Even though you did not ask for a love story, director Neeraj Pandey brings you one.
A love story amidst life-threatening missions, espionage, and a world crawling with evil creatures—a love for which one moves mountains, travels countries and fights the whole world. If you’re expecting Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha to follow this high-octane formula, you’ll be surprised. This film is none of that. Instead, it is a straightforward story of love and all the ancillary emotions that stem from it—a story that many may relate to.
Written and directed by Pandey (A Wednesday, Special 26, Baby, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story), the film is a Friday Filmworks production starring Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Saiee Manjrekar, and Jimmy Shergill.
The plot revolves around Krishna and Vasu, two lovers who could never be together yet must find a way to move on with their lives. It is the tale of love, loss, longing, and acceptance. Albeit its predictability, Pandey brings a fresh approach to Hindi cinema, handling the story with the poise and maturity it deserves.
Pandey’s script is supported by the stellar cast of veteran actors Devgn, Tabu and Shergill. However, it is Maheshwari (Gangubai Kathiawadi, Tooth Pari, Dil Dosti Dance, Campus Beats) who steals the spotlight. He proves his acting prowess by fantastically portraying a young Krishna, who evolves from a love-struck boy to a man with deep understanding of love. Devgn, playing the older Krishna, brings his trademark composed and self-assured manner that audiences have come to love in his earlier films like Runway 34, Drishyam, Drishyam 2 and Shaitaan.
While the transitions between the present and the past are smoothly woven, the screenplay could have benefited from trimming some lengthy and repetitive shots to make room for some more storytelling.
The music of MM Keeravani, whose unforgettable score from the Telugu film Eega, beautifully infuses the film with a sense of sadness and longing, complemented by Manoj Muntashir’s profound lyrics. The visual effects, provided by Raj VFX under VFX supervisor Melvin Lobo, add a polished touch to the cityscapes of Mumbai where the story is set. The DI is provided by After Studios.
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha is a breath of fresh air amidst the violence and action that have become mandatory in contemporary cinema. With this film, Pandey revives the charm of watching a story free from plotting and scheming. Yet, it is far from a simple tale. Layered with the complexity of human emotions, this film is an ode to so many lovers to whom “life” happened and could never be together but never drifted apart either.
