Could have been better but the music's great

After a seven-year haitus, director Yash Chopra resurfaces with Veera Zaara in his typical soppy romantic genre.

Squadron leader Veer Pratap Singh (Shah Rukh Khan) is a rescue pilot in the Indian Air Force.

Zaara (Preity Zinta) is the beautiful daughter of an orthodox Muslim politician (Boman Irani) in Pakistan.

The story begins when Zaara defies her parents' instructions and comes to India - alone - to fulfil her Hindu nanny Bebe's (Zohra Sehgal) last wish.

Unfortunately - or fortunately - her bus meets with an accident and she is rescued by the hero.

Stranded in a foreign land, the valiant Veer agrees to assist her in her mission on one condition.

That she spends a day with him and sees the 'real India'.

Veer takes her to meet his uncle Chaudhary Sumer Singh (Amitabh Bachchan) and aunt Maati (Hema Malini).
 
As no Bollywood love story is complete without a villain, enter Razaa Shirazi (Manoj Bajpai), Zaara's fiancé.

Shirazi makes sure Veer goes to jail by making him accept he is a spy to save his sweetheart's honour.

It goes without saying that Veer is forced to go to Pakistan to meet his love without a passport, let alone a visa.

After 20 years, Veer's case is taken up by human rights lawyer Saamiya Siddiqui (Rani Mukherjee) who is successful in freeing him and re-uniting him with Zaara.

And we have a happy ending.

Big stars wasted on teeny roles

Performances are good, especially by Kirron Kher who plays Zaara?s mother, while Shah Rukh Khan retains his style.

Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini are completely wasted in their brief roles and an unnecessary song-and-dance sequence.

And the older Zaara looks something out of a school play with white hair but rosy plump cheeks.

Despite the various loopholes, Veer Zaara proves to be an endearing love story with a message of peace and friendship and brotherhood.

The excellent music by the late composer Madan Mohan and Javed Akhtar's brilliant lyrics have been competently sung by Roop Kumar Rathod, Sonu Nigam and Lata Mangeshkar.
 
A one-time watch.