On the surface, this movie is a fun-filled breath of fresh air. Fantastic starcast!!! Spain has been captured absolutely beautifully, and its culture has been shown very respectfully from the Tomatino festival to the bull race. It is refreshing to see brand new locales never shown in Bollywood with a down-to-earth yet glamorous starcast. Music is terrific as well.

Each character and dialog has been penned with great consideration, and I am sure they are captured from real life. One can easily relate to the camaraderie among the three friends whether it be their silly, nonsensical inside jokes, impromptu fun-filled moments, or moments of pain and joy that strengthen their bonds, reminding one of his/her own most sincere friendships. Farhan's character's poems are delightful. The movie has been directed magnificently. There are some amazing scenes, my favorite being Hrithik's becoming inundated with feelings after his deep-sea diving adventure. Performances are great by all, but Hrithik is the most impressive. Katrina also suited the role wonderfully.

However, dig deeper and take a step back, and you'll see a brilliant, thought-provoking, and excellently written film. While we are familiar with the Carpe Diem theme, we have never seen it embraced so wholeheartedly and taken so literally as it has been in this movie. As India's economy and mindset continues to liberalize, we see the birth and emergence of the carefree individual. There are numerous instances and decisions that display this attitude. The one that stands out is Abhay's decision to cancel his marriage despite the fact that both he and his fiancé like each other, he has proposed, and both families are involved. Another is Naseerudin Shah's dismissive attitude of his actions when he was young and his running away from his responsibilities for his artistic pursuits. Farhan and Hrithik have a one-night stand not knowing if they will see their partners in the future. All these incidents are not at all shown in a negative light. On the contrary, they are shown as a part of life that one should have the courage to accept so that each person can live his/her dream.

ZNMD captures this mindset prevalent among the youth in India's metros and showcases it on a such a grand scale, which is surely going to accelerate this new attitude as it permeates throughout India. I believe this is going to make this a cult film to remember, which can join names like 3 Idiots, Taare Zameen Par, Udaan, and Wake Up Sid. I personally find it fascinating to see history repeating itself, with India's cultural revolution an uncanny déjà vu of 1960s America, which also had its share of cult films. (Some films to check out include The Graduate and Pleasantville.)

On the whole, this idea of living each day as it is your last, not caring about what others will say, do, or think and pursuing your dreams without worrying about the consequences is encouraged. Some may find this thinking too radical and irresponsible, while others will find it liberalizing and enlightening. Purists and conservatives might find this movie disturbing.

Zoya Akhtar's Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, through the lives of three friends, presents the world of contemporary Indian youth, who are successful, affluent yuppies. They just enjoy life because financially they have the means to do it. In mood and execution the film is very modern, light, yet it entails complex relationships in family and between friends. Essentially, in this regard, it has an uncanny resemblance to Dil Chahta Hai, though it's an altogether different film. The movie is non-sentimental and realistic, but it is emotional, and surprisingly enough, quite poetic. The dialogue by Farhan Akhtar is for the most part excellent.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is captivating, interesting and entertaining, and it captures the beauty of Spain with great mastery. At times this presentation is too perfect, but then it's a movie so that's what audiences want to see. It is beautifully shot, with an excellent cinematography working in its favour. The background score is very good, and the songs are very fun and catchy. All these aspects create a lyrical tone that is very uplifting to watch. Some scenes are just amazingly captured. The one when the guys get out of the water after diving, is pure magic. So is the one which shows them skydiving.

The film is definitely not flawless, at least from my point of view. The main moral of the story, that life is only once and one should live it to the fullest, is successfully conveyed, generally speaking, but then at times it becomes over-repetitive and saccharine. Towards the second half, it looks like it tries hard to be inspiring and feels too larger-than-life, which it out of place in a film trying to portray realism. The ending is one such instance. Similarly, the friendship between the three leads, which is generally done well, often lacks the natural, understated camaraderie it requires (not because they fight, but in spite of it).

Hrithik Roshan finally works as part of an ensemble cast where he doesn't have to carry a film all alone. He plays an imperfect man who grows as a character, and he does it ably. Farhan Akhtar is for the first time convincing and he's natural and enjoyable in a meaty role. Abhay Deol, as the flamboyant, playful guy who's unsure of whether he does or does not want to marry yet, is likable but still a bit of a disappointment. Deol is according to me the best actor of the three, based on what I've seen before, but in this film his character often lets him down--a sad case of weak writing--as it lacks true complexity.

I never thought I'd say that, but Katrina Kaif is surprisingly effective and natural, and her part is actually very well written. Laila is lovely, kind, radial and, probably more importantly, is of mixed ethnicity, which makes her line delivery and accent justifiable and credible in this film. This may be the benefit, as it eases the work for Kaif, who, instead of focusing on her accent and Hindi line delivery (which was anyway poor),can for one concentrate on the character. She is never great, but she is good. Kalki is better in a smaller part. Speaking of small parts, Naseeruddin Shah and Deepti Naval, in just two brief scenes each, shine.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara does partially bring forth another step in Hindi cinema's growth and departure from popular convention. It is thoroughly enjoyable, it has both style and substance, and though in my opinion it is nowhere an extraordinary film and is far from being really great, it is still a worthy and appreciable effort about living life to the fullest and cherishing every moment of it. Worth watching.

I have seen the film this morning and all the efforts put in are worth the movie. As expected, this is a good movie about grown up men and their emotional problems, which is naturally expected from the team that gave us Dil Chahta Hai and Rock On.

A group of three friends (Hrithik, Abhay Deol and Farhan Akhtar) embark on a road trip in Spain as a part of a bachelor party for Abhay Deol, who is getting married to Kalki, and confused. Hritik and Farhan have their own personal issues too.

The movie is a joy ride with subtle comedy. Farhan Akhtar's comic timing is impeccable. The comedy that was written just out of a ladies hand bag is too good.

The wafer thin story line is beautifully put on screen with a superb screenplay. The performances are nothing less than your expectations with Hritik in the ensemble. Deepti Naval and Naseeruddin Shah add up to the list of artists.

The movie portrays very heavy topics like marriage, love and Work. Yet, due to the sublime comedy you are never bored. I guess that is a mark of excellent script.

Here is one line I want to pick up from this movie. Kalki says this line to Abhay Deol, her fiancé. "You enjoy your bachelor trip. Aakhir shaadi ke baad you wouldn't feel like going around with your friends any more." And you should see the expressions on the faces of the three guys...

And yes, La Tomatina festival, Spainish beaches, and Katrina Kaif were a treat to watch.