Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Courtesy Fox Star India
Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Courtesy Fox Star India
Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Courtesy Fox Star India
Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Courtesy Fox Star India

Film review: Ranbir Kapoor gets it right in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is full of his usual shtick — cheesy lines, sentimental love affairs, catchy music — yet it has the audience laughing and sniffling in all the right places.

Christine Iyer

October 29, 2016

  • English
  • Arabic

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

Directed by: Karan Johar

Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Fawad Khan

Three stars

Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is full of his usual shtick — cheesy lines, sentimental love affairs, catchy music — yet it has the audience laughing and sniffling in all the right places.

And Ranbir Kapoor must be celebrating. The romantic drama is his third highest-grossing opening-day film (it released in cinemas on Thursday, October 27). All analysis is pointing to a hit, because this time the 32-year-old actor has got it right.

Kapoor plays Ayan, a rich wannabe singer, who falls in love with the fiesty Alizeh (Anushka Sharma at her most annoying, so much so that she gives the word new meaning). But Alizeh “friend-zones” Ayan, after explaining that her only true love is Ali (the irresistible Fawad Khan). Devastated that his love is destined to remain one-sided, Ayan seeks solace in the arms of Saba — Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in her most restrained turn ever. Gone is the shrill beauty queen; in her place is a mature, even-voiced woman who is astoundingly good — and looks unbelievably gorgeous — in every scene.

Johar seems to have grown up, too. The filmmaker has come a long way since his Kuch Kuch Hota Hai days, where friends became lovers with equanimity and ease. This time, Johar attempts to take the love triangle to a new dimension, and gives it depth by throwing a spanner in the works, with love's torment etched out through the themes of friendship, unrequited love and death.

But back to Kapoor, because this is his film through and through. In the face of his past flops, it’s easy to forget that Kapoor is one of the finest actors of his generation. Intuitive, and with impeccable comic timing, he steals the show, his talent shining so brightly that everything else pales in comparison.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is utterly watchable — it’s the perfect Diwali romantic movie. The only complaint is the constant, ingratiating servitude to Shah Rukh Khan that Johar displays. Not content with casting the superstar in a cameo, the director made sure the soundtrack incorporates caches of popular tunes from past SRK films. It truly is vomit-inducing, but not more than the “We Love You Shah Rukh Khan” banner that appears before the end credits roll.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is in cinemas now

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

The specs

Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic

Power: 375bhp

Torque: 520Nm

Price: Dh332,800

On sale: now

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“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.

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All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Friday
Saint-Etienne v Montpellier (10.45pm)

Saturday
Monaco v Caen (7pm)
Amiens v Bordeaux (10pm)
Angers v Toulouse (10pm)
Metz v Dijon (10pm)
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Nice v Strasbourg (5pm)
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Q&A with Dash Berlin

Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.

You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.

You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.

Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.

 

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

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1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
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Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

HIV on the rise in the region

A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.

New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.

Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.

Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.  

Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Intercontinental Cup

Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19

Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27

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