LEKAR HUM DEEWANA DIL: Escape this downgraded version of SOCHA NA THA! [1.5/5]

If Bollywood films are to be believed, everyone in love is predestined to elope from their wedding-mandaps at the very last moment when Pheras are to be performed. Events of similar nature do happen in real life, it’s just I haven’t been lucky enough to witness any such in my whole life of more than 30 years. But one thing I am very sure about…I have seen romantic comedies like Arif Ali’s LEKAR HUM DEEWANA DIL for more than I could remember. One prominent inspiration here is SOCHA NA THA, the launch-pad of writer-director Imtiaz Ali who incidentally also happens to be Arif’s brother. The similarities and likenesses are so evident; LEKAR HUM DEEWANA DIL could & should be tagged as a SOCHA NA THA rip-off, but an awful one. It’s an extremely long-boring-escapable journey no one will like to hop on.

The ‘BFF (Best Friends Forever)’ duo Karisma & Dino [Newcomers Deeksha Seth & the Kapoor-clan Arman Jain] are often teased as a couple by their common friends. In a hasty & impulsive pronouncement of love and the passion of being together, they decide to elope as Karisma’s hardcore traditional father would marry her off to any boring guy of his choice and for Dino’s father; Dino is nothing but a plain nobody. Together, they take a ride that is hardly any exciting and too superfluous to find a place in your heart. Much later, just on the verge of interval; they realize the honeymoon period is over and the romantic fairytale is nowhere to be found. Follows the process of annulment of their marriage, parental participation to make things even bitter and finally, the weirdly convenient realization of love for each other! Oh, not again!

Romantic comedies are the safest options to mark a début in Bollywood, and probably the hardest ones too. What one expects from any such effort are a thicken chemistry between leads, freshness in the plot and relatable drama to clinch your emotions at its place. Sadly, Arif as a writer-director doesn’t even try to look any different and gets hugely dependent on his brother’s flicks like SOCHA NA THA [parental angle], JAB WE MET [Stopover at small city] & even COCKTAIL [For most of styling and dialogues] for so-called inspirations. Only addition here that had slightest of promises was their accidental encounter with naxalites of Bastar & Dantewada. Disheartening to say that even this sequence ends up mocking their fight to justice & freedom in a completely ham-fisted item number!

Arman and Deeksha both look confident and do succeed in creating some very good moments to rejoice but the staleness in writing kills it all. Of the supporting cast, most are just wasted and that included veterans like Kumud Mishra, Rohini Hattangadi and Varun Vadola. A R Rehman’s music soothes the soul in between all the baffling scenes haphazardly coming one after the other but it never rules the heart. You’ll find it hard to remember all the ‘Khaleefas’ and ‘Tu Shinings’ sooner or later.

To sum up, LEKAR HUM DEEWANA DIL suffers from a time-lapse syndrome. Had it come in late 90’s when uber urban generation was gaining the spot with a certain lingo full of slangs, strong urge to reinvent new dimensions to the term ‘new-age’ and a demand of change in cinema, it would have made a clean mark. As of now, it is just another forgettable love-story! Escape it! [1.5/5]

HIGHWAY: An Imtiaz Ali film that is so not Imtiaz Ali Film! It’s different!! [3.5/5]

Expectations lead us to disappointments, by and large. But with Imtiaz Ali’s HIGHWAY, it is us who fall short of what to expect from this modern-age master of romance. Imtiaz is known to dig up diverse human relationships in order to drench us in the most vigorous and spirited emotions one can feel. HIGHWAY is no exception in substance but definitely in its approach. Through this journey of love, longings & togetherness in just not-so-feasible settings, Imtiaz dares to push his boundaries as a filmmaker and comes up with a love-story much darker, edgier and better than his bests.

Loosely based on ‘Stockholm syndrome’ where victim starts feeling compassionate, concerned, considerate and connected to offender’s sufferings that come as baggage from times of yore and drive him to perform such crimes, HIGHWAY brings two damaged souls troubled with their respective haunting pasts closer. Just a couple of hours before her wedding, Veera [Alia Bhatt as a revelation] accidently gets abducted by a murderous gang of goons largely dealing in petty illegal practices of land-grabbing & mugging on highways. Realizing the fact that the father is a hot-shot industrialist having his connections rooted in powerful politics and that their unplanned abduction could turn things on their own; they, especially the leading man here cold-hearted Mahavir Bhati [Randeep Hooda proving his comfort, ability and confidence in playing the character] decides to stick with the plan. Not knowing where it could get them both, starts the road-trip through scenic, rustic, mystic locales of North India.

Fans would agree that Imtiaz’s films have always been loud about life’s very existence despite its own flaws and imperfections but here silence speaks more. So, most of the times all you hear is submissive background score by AR Rahman filling in to the subjective road-shots captured from behind the front glass of the truck. Characters here have deeper secrets from pasts. Veera is a victim of incestuous child abuse. Mahavir has seen a tormented childhood where his father would throw his mother into sexual favors to his rich & powerful master. Sure you haven’t expected all that in an easygoing Imtiaz Film. Sure you wanted to get entertained with all candy floss romance and not some harsh reality that speaks how women are unsafe even if they are in considerably the most secured place for them called home. So, disappointment comes easy for you.

What you can not have any iota of uncertainty on is the performances. Alia Bhatt is a surprise packet of the film. The presence, effortlessness, confidence she shows is extremely rare for anyone who’s just one film old in the line of work. She’s beautiful and she acts the same way. Randeep Hooda sinks his teeth into the rugged, rigid, vigorously ferocious character of Mahavir. Watch him in his final outburst as he hesitates to go on the crossroad that could either take him to a better world filled with love & affection or could throw him back in the pit of crime and hatred.

Breathtaking visuals, grasping soundtrack, juicy dialogues and performances that will never leave you alone even after leaving the theatre; HIGHWAY has it all but not for all. With the portions with docu-drama style of shooting, extended shots, rhythmic travelling footage, reduced usage of dialogues; it is not an easy film to watch. It’s different. It’s dark. It’s one of those that add up your expectations. I am all excited to see what next Imtiaz Ali could come with! Recommended! [3.5/5]