calling Rikki under false pretenses. To keep up appearances, Rikki hires Laila, a prostitute, to pose as Anaida, while Alvira persuades her coworker Satvinder Singh to play Steve. The four meet at a dance club, where tensions rise and Rikki and Laila win a dance competition. Alvira leaves heartbroken.
Later, Satvinder confesses to Rikki that he has fallen for Laila and that Alvira is not actually engaged. Realizing the truth, Rikki rushes to find Alvira, and the two confess their love. Satvinder and Laila also depart together, dreaming of Hollywood.
The film ends with a mysterious street musician—seen throughout the film—revealing that Rikki and Alvira’s fictional tales were inspired by a comic book and newspaper they were reading during their initial encounter.
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Cast
- Abhishek Bachchan as Rakesh "Rikki" Thakral
- Preity Zinta as Alvira Khan
- Bobby Deol as Satvinder "Steve" Singh
- Lara Dutta as Anaida Raza / Laila
- Amitabh Bachchan as a man singing at the train station (special appearance)
- Piyush Mishra as Hafeez Huffy Bhai
- Ameet Chana as Shahriyar
- Meera Syal as Satvinder's mother
- Sanjeev Bhaskar as Shopkeeper
- Sagar Arya as Neil
- Sudhir as Contest Co-announcer
Production
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Development
Director Shaad Ali began pre-production for Jhoom Barabar Jhoom in 2005 while working on Bunty Aur Babli (2005). Originally titled Sangam Mein, the film was developed as a musical romantic comedy set across international locations.[5] The screenplay was written by Habib Faisal, based on a story by Ali.
Casting
Abhishek Bachchan was the first actor to be cast.[5] Vidya Balan and Priyanka Chopra were approached for the role of Anaida Raza, and John Abraham was considered for the role of Steve Singh, but all declined.[5] The roles eventually went to Lara Dutta and Bobby Deol.[6][7] Amitabh Bachchan made a special appearance as a street musician who serves as a narrative thread throughout the film.
The film marked the first romantic pairing of Bachchan and Preity Zinta. It was also the first collaboration between Bachchan and Deol.[8] The film reunited Deol with Zinta after Soldier (1998), and Bachchan with Dutta after Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost (2003).
Filming
Filming commenced in the latter half of 2006, with principal photography in London, including scenes at Waterloo Station and other areas in North London. Additional schedules took place in Paris and Agra.[9] Choreography was handled by Vaibhavi Merchant.[10] A sequence filmed at Stamford Bridge Stadium was later excluded from the final cut.
Marketing and release
Marketing
The teaser trailer for Jhoom Barabar Jhoom premiered in theatres alongside Ta Ra Rum Pum, another Yash Raj Films production released on 27 April 2007.
Release
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom was released theatrically on 15 June 2007 across multiple countries, including India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark. The film was distributed by Yash Raj Films and had a runtime of 132 minutes.[11]
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Reception
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Box office
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom was released on 15 June 2007 across approximately 950 screens in India. It earned ₹4.47 crore on its opening day and ₹13.93 crore over its opening weekend. By the end of its first week, the film had collected ₹20.53 crore. Its final net collection in India stood at ₹27.27 crore, with a gross of ₹37.88 crore.[12]
Internationally, the film grossed an estimated ₹13.2 crore (US$1.6 million). In the United Kingdom, it earned £264,347 in its opening weekend and totaled £637,500. In North America, it grossed $770,000, including $455,257 during its opening weekend. The film also saw moderate performance in the Gulf region and Australia.[11]
The worldwide gross collection totaled approximately ₹51.08 crore (US$6 million). Despite a strong initial turnout and popular soundtrack, the film was declared "below average" at the box office due to a drop in collections after its opening week.[11][13]
Critical response
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom received mixed reviews from critics. While the film was praised for its soundtrack, production design, and visual style, it was criticized for its screenplay, narrative coherence, and performances.
India
Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama rated the film 1.5 out of 5, writing, "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom is all gloss, no substance. Body beautiful, minus soul."[14] Khalid Mohamed of the Hindustan Times gave it 2 out of 5, remarking, "With so much hair-and-there going on, the film could have very well been titled Jhoom Barber Jhoom."[15] Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com awarded it 2.5 out of 5 and described it as “a lavishly produced concert,” stating that while the film was visually appealing, it lacked narrative strength.[16] Baradwaj Rangan described it as “a wonderfully mad musical,” acknowledging the weak plot but appreciating the film's vibrant tone and lead performances.[17]
International
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 46% based on 13 reviews, with an average score of 4.3/10.[18]
Rachel Saltz of The New York Times described the film as "a giddy romantic comedy with star power," praising its exuberance and spectacle, though noting that the narrative took a back seat to style.[19] Poonam Joshi of the BBC called the film "engagingly slick" but pointed out that "there's no point to the story," criticizing the film’s overreliance on style over substance.[20] Joshua Land of Time Out commented that the film was essentially “a string of overproduced musical numbers tied together by a nonsensical plot,” calling it visually rich but narratively weak.[21]
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Accolades
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Soundtrack
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Development
The soundtrack was composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, marking their second collaboration with director Shaad Ali after Bunty Aur Babli (2005). The album features a fusion of styles, anchored in dhol-driven rhythms. "Bol Na Halke Halke" employs traditional instruments such as Santoor, sarangi, and flute, with Mahalakshmi Iyer singing in a lower register. "Ticket to Hollywood" incorporates hip-hop influences, while "Kiss of Love" is composed with an upbeat, contemporary sound. The title track, "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom," used during the film’s climax, is a high-energy techno number performed by the ensemble cast. "Jhoom Jam" is the album’s sole instrumental piece, blending motifs from the other tracks.[25][26]
Release history
The album was released on 15 May 2007 by Yash Raj Music in multiple formats, including music cassette, audio CD, DVD-Audio, and digital download.
Tracklist
All lyrics were written by Gulzar.
Reception
The soundtrack of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom received widespread critical acclaim upon release. Joginder Tuteja of Bollywood Hungama praised it as "an album that has chartbuster written on it in bold letters," noting its immediate appeal to listeners.[27] Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com described the music as "high on melody, entertainment, and attitude."[29] Sanjay Ram of Businessofcinema.com referred to the album as "positively a must-buy."[28]
The soundtrack was included in several year-end lists, including Bollywood Hungama's "Top 10 Soundtracks of 2007"[30] and Rediff's annual ranking of the year's best Hindi film music.[31]
Chart performance
The album debuted at number six on Indian music charts[32] and rose to number five in its second week.[33] By early July 2007, it reached the top position and remained there for two weeks.[34] Despite the film's mixed box office performance, the music continued to perform strongly.[35] By late July, it ranked at number three[36] and gradually declined to number ten by mid-September.[37]
According to Box Office India, the soundtrack sold approximately 1.7 million units, making it the fourth highest-selling Hindi film album of 2007.[38]
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See also
References
External links
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