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Veer-Zaara backdrop

Veer-Zaara

12 November 2004Hindi3h 12m
6.2
from 2 scored reviews · 3 not rated

Weighted from a 7.0 average · Why?

User score: 8.8 out of 10, from 4 ratings — not enough ratings for a verdict yet

What critics are saying

Critical reception for Veer-Zaara is broadly positive but tempered by consistent reservations about its length and sentimentality.

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Not streaming in India

Set against the backdrop of conflict between India and Pakistan, this star-crossed romance follows the unfortunate love story of an Indian Air Force pilot, Squadron Leader Veer Pratap Singh, and a Pakistani woman hailing from a rich political family of Lahore, Zaara Haayat Khan, who are separated for 22 years. Saamiya Siddiqui, a Pakistani lawyer, finds Veer in prison, and upon listening to his story, tries to get him freed.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for Veer-Zaara is broadly positive but tempered by consistent reservations about its length and sentimentality. Reviewers praised the film's cinematography, performances — particularly from Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji — and its classical romantic sensibility, with Subhash K Jha singling out its old-fashioned emotional authenticity. Shah Rukh Khan's screen presence also drew approval. However, multiple critics flagged the film's excessive runtime of 210 minutes, an overabundance of songs, and a script that leans heavily on cliché and melodrama.

2 rated reviews · 2 positive

Praised: Cinematography and lead performancesCriticised: Excessive length and sentimentality

AI-generated summary of 5 critic reviews · may contain errors

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Critic Reviews (5)

Updated
8.0
“Old yet passionate, frail yet sublime, the estranged lovers in Yash Chopra's film are no ordinary love birds. Their body language, demeanour, speech and attitude hark back to an era when emotions were hallmarks of human nature, not designer things to be used as and when required in bubblegum concoctions that masquerade as romantic musicals in our wretched times.”
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Mayank Shekhar· The W14
6.0
“An old-fashioned love tale for the tear-ducts. Which, I must pleasantly note, still holds and very mildly moves you.”
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Sukanya Verma· Rediff
Not rated
“Veer-Zaara has a new backdrop, but takes the same route as his previous love stories. Though Yash Chopra lends his brand of freshness in creating a visually captivating picture, Aditya's script is overtly sappy and unnecessarily lengthy. Half an hour of the film could have been easily chopped off from its 210-minute running time. The music by the Late Madan Mohan is mellifluous, but there are too many songs. One would rather see Veer, Zaara interact and fall in love instead of singing songs in sugarcane fields.”
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Chitra Mahesh· The Hindu
Not rated
“"Veer Zaara" is inordinately long and sentimental. Certain things like fabulous camera work, art direction and sensuousness of the moods, are a given. And you would over look the clichés simply because there are such good performances, especially from Preity and Rani.”
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Kaveree Bamzai· India Today
Not rated
“Despite a chorus which wells up every time there is a three-hankie moment, sun-kissed sarson da khet, colourful dupattas endlessly fluttering, a dementedly jovial Amitabh Bachchan and largely incomprehensible Punjabi dialogues, Khan strides across Aditya Chopra's screenplay with assured ease. Anil Mehta's camera loves him and so does most of India.”
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Cast & Crew

Cast

Details

Release Date
12 November 2004
Runtime
3h 12m
Language
Hindi
Genres
Drama, Romance

User Ratings & Reviews

Users8.84 ratings

4 ratings · 0 with a written review

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