Madras Talkies/Dharma Productions
In director Shaad Ali’s Ok Jaanu, a pair of 20-somethings acknowledge their burgeoning attraction by deciding to live in together in Mumbai.
While the movie tells the familiar story of boy-meets-girl and the realisation of love that follows through romantic flourishes and gestures, it may be a handbook for avoiding the cringe that is often associated with love stories.
Here, we look at how Ok Jaanu achieves that.
1.
Make the romance dreamy, not the characters
It is hard for people to relate to a character drawn as a composite of the greatest romantic heroes. Your heroes are to be emphatised with, not envied upon.
And also, brooding heroes are now a passe. A self-effacing, better-than-thou hero who breaks into dreary monologue in every possible instance can single-handedly bring down the entire movie. The 20-somethings in Ok Jaanu are self-assured while being vulnerable, but not so to a fault.
2.
Tell your story like a local
A textured story demands a lot from its surroundings, more so in a romantic movie which has to stay true to the familiar boy-meets-girl arc.
What makes Ok Jaanu refreshing is its intimate involvement with Mumbai where it is based at. From the city’s notorious rains, to the BEST buses chugging alongside the aging Ambassador taxis, all the elements that make the city iconic are situated and tied in neatly to the story’s progress.
Romance does not necessarily grow stronger in picturesque locales and bucolic villages.
3.
The fine line between romantic and cheesy
All romance come with its own epiphanies, especially the slow but definite realisation of falling for someone. But while different heroes reach to the point differently, a sappy interlude almost always follows.
In Ok Jaanu, this realisation comes suddenly as their agreed-upon romance reaches its deadline but is only fleetingly touched upon. By doing so, it also avoids a major element that makes many romantic movies cringe-worthy–the grand gestures.
4.
Don’t only focus on romance
A story, even if it’s dealing with romance, involves many characters other than the two lovers. And even the romance itself is preceded and followed by many other emotions than romance. Only focusing on the heartbreaks and romantic flourishes make a story extremely manipulative.
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