Review: Veer-Zaara (2004)

Directed by the late Yash Chopra, Veer-Zaara is one of the most critically and commercially successfully films to have surfaced from Bollywood in recent times. Chopra’s love saga won countless awards and it has been classified as one of the finest films he has made during his illustrious career.

Set against the backdrop of Punjab, the film is based on a gripping romantic tale between an Indian boy named Veer Pratap Singh (Shah Rukh Khan) and a Pakistani girl named Zaara Hayat Khan (Preity Zinta). The multiple interactions between the two during Zaara’s visit to India result in the genuine blossoming of love. However, there is one major problem: Zaara is already engaged to marry Raza (Manoj Bajpai). Veer is shocked when he discovers this and falls into a sea of emotion. Zaara loves Veer dearly but also feels obligated to marry Raza, due to her family’s wishes. Despite him later travelling to Pakistan to win Zaara, he understands the situation she is placed in. If Zaara leaves Raza to marry an Indian, she would be destroying her family’s honour and her father’s political career will also be in tatters. Veer then decides to return to India alone, but falls into a trap set by Raza which lands him in prison for being a supposed Indian spy. 22 years later, Saamiya Siddiqui (Rani Mukerji) comes to the aid of Veer as his lawyer. Hearing his story encourages Saamiya to do her very best to release Veer from prison and reunite him with the love of his life. You will have to watch this brilliantly crafted film to discover whether or not Veer and Zaara are united in the end.

Veer-Zaara is an intelligent love story that fully exemplifies the actual meaning of love. It is not religion or nationality which brings two people close together, but humanity. This is essentially the key concept which Chopra is conveying through the film and he has done this stupendously. It is one of few Bollywood films centred on cross-border romance and no other director would have been able to make it as potently as Chopra himself. In addition, the breath-taking cinematography makes the experience of watching this film all the more enjoyable. It also contains an extraordinary soundtrack which was composed by the late Madan Mohan, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. These include heart wrenching songs such as ‘Tere Liye,’ ‘Do Pal,’ and ‘Main Yahaan Hoon’. The only minor problem with Veer-Zaara is its three hour runtime. This causes the narrative to stretch out a little more, but does not dampen its overall impact in any way.

Khan delivers a phenomenal performance as the male protagonist. He manages to exude the precise emotions during particular scenes in the film, which adds much-needed conviction to his character. Zinta is equally brilliant as the female lead and no other actress would have been able to play Zaara as skilfully as her. She also looks radiant throughout the film and her exquisite costumes and jewellery only beautifies her character even more. Although Mukerji appears in just a handful of scenes, she makes her presence greatly felt through her emotional performance. Hence, all three actors contribute significantly in giving Veer-Zaara a precise look and feel.

Watching Veer-Zaara from beginning to end is an experience which you will never forget. The greatest films ever made are those which remain etched in your mind long after you have seen it. Veer-Zaara is one of those few gems that will have such an impact on you as a viewer. Chopra offers here an innovative film that contains substance and will certainly be treasured for years to come. Therefore, if you have yet to watch Veer-Zaara, do so at the earliest if you wish to discover a love story which has no boundaries.