May 15, 2012 12:56 AM
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(Updated May 15, 2012 01:02 AM)
While on one hand a superstar tries to bring up issues of social gravity to light on national TV, there comes a film, silently posing as a sweet-salty love story of two young couples divided by family feud! Buy that, avoid this and you miss so much that only a good enough episode of a Sunday 11 AM show can compensate for! My words might seem cryptic. Even the film’s underline remains so, quite till the end. Hence lest you be mistaken, this story is not about sweet nothings, but about fiery somethings!
Firstly, Ishaqzaade is the kind of film which not everybody will like. We had haters for Love Aaj Kal or say Dil Se, but that doesn’t make these bad films. Then we had lovers for Tashan and Delhi-6!Likewise, Ishaqzaade should easily create a niche for itself over some time. How do I support this statement? Well, the answer confides in the actual theme of this film, the story of which takes place in a nation that’s inviting and resisting ‘change’ every single moment!
Set in the rustic backdrop of UP, caste-based politics and age-old rivalries; the script is indeed simple and has been treated linearly except for the addition of abundant raw feel in every frame possible. Now that is novel for a Yash Chopra make and that too presumably a love story.
Without going into any details of the script, for that is for the viewer to see and enjoy (or otherwise!), we can begin by applauding Habib Faisal for executing the done-to-death feud-turns-love storyline creatively. Comparing this with his previous work of art ‘Do Dooni Chaar’ will be injustice, as the low budget, limited profiled film with a veteran heavy cast made it a tad easier for him to make a film worth appreciation. But let’s accept it we didn’t go to cinemas to watch even that! Coming into the YRF camp, he gets hold of a far better technical team and surplus budget to play with, but a lesser known casting! His writing falters at places but given the short run-time, it does not feel itchy at all.
Coming to the acting, even sans the glitter of a star studded cast, the two newbie have pulled a noteworthy act. Arjun Kapoor could have done better though, nonetheless Parineeti more than makes up for those losses. This girl has it in her what it takes to go that extra mile and most of us knew that right after her debut in the rather average Ladies vs Ricky Behl. Didn’t we? The pair’s chemistry is ardently visible and acts as one of the USPs for the film.
The cinematography has its moments. In the alleys, the shoot-outs and each of the songs, Hemant Chaturvedi takes his work forward from his earlier Kurbaan. Some single take scenes were equally praiseworthy. Look out for them. Amongst the technical verticals, what stands apart and is going to stay with you is for long is the background score and soundtrack. Amit Trivedi is simply outstanding
The ensemble cast fits the bill but is not exemplarily good. Taking into account the script, actually there is not enough space for other characters as the film is just about Parma and Zoya – the twoIshaqzaade and their tryst with each other and eventually the world!
Not that it is one great film or a path-breaking entity, but it is worth a watch. I got to repeat that not all will ‘love’ this film. However, if you are planning to watch it with your partner, you are bound to like it even after half of your friends have written this one off. There are parts that your single friends might have found silly enough to laugh upon and that has been often the case with simpler love stories. This is about love but not that simply though. There is a message by the end, neither that sharp nor strong but it’s there and that’s enough.
With no competition around and different target strata than Jannat 2, it will make good headway towards a successful total. Also the three week open window till the release of Rowdy Rathore, which will rob it of all its screens, is enough to make an impact on the box office.
Easily a one-time watch and your only choice at the theatres for the next few weeks. 3 stars!
