Ashutosh Gowariker's What's Your Raashee? is an excruciatingly painful film to watch. For the most part humorless and misguided, the film lumbers along for an unforgivable three-hours-and-thirty minutes, during which even the most patient viewers might contemplate suicide. Harman Baweja stars as Yogesh Patel, an unmarried Gujarati boy working in Chicago, who is desperately summoned home as the last rescue for his debt-ridden family in Mumbai. He will inherit his grandfather's property on marriage, and hence his folks persuade him to tie the knot immediately so they can pay off their loans. Despite his reluctance, Yogesh succumbs to the emotional blackmail and says yes to be married in ten-odd days, after agreeing to meet a dozen prospective brides, one each from the 12 zodiac signs or raashees. Using what is unquestionably an interesting plot device, the director casts Priyanka Chopra as each of the dozen girls. Within the film, however, the resemblance between the prospective brides is justified by using a ridiculous explanation offered by Yogesh's grandfather. The encounters between Yogesh and each of the girls get repetitive soon enough, and the screenplay slips into something of a cyclic mess, with each meeting-scene between boy and girl predictably followed by a song. It takes extremely skilled writing and superlative acting to create 12 distinct characters using the same actor; and while Priyanka Chopra throws herself into the challenge, she is let down by a poor script. Apart from a few characters that stand out because they're sharply written and convincingly performed, most of the girls appear as clones of each other because the only thing separating them is a single quirk and their costume. So you have a gawky small-town college girl, a sexy microbiologist from Kampala, a die-hard romantic raised on the movies, an honest middle-class girl hoping to rebuild her life after a break-up, a dominating businesswoman looking for a contract marriage, a kooky damsel who's convinced she knows Yogesh from a previous birth - and at this point, you still have six girls left to go. As if this story wasn't tiring enough already, Gowariker squeezes in two pointless sub-plots - one about Yogesh's philandering uncle and a detective hired to track his movements; the other about a loan-shark's henchmen stalking Yogesh's brother to return the money he's borrowed from them. The humor in What's Your Raashee is of the broad, juvenile variety, the kind that might amuse six-year-olds. If you survive the film's plodding pace and make it to the final act, you're expecting to be gratified by a smart ending. After all, which girl does Yogesh Patel eventually choose? Prepare to be disappointed by a cop-out climax that clearly indicates the writers had no idea how to clean up this mess they made. In sharp contrast to Madhu Rye's novel, Kimball Ravenswood from which it is adapted, What's Your Raashee is a regressive, old-fashioned picture that suffers on account of too many silly jokes, too many unlikable characters, and way too many songs. Even the references to such social evils as child marriage and dowry are fleeting and appear gratuitous. Despite the earnest efforts of Priyanka Chopra, the actress can't pull off the impossible task of making every single one of these characters a credible, flesh-and-blood person. Truth is, I'm not sure anyone in her place could. Harman Baweja, meanwhile, is endearing in a role that doesn't demand much. Director Ashutosh Gowariker who's delivered compelling dramas previously, appears out of his depth here tackling urban comedy. Like his epic-sized victories, Lagaan and Jodhaa Akbar and even the well-intended, cult-favourite Swades, Gowariker's What's Your Raashee? is unfortunately an epic-sized failure. Here's hoping his next effort will erase the memory of this film forever.

