It starts with a
designer lehenga and ends up with an ode to the Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
climax. The plot of Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is like a roller coaster ride
that encounters a few loose nuts and bolts along the way. Kavya (Alia) is a
small town girl who wants to dress up in a five lakh designer outfit for
her wedding. She's getting married to Angad (Sidharth Shukla) - the perfect NRI
boy who her dad (Ashutosh Rana) dotes. Humpty (Varun) is a Delhi boy who loves
to make quick money conning people though his heart is in the right place. He
bumps into Kavya during one such episode and ends up falling in love with her.
What follows is a DDLJ tribute with a modern day twist.
Positives
There is lot of spunk
in the script. Especially the first half has some moments that stand out
because of good writing and an ensemble cast that understands its language. The
scene where Varun and Kavya help her friend in a MMS scandal or their drunken
dance episode work because of the way they are conceived. Thankfully a lot of
attention has been paid at the writing level which saves the film from nose
diving early on. Alia and Varun might not be Kajol and Shah Rukh, but they have
enough chemistry to make the scenes believable. A lot is said and conveyed
through eye contact, body language and how easy they are with each other. The
kissing and love making doesnt look rehearsed and there is a natural flow to
their banter. Varun restrains is performance when needed and lets all the
energy explode in his dance numbers. Alia is best when she underplays Kavya and
brings out her vulnerable side. Ashutosh Rana fits the role and looks the part.
The Samjhawan track is a stand out and the supporting cast that includes
Varun's friends are superb.
Negatives
The Delhi set up falls
flat, especially the whole charactersiation of Humpty is a bit weak. He's a
good guy, yet he wants to find the easy way out. Also his styling looks a bit
off and lacks consistency. Alia goes over the top in the first half and gets
screechy in some of the dialogues. She doesn't have to amp up the fizz in Kavya
cause she's trying to fill in Kajol's shoes. Despite the efforts to not have
constant parallels drawn with DDLJ, the film often ends up playing to the
gallery and using montages from the original and recreating them. Siddharth
Shukla looks good and has a great personality but doesn't really score much in
the acting department.
BottomLine
Its a wothy movie to
watch with your partner. It's definitely not a modern day DDLJ, but it still
ends up being an enjoyable romantic ride.
