What is it all about?
Kash ye agar 2006 hota toh ye picture semi hit toh jarror hota. But the ‘timing’ of the almighty and the thing called destiny cannot be explained. Satish Kaushik this time for Boney Kapoor gets inspired from the 2001 Hollywood rom com ‘Serendipity’ starring John Cussak and Kate Beckinsale.
‘Milenge Milenge’
is a romantic bauble set in Bangkok, Delhi, this love story ignores physical attractiveness and runs on spiritual lanes of wish fulfillment, destiny, totally devoted to the notion that there is one special someone out there for everyone is sweet in its first half but the overtime in the second and hurried forced approach does the villainy in this rom com.
The Story…of course
Immy (Shahid Kapoor) and Priya (Kareena Kapoor) meet at a youth festival in Bangkok. Priya is a romantic at heart and expects her life partner to be a teetotaler, a guy who doesn't smoke and also, who doesn't lie. Immy is totally opposite of what Priya wants from her life partner. Their world collides when Immy lays his hands on Priya's personal diary and learns of her likes and dislikes. He poses as her dream mate by giving her a totally different picture of himself.
While preparing to return to Delhi, Priya discovers the copy of her diary in Immy's room. She realizes that Immy has made a fool of her and decides to confront him. In the meantime, Immy confides in his friends that although he has cheated Priya, he is truly in love with her. But Priya appears in front of him and all hell breaks loose. She decides to end the relationship.
Immy tries to regain her trust by telling her that they are destined to be together. Priya decides that if it is destined that they be together, then they will find each other in Delhi again, although both do not know each other's whereabouts in Delhi. Three years later, Immy returns from abroad, while Priya is now settled in Mumbai. Immy is engaged to a family friend's daughter (Aarti Chhabria), while Priya has also moved on in life. She is in a relationship with a pop singer.
Both of them are about to be married, but after all these years, they still have this nagging feeling that the other was his/her true love. Of course, fate conspires to bring them back together (after several near misses) as they simultaneously undertake one last attempt to find one another just before they get married to someone else.
What to look out for?
The sentiments at the heart of the picture are highly romantic, the first half is engaging though Shahid and Kareena very younger the way they looked during ‘Yuva’ but their chemistry is still so sweet on screen. It’s a typical Bollywood rom com and the movie opens with a cute meeting when the boy sees his dream lover sleeping like an angel on a full moon night.
The first half is engaging, Satish Kaushik handles those scenes effectively especially the debate on anti smoking is finely done. You start believing that like ‘Wanted’ Boney might get luck again. Himesh Reshammiya's musical score is quite good. “Kuch To Baaki Hai” and the title track are good compositions. Technically decent. The movie has its share of fun. Shahid looks boyish and does a fine job. Kareena is fantastic. As said earlier the chemistry is cute. Delnaaz Paul and Sarfaraz Khan impress. Satish Shah is hardly funny. Kirron Kher excels in a brief role.
What not?
Its dated look is its biggest villain. Anybody can see the promo and say that the lead pair looks so young. Camera doesn’t lie. The second half is disappointing, Satish Kaushik make the lovers running here and there finding their where abouts but doesn’t make the audience understand and feel their love. Aarti Chabaria, Himani Shivpuri is wasted. Strangely Satish Kaushik fails to create impact in his cameo and Satish Shah hardly amuses. Himani Shivpuri is wasted. Himesh music has nothing to hum along.
Conclusion:
In spite of having ex flame Shahid and Kareena as lovers on screen, the passe look uninspiring, unromantic, second half is its biggest drawback. Watch it if you must.
Rating **
What is it all about?
Candy floss days are here again, ‘IHLS’ is happy bubble but cliché where Imran and Sonam come into their own as confident young performers bringing the candy gloss days back.
The Story… Of course
'I hate luv storys' is the maxim Jay (Imran) lives by. But as an assistant director to Veer (Sameer Soni), the most famous romantic filmmaker of Indian Film Industry, Jay has little option but to live with larger than life, glossy, cinematic love on an everyday basis. Things only get worse when he is made to work under the new production designer on the film... Simran (Sonam), with whom he shares the strangest first encounter!
Simran loves luv storys; So much so that even her life has begun to resemble one. With her ideal job and the perfect boyfriend, