Ashutosh Gowariker’s epics “Lagaan” (2001) and “Jodhaa Akbar” (2008) take their time — 224 and 213 minutes — to tell rousing tales of Indian heroics.
His new movie, “What’s Your Raashee?” (“What’s Your Sun Sign?”), an adaptation of a Gujarati novel by Madhu Rye, is epic in length only. A romantic comedy set in Mumbai, it clocks in at 195 minutes. That’s about two “Lady Eves” or almost nine 22-minute sitcoms. Then again, “Raashee” has the entire zodiac to cover.
Yogesh (Harman Baweja), a University of Chicago M.B.A. and part-time D.J., has a mission: marry as soon as possible to receive an inheritance and bail out his bumbling brother. Plan: meet a woman from each sign and choose one. There’s a college girl, a microbiologist, a beauty who has broken “the boundaries of virtue,” a take-no-prisoners businesswoman, and so on. Priyanka Chopra plays all 12 and manages to make each distinct (if, inevitably, sketchy). She’s the best thing about the movie.
The formula of 12 women, 12 dates (and about 12 song-and-dance routines), has a built-in tedium. Mr. Gowariker, in no hurry, throws in a couple of subplots too.
And what does Yogesh want? As played by Mr. Baweja, he’s an amiable blank, waiting for love to strike. He connects with the Virgo, a doctor who takes him on her rounds in a village, but he rejects her because she doesn’t want to move to Chicago with him. You can make oodles of money as a specialist in America, he tells her. My work is here, she says.
At this point, a good Hindi-movie hero ought to stop and examine his values. Not Yogesh. He just moves on to Taurus.
WHAT’S YOUR RAASHEE?
Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker; written by Naushil Mehta and Mr. Gowariker, based on the novel “Kimball Ravenswood” by Madhu Rye; director of photography, Piyush Shah; edited by Ballu Saluja; music by Sohail Sen; lyrics by Javed Akhtar; art director, Nitin Chandrakant Desai; produced by Ronni Screwvala and Sunita A. Gowariker; released by UTV Motion Pictures. In Hindi, with English subtitles. Running time: 3 hours 15 minutes. This film is not rated.
Here is the link to watch the movie online.Just copy paste the link below.
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