♦ Geet’s (Kareena Kapoor) first appearance. The train is pulling out of  the station, but we don’t see Geet… we only hear her as she scolds the two boys helping her load her luggage on to the train. As the train gathers speed, they finally manage to get both her and her luggage in. And we see Geet for the first time — fresh-faced and smiling. And then she starts talking. “Aaj tak life mein ek train nahin chhuti meri. Thank you Babaji, mera record tootne se bachane ke liye,” she smiles before telling one of the boys, clearly smitten by her, “Ab toh mera haath chhod do, itni bhi sundar nahin hoon main!” And you know instantly that you will love Geet.... Since then, every ‘bubbly’ and vivacious Bolly heroine has been a version of Geet.

♦ The first time Geet and Aditya (Shahid Kapoor) meet. He’s dazed, she doesn’t stop blabbering — including  cooking up a story to garner sympathy for Aditya when the ticket examiner discovers he’s travelling without a ticket —  and yes, she insists on knowing what his problem is. Reason enough for him to snap with, “Tum ho meri problem. Bolti hi jaa rahi ho… tumhein samajh mein nahin aata main interested nahin hoon? Main nahin jaan-na chahta hoon ki tum Bhatinda jaa rahi ho ya Benaras, kisi hostel mein rehti thi ya kisi brothel mein!” Does Geet take offence? She looks at him amazed, even with a half-smile, as if discovering he can actually speak and then simply says, “Brothel waali baat theek nahin thi”. And then she starts chattering again — impending marriage to her love for the mountains. And yes, Geet’s outfit — Patiala salwar to phulkari dupatta, silver hoops to bold eye-makeup — still give us style goals.

♦ The taxi ride that the two take when they realise that the train has chugged out of the station leaving them behind. We loved it all, from that infuriating cab driver who prayed before he started the car and then sang his heart out to when Aditya, who for the first time shows what he’s about, takes the steering wheel. It’s a simple scene, but done so well that it remains memorable.

♦ When Geet misses the train… again! Geet being Geet needs to keep talking and this time, she decides to haggle for Rs 2 when buying a bottle of water after running to the Ratlam station and spotting her train. We see the train pulling out even as she argues away, her expression priceless when she’s realised what just happened. Who can forget the next few scenes — including the station master cheekily telling her, “Akeli ladki khuli hui tijori ki tarah hoti hai”, and a man on a bike outside the station mistaking her for a prostitute. Geet spots Aditya walking some distance away and runs to him and hugs him, much to his surprise. “Thank you Babaji, thank you,” she says on seeing him. And for the first time, the two introduce themselves. Geet, of course, says, “Itni pleased main kisi se milke aaj tak nahin hui jitni ki main aaj ho rahi hoon.”

♦ Jab We Met put Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh on the map and made Hotel Decent a part of Bolly glossary. The two walk through the deserted streets of Ratlam at night (shot in Manali). She, as usual, keeps talking, but for the first time, you can see him smiling. And then is the scene that every JWM fan can rattle off easily. Aditya, aware of how shady Hotel Decent is, wants to rent a room for the night. But Geet, in a bid to save money, insists on renting it by the hour. The receptionist is convinced she’s a “call girl” and Aditya decides to play along. So when the man gestures towards Geet and asks him, “Kahaan mili?” he says, “Train mein”. Flummoxed, the man says, “Aajkal train mein bhi milte hain kya?”

♦ Once in the room, Geet warns Aditya that she knows karate. But when she learns that he’s just suffered a heartbreak, she urges him to use a tactic that every dumped lover has been using ever since. Burn the girl’s picture and flush it down the toilet. “Jalaa do saali ko, yaar… yeh toh tumhare aage shit thi!” she laughs and Aditya, despite his misgivings, does so… and admits he does feel better. A scene we just love!

♦ Now friends, Aditya and Geet are on their way to Bhatinda. That scene of them sitting on the jetty and chatting is still so heart-warming. “Paani achha hai na? Tumne kabhi pehle aise lake mein jump kiya hai?” asks Geet and Aditya knows he’s in trouble. But before he can dissuade her, Geet takes hold of his hand and they both jump right in. But it is clear by now that this “paagalpan” of Geet is endearing her to him.

♦ Imtiaz’s films are all about that one life-changing journey and Geet and Aditya trek and hike, hop on to bullock carts and hitch a ride on a truck, even as Shaan’s voice brings alive Aao milo chalein. In fact, even 10 years later, every Jab We Met number — the pulsating Mauja hi mauja to the playful Yeh ishq haaye, the romantic Tum se hi to the super fun Nagada nagada — is worth a listen. But, according to Imtiaz, the one that endures the most? Rashid Khan’s soulful Aaoge jab tum.

♦ That memorable moment when Geet lands up with Aditya in Bhatinda and meets her strict grandfather (played by Dara Singh). A series of LOL scenes play out — from the cliched Punjabi family setting where Aditya is fed till he’s almost dead to that 5am conversation in the fields between Aditya and Geet the morning after. She tells him that she wants to run away with her boyfriend Anshuman because her family wants her to marry her childhood friend Manjeet. Aditya’s solution? “Prove kar de ki Manjeet impotent hai.” “Woh impotent nahin hai,” she insists. “Tujhe kaise pata Manjeet impotent nahin hai?” he asks her wickedly. Embarrassed, she shrugs her shoulders and says, “Pata chal jaata hai!” ROFL!

♦ A few scenes later, Geet runs away from home, a rather unwilling Aditya in tow. They land up in Manali and then it’s time to say goodbye. Aditya, by this time, is clearly in love with Geet and your heart breaks a little when he refuses to meet Anshuman and parts with, “Hamesha aise hi rehna… Geet”.

