FILM REVIEWS – SACHIN CHATTE

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Film: Loveyapa

Cas: Junaid Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Ashutosh Rana

Directed by: Advait Chandan

Duration: 2 hours 18 minutes

Rating: * *

A remake of the recent Tamil film Love Today (2022), Loveyapa explores the complexities that emerge when a young couple in love is compelled to swap their phones for a day. Upon exiting the theatre, one cannot help but reflect on the scarcity of quality romantic comedies in contemporary cinema, both in Hollywood and Hindi films. The effort in most cases looks very laboured and that is an issue with this film as well. Directed by Advait Chandan, known for his work on Secret Superstar and Lal Singh Chaddha, this adaptation is approximately 20 minutes shorter than the original; however, the incessant dialogue contributes to a perception of extended duration.

It is important to acknowledge that there are moments of humour that elicit chuckles, though they seldom provoke genuine laughter. Gaurav (Junaid Khan) and Baani (Khushi Kapoor) are a young couple truly, deeply in love. Gaurav has a younger sister of marriageable age, complicating his path to marrying Baani. His profession remains somewhat ambiguous, as he only mentions to Baani’s father (Ashutosh Rana) that he is a senior developer, a claim prompted by her. The father decides to implement a trust test for the couple, which involves them exchanging their phones for a day to determine if they are truly meant for one another. Should their relationship falter, they agree that Baani will marry a man of her father’s choosing.

The exchange of phones leads to an unfiltered sharing of personal data, granting full access to calls, messages, photographs, and social media accounts. To their surprise, both individuals are concealing secrets from one another. Baani has a few ex-boyfriends still in the picture, while Gaurav is a flirt and a member of an all-boys club engaged in questionable online activities. He has even been auditioning women for a short film titled Prem Ki Pyaasi, Main Adivasi.

Kiran (Tanvika Parlikar), his sister, is engaged to Anupam (Kiku Sharda), and their relationship is fraught with tension, primarily due to her insistence on accessing his phone, which he refuses to give. The insights Gaurav and Baani gain about one another through their phones far exceed their in-person interactions. The situation escalates to the brink of ending their relationship, but ultimately, reason prevails.

The film tends to become repetitive and drags on once the phones are swapped. Although set in Delhi, the dialogue among characters is incessant, leaving one longing for moments of quiet. The performances of the cast are adequate; while they do not particularly shine, they manage to deliver a commendable performance. Overall, this exploration of romantic entanglements is neither absurd nor particularly memorable.

Bad Ridden

Film: Badass Ravikumar

Cast: Himesh Reshamiya, Prabhu Deva, Kirti Kulhari

Directed by: Keith Gomes

Duration: 2 hours 22 minutes

Rating: * *

‘Badass Ravikumar is a film that features a hero whose actions are accompanied by the repetitive background music screaming “Badass, badass”, ensuring that the title remains at the forefront of the viewer’s mind. This film, directed by Keith Gomes, serves as an unabashed homage to the cinematic style of the 1980s, where logic often takes a backseat. While it includes some weighty dialogues, it lacks the distinctive charm and absurdity, characteristic of that era’s films.

The opening credits humorously declare that “Logic is optional”, a sentiment that seems to resonate with many contemporary films. The narrative introduces Ravi Kumar (Himesh Reshamiya), detailing his childhood, the separation from his brother, and the death of their father. Now a police officer, Ravi Kumar has embraced a “badass” persona, opting for a chainsaw over a knife for self-defense. Despite facing suspension on multiple occasions, his services are once again called upon by Bharat Mata. This time, he is tasked with travelling to Oman to recover a physical reel containing sensitive information about India’s military forces.

The antagonist, Carlos Pedro Panther (Prabhu Deva), boasts a flamboyant name and a striking appearance, complete with a red suit and golden boots, as he seeks to obtain the reel. This reel is currently held by Laila (Kriti Kulhari), who once harboured feelings for Ravikumar, only to be driven to distraction by his affection for her sister, Madhubala, which was reciprocated.

“You are very negative and I hate negativity,” says Ravi Kumar before bumping off a bad guy. The dialogue continues to flow consistently, with lines such as, “‘Tu bade hoke bigda hoga, main bachpan se hi kharaa bhoon” He also says, “Jo Ravi Kumar se ulajta hai, uske photo mein haar lagta hai”, displaying his level of confidence.

In order to obtain the reel, he must steal a valuable necklace from a highly secured location, employing a tactic reminiscent of  Dharmendra’s approach in Shalimar (1978). His ability to sing and dance proves advantageous, as Sunny Leone makes a cameo appearance, and their performance serves to distract the guards.

However, the musical numbers detract from the already limited momentum of the film; one of the songs is titled ‘Tandoori Days’, leaving one to ponder what might follow—perhaps ‘Paneer Nights’? The acting leaves much to be desired. While it is clear that logic was not a priority in this film, one would expect at least a modicum of competent filmmaking.