NEW YORK....A stirring saga of emotions

I knew i was more than eager and excited to watch NEW YORK. I had waited for a long time to watch Katrina again on the screen. It was a movie to be watched come what may. And definitely it did not dissapoint me a bit in any sense. 

Its a movie which really shakes you from inside and really makes you ponder over all that is going on around the world. I never expected such a gripping and intense movie from yashraj. Definitely not from the kings of romance but anything is possible when Kabir khan is at the helm of things. Really i can`t find emotions and adjectives to put this movie into words. Anything else would be an understatement. Where to start from?? Performances? Story ? Cinematography? Music ? .. take your pick... This movie just sweeps you out of your feet and completely " brainwashes" you into thinking about the hardcore reality towards terrorism. Somewhere down the line the old saying that " Terrorists are not born, but made" comes out true. The real authentic detail is what makes the movie absolutely a class apart. The emotions and feelings of neil are beautifully captured when he goes to the american university for the first time. The clicking of pics of the university name is the first thing many indians and everyone does. Then comes the anxiety of trying to make some friends on the first day itself to feel secure and relaxed. Maya is a character tailor made for katrina. She is the gal everyone and anyone would like to meet in any unknown place. She has an aura of such an irrestable charm and friendly nature that you cannot do anything but to admire her. John is the guy who makes friends in an instant, hitting with them almost immediately. The 3 share an amazing rapport- having fun, drinking out, playing rugby, sleeping during the lecture. You just love the way they go about with their lives with the good thing that not much of an undue importance is given on their college life.. its NEW YORK and not KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI.. Just remembered my college days when we used to have names for everything under the sun... john and neil have it - for blondes i.e. MAAL, KATTO but i love TOTA... that scene is really hilarious.

9/11 changes the world forever and also how the FBI now looks at things. Framing innocent people just on the basis of their names and getting them into a trap from which they cannot get out is a job which i think they excel at. And that`s hardcore reality. That`s precisly the trap Omar gets sucked into and he is to choose between his job and his commitment towards his friends. Asked to move into Sam and Maya`s life and house to gather proof about sleeper cells leaves him with no options. The time just before the interval is the life of the movie when Sam describes his condition and life in jail of 9 months just on the basis of mere suspicion. It feels like a ton of bricks falling on your head and you are left with a sudden and urging emotion in your mind, heart and body which i can`t describe even till now. You are left with nothing but hatred towards the FBI who goes to such inhuman tactics to work towards " averting acts of terrorism". That`s my case...i felt like that. One WTC photo for your college course and the name of a person becomes your sole reason to " DETAIN" him ?? What you gave him ?? Those inhuman conditions in captivity, that slave like treatment, handcuffing him ?? What the hell... 9 months after this captivity who give a person 3 gifts which no one would like - stripping him of the dignity which he has, giving him a scar for life and making him loose his confidence that he is afraid of facing people. At this time you realise that in such trying times you really need someone there to support you, to hold you, to give you the support you need to rise again. The marriage proposal from Katrina to John is what every man would want from his girlfriend. Its a complete role reversal..... she`s bending down o one knee, proposing him for marriage....WONDERFUL....

The second half is what makes the story and the movie gripping. It really sets the pace for everything to come up. How ordeal of Sam is carried on, and how its to have his respect back just carries the movie and you forward. You just sympathise with this particular character in the movie who gets harrased regularly by the cops just because of his religion and name. And you also feel the pain when he has tears in his eyes when Katrina is body searched by the cops. Those pain and tears are carried away much strongly by the silence in which they are portrayed. Its not because of Katrina but by the way that is done in " searching". The suicide just leaves you broken because you can`t understand that who is responsible for this? The climax and the end really wrenches the heart out and tears do roll out. A friend who can`t help his friends to back out to safety, a police officer who feels helpless coz he cant do anything to stop the shots from being fired. A never forgetten shot where Sam and Maya get shot really brings out the tears in you..At that instance you think that why can`t you do anything - even though it is just a movie...Just why??? Performances are the soul of this story...everybody does his part to perfection. John portrays his part with ease, only he could carry out his part, he really brings out his character to life, really shows the torture and pain he goes through while in jail. A man scarred and nothing is in his hands. Awesome. Katrina is just superb...Give her any emotion and she brings it to life. She is just fantastic. She portrays various things - a confident gal, a mother, a girlfriend who is really touched by the happenings going around her, a wife who is trying to help her husband. She is just ravishing. WOW !!!!!!! Neil is also cool. Irfaan does his job briliantly. His role as an FBI officer looks like so real. He is the man who brings some comedy to the scenes. Music really puts everything in place. Every song has its own place. " Hai junoon" is all about fun and frolic, " Tune jo na kaha " is an absolute stunner. It really showcases the feelings of love and. " Mere sang" is showing the support between 2 people. The theme going on in the background puts an everlasting effect into the storyline.

At the end of the movie, the written credits and the story would make you come out of the hall thinking about many things because you can`t justify anything....and belive me that this movie would surely stirr you up from deep inside and the hangover would continue for more than just the next morning.... It deserves more than just 5 stars... A must watch movie for everyone....MUST WATCH !!!!!!!!