♦ Aditya’s transformation in the next few scenes still makes us smile. Meeting Geet changes him from dead man walking to a go-getter who starts loving life — he sings in office, dances in the rain — and reinventing his family business. And for the first time, he doesn’t grudge his mother her second marriage, even opening up his office to her. Kareena may have been the eyeball-grabber of the film till then, but Shahid, in just these few scenes, shifted the spotlight.

♦ When he hears that Geet hasn’t communicated with her family for months, Aditya doesn’t waste any time in rushing off to Manali to meet Anshuman (Tarun Arora, fittingly duh) and then to Shimla to trace Geet. She’s now a shadow of her old self, doesn’t smile at all and hardly talks. Your heart breaks when they meet at the steps leading up to her hostel. She looks so vulnerable that his eyes well up as he tries to assert his right over her. When he insists she pack up and leave with him, she loses it and says, “Mere saath aise ho gaya hai toh iska matlab nahin ki tumhara chance hai, samjhe?” He pauses a bit, doesn’t get angry and simply tells her, “Dhyan mein rakhoonga… ab chalein?” A scene that speaks so much about the kind of friendship and trust the two shared.

♦ The heart-warming scene in the hotel room where he tells her to get over Anshuman, by abusing him. Geet, hesitant at first, gets into the mood as the phone call to Anshuman ticks on, screaming out the choicest of gaalis. It’s a moment that still makes us go LOL (and yes, we still remember it all, ending in the crescendo of “teri ** ki...”). Imtiaz balances it just right with the tender moment that follows — she hugs him spontaneously, he clutches her waist and they remain locked in an embrace for a few moments before she peels away, embarrassed. We love!

♦ The next morning, the two are out and about in Shimla and driving along, they spot a toy train. Without a word, they run to catch it and jump on. We love that moment when Geet tells Aditya that she knows he likes her. His reply? “Haan, magar woh mera problem hai. Tujhe tension lene ki koi zaroorat nahin hai”. #Friendshipgoals
 
♦ Once back in Bhatinda, Geet’s family thinks it’s Aditya she wants to marry, even though Anshuman accompanies them. Unable to tell her family about Anshuman, a worried Geet steals into Aditya’s room one night, but he, like always, tells her all will be well. “Yeh tera tension waala chehra tujhe bilkul suit nahin karta,” he tells her, prompting her to break into a smile and put on her “woh waala chehra”.

♦ The final scene will be etched in our minds forever. When Geeta sees Aditya leaving and Anshuman tells her it’s high time she told her parents about them, Geeta realises that she actually loves Aditya. She runs through the fields with Anshuman following close behind. When she comes face to face with Aditya, she asks him, “Woh aa raha hai? Idhar dekh raha hai?” When Aditya says ‘yes’, a teary-eyed Geet runs into his arms and says, “Ab main apne dil ki baat sunne waali hoon, Aditya. Phir sab theek ho jayega.” And then they kiss….   

THE LINES

Imtiaz reportedly wrote most of the dialogues in less than a day! Today, many Jab We Met lines are part of our daily
vocab. Here are our faves...

• Bhai saab, aap convince ho gaye ya main aur boloon?
• Bachpan se mujhe shaadi karne ka bahut shauk hai, by god!
• Main chhodne nahin waali hoon. Koi doubt mat rakhna dil mein. Sikhni hoon main Bhatinda ki!
• Aap jo yeh sab bol rahein hain kya yeh muft ka gyaan hai ya iske paise charge karte hain?
• Utha kar museum mein rakhna chahiye. Ticket lagni chahiye tumhein dekhne ke liye.
• Main apni favourite hoon.
• Bas Babaji, ab iss raat mein aur koi excitement mat dena. Boring bana do ab iss raat ko, please!
• Tum hamesha aise hi bakwaas karti ho ya aaj koi special occasion hai?
• Jab koi pyaar mein hota hai tab kuch sahi-galat nahin hota.
• Tu original piece hai… aisa doosra nahin hai.
• Kyun dekhoon main ganne ke khet?
• Insaan jo bhi chahta hai, real mein, usey hamesha woh hi milta hai.
• Shaadi ke baad tum apna pehla affair mere saath karna… toh main bhi khush ho jaunga.

Team Tolly on JWM
 
PAOLI DAM

It’s been 10 years since Jab We Met and I still remember the names of the characters! I love the film, the characters and the dialogues... it’s the perfect romcom made intelligently. And Geet, my god! She is clearly an iconic character in Hindi cinema. She is so independent... she displays a warrior-like spirit, individuality and aggression, while keeping her innocence and beauty intact. She is a woman of substance. Kareena played the role beautifully and her body language was awesome.

I have watched the film a number of times and I try and catch it whenever it airs on TV.  The film steers clear of all the romcom tropes we see in Indian mainstream films. It is realistic and yet there is a fairy tale-like quality to it.
Favourite moment: The scene in the hotel room in Shimla. Geet is depressed and Aditya tells her to let it all out. And then she gives all those gaalis to Anshuman. The moment was so different… that her anger wasn’t suppressed and that it was supported by a boy made the scene great.

NUSRAT JAHAN

I loved the film. It was a refreshing change... a differently told love story. Geet won our hearts and we still love Kareena as Geet. From the storytelling, the characters, to the lively Punjabi ambience, I love it all. Geet, of course, was the best part. She lived life on her own terms. Bubbly, naughty and yet sensitive… when it came to love, she brimmed with life.

Favourite moment: I loved it when Geet purposely got close to Aditya whenever she had to get a guy off her… and when they miss and catch their trains!

 

Priyanka Roy
What is your favourite moment from Jab We Met? Tell t2@abp.in