Purani Jeans (2014)

In the present Hindi-movie scenario, if a director decides to make a film talking about young boys and girls in schools, colleges or re- unions then he or she is directly competing with an enjoyable fantasy world already established as the benchmark by the likes of Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar and more. So anything less than that is sure going to look pale unless it has something extremely important or novel to offer to its audience. And since PURANI JEANS neither takes you into that over the top glossy world nor has anything new to say with the same old 2 boy-1 girl storyline executed incompetently, it miserably falls flat and is not able to take any advantage of its few soothing songs too composed melodiously.Strangely opening with a sad sequence and a song right away, the film steps on the wrong foot in the beginning itself, confusing the young ones expecting an energetic start as promoted. Next it keeps moving at a very lethargic pace with no interesting build up, twists, tensions or great sequences to pull you in. Talking about a group of boys who call themselves 'Kasauli Cowboys', it has a sub-plot of a disturbed mother and a clichéd subject wherein the two lead characters fall in love with the same girl. As usual one of the boys is vocal about his feelings and the other is not leading to further complications with a sudden twist. Hence it has nothing which we haven't seen before and that too presented quite casually by the debut director Tanushri Chattrji Basu,who questionably chooses such an overused theme for her first movie.Actually certain scenes in the film force you to rate it as a immature attempt. For instance, the story is supposedly based in Kasuali but there are several Punjabi characters thrown in just for the sake of it, with a particular one even reminding you ofFUKREY's Choocha. The boys are taking sick oaths on sex, making comments on blondes and then also refusing to take the responsibility of a pregnant girlfriend, forcing her to abort. The amateurish approach can also be strongly felt when a voice in the song doesn't even match the character singing it on the screen and yet the young actors try hard to do their best in the given roles. However the truth remains that they still have to learn a lot in this particular field including the pretty girl, Izabelle who has got the looks but lacks the skills. The veterans do their job as required but cinematography and background score fail to lift it any higher despite being decent.In all, Ram Sampath as the music composer is the only winner in the film, offering some fine tracks and therefore its once again the same story like in the few weeks old YAARIAN which also had some good songs and nothing else. Yet to give the director her due, this is certainly one step better than YAARIAN not falling down to the level of being silly.

Purani Jeans is an effervescent tale of youthful exuberance, coming of age and eternal friendships. The story about "friends forever", triggers nostalgia and fond memories of one's wonder years and evokes a sense of déjà-vu. In the quagmire of nonsensical no-brainers copied and rehashed shamelessly from Hollywood/Korea/Tollywood/(and even Bollywood!), Purani Jeans, a completely original script, comes as a breath of fresh air. The director, ad film maker Tanushri Chattrji Bassu, in her first foray into feature films, skilfully handles the eternal and forever fresh theme of first love, teen angst, volatile emotions & misunderstandings and, timeless friendships. Tanushri skillfully weaves the idea that, "real friendship, like an old pair of jeans, allows the wearer to become totally free", into the central plot of the film. The story, moving through the 90's into the present, revolves around a group of five school friends at Kasauli, led by maverick Sam and reticent Sid, who is the protagonist of the film. The group, who call themselves "Kasauli Cowboys", are a happy-go-lucky bunch, who drift apart when first love awakens. What creates the rifts and changes the dynamics of their friendships, the lessons they learn over time, and the new bonds that form, are the essence of Purani Jeans. The songs, composed by Ram Sampath, are melodious, memorable and hummable. Dil aajkal (by both KK and Sona), yaari yaari and ye dosti leave one with pleasant feelings. The scenic locations of Kasauli were beautifully captured on film. Sarika, in a Maharani Gayatri-esque complex role, and debutant Aditya Seal as Sam excel in their roles. Isabel Leite, as a Kashmiri girl, looks stunning. Tanuj Virwani as Sid, appears in his second film. Rati Agnihotri reminds one of thespian Pearl Padamsee. Rajit Kapoor in a cameo is excellent. Sadly, the film has not been publicised in smaller cities. It is a film set in a small town, and should have been well promoted. I got to see this film by chance at Raipur, where I didn't see any hoardings. Debutante director Tanushri Chattrji Bassu needs to tell more such original and thought- provoking stories. My best wishes to her. I strongly recommend Purani Jeans to all those who have tasted the bitter-sweet fruits of first love and yaari-dosti.

Beautiful serenades, heart-rending nostalgia, reminiscences of youthful exuberance, twinges of sadness, touches of unspoken family turmoil, mixed with the eternal bonds of bittersweet love and friendship, served along with some adolescent fun & frolic - that is "Purani Jeans", a coming-of-age film written and directed by the young débutante, Tanushri Chattrji Bassu. The film revolves around deep bonds of friendship and love. The romantic drama, set in the 90's and 12 years later, reminds us of the youthful infatuations of our growing years. Old friends, who were a close knit group in their youth, calling themselves the "Kasauli Cowboys", meet once again after a gap of twelve years and relive their pangs of growing up. Tanuj Virwani as bashful Sid, the main character, plays his role well. Aditya Seal as Sam, Sid's best friend, is the epitome of youthful enthusiasm. He has a lot of talent and performs commendably. Isabel Leite as Nayantara, looks charming. The experienced Sarika and Rati Agnihotri have both acted flawlessly. The rest of the young "Kasauli Cowboys" all perform decently. Music director Ram Sampath has done an outstanding job. The melodious songs remind us of the golden era of Hindi film music. Excellent photography and locations have fittingly portrayed the picturesque beauty of the Himalayas. Despite the film being a wonderful walk through nostalgia, the film was not publicised well and thus did not earn the footfalls and eyeballs it deserved. This lack of publicity should not take any credit away from its new cast and the débutantes - director Tanushri Chattrji Bassu and producer Manju Lulla. All in all, "Purani Jeans" is a clean family film that definitely deserves a 'dekko' in its DVD release.

I enjoyed 'Purani Jeans' for its freshness in the face of familiarity, and a story that holds all the way to the end.Reminds us about our best friends and the misunderstandings.Denims and Dosti - Wear it, tear it. Colour it, fade it. Use it, abuse it - but it ain't easy giving up on it. Righto! That's the mantra of this famous five, who've outgrown their chaddi-buddy years (in small-town Kasauli) becoming young men who repeatedly swear by their 'denim decree' (Friends forever! Blah!).Anyone who has grown up with a gang of inseparables will instantly connect with these Kasauli Cowboys. The story is fantastic and songs are really good. That song "Dil Aaj Kal" is just fantastic. The acting was really good. the Hill station pictured was beautiful.