Teri Meri Kahaani lives by the “made for each other” principle. The film tells the story of two people (Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra) who are meant to be together, but are constantly pulled apart by circumstances. However, destiny has another plan, and across three lifetimes, these two people constantly (and literally) bump into each other, until they can find their happy ending.

Teri Meri Kahaani is one of those films I was looking forward to most this year, but unfortunately couldn’t watch first day, first show due to circumstances – much like the film! – but I found my happy ending yesterday and went to watch it. So if you’re late like me but are still considering giving the film a watch, read the Pros and Cons list to decide whether you should give it a try! And if you’ve already seen it, let us know what you think!

Pros:

(+) The performances. Both Shahid and Priyanka did an exceptional job in playing each of their 3 characters – considering all characters area from different time periods and each have different personalities, getting into each character must not have been easy. However, they both handled their roles very well – Shahid, in particular, shines in the 1910 portions of the film. Javed is, for sure, one of his better performances. Prachi Desai is delightful in her appearance, and Neha Sharma pulls off her role well too.

(+) Set design. The set design for each era has been done masterfully. In particular, the 1960 portion features a charming old Bombay, which, when coupled with the background score, made me wish I could have been around back then.

(+) It’s feel-good and light on the melodrama. Even with the themes of separation across three lifetimes, the film thankfully doesn’t pile on the melodrama, and instead allows itself to be just a feel-good film. Also, It’s not a reincarnation story, for which I actually breathe a sigh of relief, because I don’t think I could have handled the he-remembers she-remembers drama.

(+) The 1910 era. This era actually comes in the post-interval portions, which may seem odd, because then the sequence of eras is 1960-2012-1910 – but it actually works this way, because 1910 is by far the best era. Everything about this era is fantastic: characterization, acting, set design, Humse Pyar Kar Le Tu (the best song in the movie, and fabulously choreographed), and in particular Shahid’s shayaris, which are brilliantly written and which he delivers with aplomb. Now, this is the era I wish was a full movie in its own.

Cons:

(-) Too many dull moments in the beginning. While the feel of the 1960s era was wonderful, I found the characters mundane and couldn’t connect with them or feel much interest in their relationship. Since that’s the first era shown, it means the movie takes off at a slow pace, which thankfully it recovers in the post-interval portion.

(-) The script. While I like the concept of three stories in theory – and Kunal Kohli‘s way of telling it is experimental – the result tends to be a film that doesn’t have any real purpose,  so it can seem to be just numerous scenes strung together. Another downside is that there is very little time to develop each story,  so you don’t find yourself being as attached to each character or rooting for their relationships as much as is intended.

Verdict:

Teri Meri Kahaani doesn’t pack in quite the bang that one might want it to, but it’s still a good bet if you’re in the mood for a feel-good, light film. It’s especially worth it for the 1910 portions and the opportunity to see a lovely 1960 set-up of Bombay! (3/5 stars)