This girl has amazing talent. Eclectic. Something akin to Jaya Bahaduri when
she initially burst into Bollywood with Guddi and Uphaar. It needs a kind of
talent to take on a sugar candy script and then gnaw at the viewer’s emotions
without going overboard. It needs a kind of understanding of the craft to
energise a script strewn with clichés and still navigate you through unexpected
highs. Thus far she has been the extrovert who was willing to shout: Pareshaan
Pareshaan, share a live n relationship in a small town. The Punjabi kudi is a
Rockstar in the real sense of the term and watching her is delightful in HTP.
Also what makes the film likeable is that Director Vinil Mathew treads the old
big fat Indian wedding in the back drop but by and large keeps away from the
regular events and deals largely with the emotions that the principle
characters of the film go through. Even the big fat wedding is well stylised
and does not suffer the over does of over bearing uncles and aunts. They come
in as props to keep the style going and the background together as a piece.
The story line is simple: Nikhil (Sidharth Malhotra) cannot get things right
and is failing in everything he touches. As the son in a family of bureaucrats
and Police officers he is the unsuccessful event manager always trying to raise
money. Engaged to Karishma (Adah Sharma) he has seven days for the wedding. Dad
(Sharat Saxena) in on his own trip of investigations. His Pa in law (Manoj
Joshi) makes known his scepticism at his daughter choice for a life partner and
sees him as some kind of a looser who is always sponging on him. Karishma in
the midst of her work cannot take care of a guest who has just arrived and has
to be kept away from the limelight – Meeta (Parineeti) who earlier ran away
with the cash in the family when another of the many siblings in the family was
getting married. Meeta is a drug addict – but a genius who made it to the IITs
and can solve any tech problem. She is a genius who is not recognised by the
high octave family. Having disowned her, they do not want her around at the
ensuing wedding. She has returned to see Dad and also take back another
instalment of the booty to pay up some research investor in China (a weak link
in the story) slowly Nikhil ends up spending more time with Meetha and finds
her endearing and even warm and loving. Chemistry and cupid add to the
challenge and there you go … leaving it to Vinil Mathew to take you through a
climax that could have been edited to the advantage of the narration.
Watch the film if you are willing to see people in different hues and
understand that life is about space and difference. Watch it if you like a film
that spends some effort on the little things albeit at the cost of the larger
picture. Watch if you still believe in cuddles and monsoon rains and vada paav.
Also watch it for a wonderfully restrained performance from the lead pair who
deliver far beyond the expectation of what they carry in terms of experience.
Sidharth Malhotra does not put a wrong step. He carries a lot of restrain and
is yet correctly star material. Watch out this guy could surprise us in the
future. Manoj Joshi is wonderful as the Dad. Yet the film truly belongs to
Parineeti. As the gal who treads a path out of the ordinary and is still
carrying in her baggage a guilt apart from her pills she oozes a sensitivity
that travels beyond the screen and reaches out to your heart.
The film deals with emotions without being sanctimonious about it. It deals
with two people who go through the challenges and meet it within the framework
of acceptable cinema. It unfortunately has it flaws that could well have been
avoided – like the long drawn climax for instance and surely the Punjabi song
which jars with the narrative which is otherwise stylised.
For once it is Phase to hasee.