[tps_footer]Kapil Sharma’s debut film written by Devika Bhagat had all the ingredients to be a breezy romantic-drama. But the unnatural dialogues, the mediocre acting and a lack of nuance only scrape the surface. This superficiality stems from the shallow lead character Ishaan, played by John Abraham.
The idea of a spoilt, selfish brat is something that is rather endemic in Indian society. A music label producer, he is the centre of his universe challenged by a witch-like superior at work. Raima Sen is so conscious of her perfect hair and saris that she forgets to act the part of Bina the boss.
Commitment phobic Ishaan treats his girlfriend Anushka (Chitrangada Singh) like he is doing her a favour by being with her, an attitude that eventually prompts her to throw him out of her house. You can’t help but wonder what kept her with him for three years because frankly there is nothing likable about Ishaan. Compelled to rent his own modest flat, he soon finds himself attracted to his chirpy neighbour Gauri (Prachi Desai). His friendship with Gauri, his sister Shivani’s (played by a competent Mini Mathur) sensible advice and his mother (Zarina Wahab adds some texture to the part) finally acknowledging her role in spoiling her son finally provokes Ishaan to accept the importance of responsibility.
The first hour of the film is immature and tedious. Deficient performances by Singh, Abraham and Desai don’t help either. Desai overdoes it as the irritatingly bubbly, smiley, wannabe-cute girl-next door. Singh looks lovely but pulls out the same three and a half expressions for all moods. Notice how the tremor in her voice during emotional scenes does not match her performance. As for Abraham, he is literally acting the lines rather than feeling the character. This is partially a failing in the script. Since the character development is poor, the performances also get affected. There’s too much emphasis on styling.
At a 108 minute running time the movie still feels long. It only comes together in the final act – when the drama hits a crescendo – salvaging the film somewhat. But it’s too little too late.
Rating: **[/tps_footer]