Wrong movie for Harman to act in. He probably got so excited working with Ashutosh who made so many landmark films. The movie is long and is sort of play like, where a guy chooses girls based on zodiac signs. Much of old, and even today many people use this kundli method of marriage. Just city people don't get. But what India's traditional and best way of marriage is showcased in the movie. It's showing someone who is educated, same time modern but has kept his traditional and values of his family. Lot of people in present time are lost in the modern world but this Yogesh the lead in the film is modern and wants to have love marriage but agrees to chose girls based on zodiac sign b/c with signs he knows he can meet 12 different girls in less time. He sees his first girl, and that image stays with him in his mind, in some ways an image in his mind before was unclear after meeting the first girl he carries on that image which gives him prospect to think his dream girl looks that way, so he see each girl the same onwards. Priyanka is sexy, charming but I think even having the title, she isn't that much pretty. I love her work in some of her movies but she isn't pretty or beautiful. She doesn't have looks of a heroine. In comparison with so much beautiful heroines of industry like Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Mumtaz, Madhubala, and Meena Kumari, Waheeda Rehman, she is no way near to their beauty even their acting skills but she can act for sure but in this movie she doesn't really have anything to act. She is showed in 12 different ways, by changing her looks. Not even one look is pretty. The actress only posses smartness, sexy body and acting skills. She isn't pretty at all. Even Bipasha beats her in looks area, much duskier, black beauty Bipasha looks better than Priyanka. Movie is good in ways of portraying the traditional way of marriage in Indian culture. The movie has tooooooo many songs which lengthen the movie. Harman just chose to work with an excellent director and in his excitement he probably forgot to look at the script. Even after giving hit of Lagaan he gave Swades, so after Jodha Akbar he was on his way to give a flop. There is a pattern in Ashu's movie. His direction is poor. The movie is good if you have big time to watch it & want to know the traditions of Gujrati families marriages. Such a talented actor but is overshadowed by 12 characters and he lost in what to chose in the movie and who to chose. After watching Victory, this movie is a let down on Harman Baweja b/c he ran for powerful director not for the good story. Watch it for Priyanka's experimental looks and for old rituals' sake. Not for Harman b/c he is a lead but his ex had more in the film than him.

I like all Ashutosh Gowarikar's earlier creations, but when I read the reviews of "Whats your rashee?" I decided against watching the movie. It was forcing of my 3 1/2 year old son which made us go to theatre to watch the movie, believe me its an amazing movie. I don't know why critics love to hate good movies, people like Rajeev Masand think themselves to be god and write whatever they want. But once you watch the movie you will see the brilliance.People are hating 12 songs but those songs take movie forward, length of the movie might be long but I didn't get bored for a single second. No character looks out of place. of course critics like to watch some steamy scenes but this movie does not have one hence critics don't like that. Movie progresses so nicely. Priyanka Chopra steals the whole show but without the support of Harman Baweja it wouldn't have been possible.The whole plot seems so convincing. This is a must watch movie. Please don't go on length of the movie and the thought of 12 songs may be stopping you from going to theatre but those 12 songs are short and sweet. I am not a very big fan of Ashutosh Gowarikar, but this movie just blew my mind off. Go watch it now.

How many of you were waiting for this one from Gowariker? i know many! Sadly for all Gowariker fans, What's Your Rashee is absolutely disappointing. Based on Madhu Rye's novel Kimball Ravenswood, WYR's script is as flat as it can possibly get. What's Your Rashee's story revolves around Yogesh Patel(Harman Bhaweja) an MBA student studying in Chicago, who is forced to return to India after receiving a message about his father's deteriorating health. On reaching India is when the family of Yogesh let out the actual reason. Yogesh is then told about the share scam committed by his brother and the family's huge debt. He's also told about the solution offered by a astrologer according to whom, If Yogesh gets married on the 20th, huge wealth is to follow the family on the very day. He's given a mere 10 days to decide a girl and get married. It does not take long for his family to convince Yogesh and he's then out looking for brides. After a lot of confusion about the brides shortlisted by his uncle, Yogesh comes up with a bizarre idea of meeting one girl from each of the 12 zodiac signs. And the plot leading upto Yogesh deciding his soul mate among the 12 is for you to watch it yourself. Gowariker seems to have failed miserably with WYR provided the quality of movies that hemade previously. The movie fails to take off and the plot of the movie does not really convince you at any level. The one and the only thing that is impressive with WYR is Priyanka Chopra's impeccable performance playing 12 different characters. She's absolutely mind blowing with each of the 12 characters and probably the only thing that makes you sit right through the exhausting 3 hours 15 minutes. Harman Bhaweja is good and tries his best to make an impact with his honest acting supported well by rest of the cast. The funnier parts that were supposed to be funny are not funny and it just frustrates you more. The music by Sohail Sen is ordinary and the 12 songs used for 12 the different characters are not impressive either. Reviewed By- Raghav RamaiahOriginally Posted at talkingpopcorns.com