Review :

When a film-maker of the stature of Subhash Ghai makes a film, what do you expect? The ultimate in entertainment.

And if the film stars the two celebrated stars of today ­ Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor ­ it's like an icing on the cake.

So does YAADEIN meet the expectations of the viewer, who is waiting with bated breath for the drama to unfold on the big screen?

Yes and no!

Mukta Arts Ltd.'s YAADEIN, edited-written-directed by Subhash Ghai, is a love story set in London.

A brief character-sketch of the important characters of the film-

* Jackie Shroff is Raj Singh Puri, who has lived in London as middle-class man for 24 years with his beautiful wife and three wonderful daughters.

* Hrithik Roshan is Ronit Malhotra. Although born in a rich family, he is closest to his great friends, Uncle Raj and his three daughters, especially Isha.

* Kareena Kapoor is Isha Singh Puri, the youngest daughter. But she was given the heaviest emotional burden, particularly from her father.

* Amrish Puri is J.K. Malhotra, for whom all emotions and relations can be taken care of by one factor ­ money. This is his belief and he doesn't care whether you agree with him or not.

Let's begin with the assets of this mega-enterprise.

* Besides the striking star cast, the film has been shot at the alluring locales of London and Langkawi in Overseas and Udaipur in India. In that respect, it bears an immaculate look all through.

* Certain poignant moments in the film have the by-now-famous touch of an accomplished director. A few sequences between the father and his three daughters have been handled with the sensitivity they deserve. Another significant sequence that can be singled out is Jackie's outburst in the pre-climax, when Amrish Puri insults him.

* The film has an engaging second half. The post-interval portions are unconventional and the impact of the second half is stronger than the first, which is how it should be.

And now the flipside.

* The first half is bland in terms of content and entertainment-value. The portions are not as riveting as one would've expected them to be and the screenplay does not proffer anything innovative.

* The film can easily be devoid of a couple of scenes and one song at least. The final number, to be precise, can be done away with. Ghai, who's edited the film as well, shouldn't have been liberal with the length of the flick.

* Music has always been the trump card of every Subhash Ghai film and the music of YAADEIN is good, but not in the league with his earlier films like KARZ, RAM LAKHAN, KHAL-NAYAK, PARDES or TAAL.

Directorially, the Subhash Ghai touch is visible at several places. In the emotional sequences. In the performances. In the song picturisations. In the confrontation sequences. But Subhash Ghai, the director, is letdown by Subhash Ghai, the writer.

Though the story of the film is indeed different, there is not much movement in the screenplay in the first half. Besides, the narrative is slow paced in the initial reels, which takes the sheen out of the first half.

The romance between the lead pair should've been more passionate. In this case, the conflict stands on a cliched foundation ­ Jackie wants Hrithik to marry Kiran (Monishka), not his daughter Kareena, in view of the fact that he has given his word to both the parents and in their eyes, he does not want to come across as an opportunist who's using his daughter as a bait. Even the climax should've been more impactful.

Despite the flaws, the fact cannot be denied that the film holds appeal for the youth. It has a modern-day feel and at the end of the show, the feeling is pleasant.

Anu Malik's music is melodious, but the film lacks a hit score to elevate the proceedings further. Barring the title track, which has a haunting tune, the remaining numbers are commonplace.

Performance-wise, it's Hrithik Roshan all the way! Unlike other films, where the makers cashed in on his dance movements and physique, in YAADEIN he's been given the opportunity to display histrionics. This is the youngster's fourth film, but he comes across as if he were a veteran. His expressions, in most difficult sequences and situations, are natural and you can't help but applaud the sincerity with which he portrays the character of Ronit Malhotra.

Kareena Kapoor is immensely likeable and acts out her portions impressively. Jackie Shroff has a tailor-made role that suits him like a glove. He is natural in several sequences, but tends to go overboard at times. Amrish Puri doesn't have enough meat in his role. He is his usual self. Rati Agnihotri is wonderful.

Kiran Rathod is photogenic and performance-wise, is okay considering this is her debut film. Avni Vasa, as Avantika, is alright. Himani Rawat, as Sania, does not impress. Supriya Karnik and Anang Desai, as Hrithik's parents, lend adequate support.

On the whole, YAADEIN has an engaging second half that more than compensates for an average first half. The Subhash Ghai - Hrithik Roshan - Kareena Kapoor combination has resulted in tremendous hype for the film, which in turn has resulted in a historic start all over. Businesswise, the distributors of YAADEIN should recover their investment within the first three/four weeks, which will automatically classify it into the hit category.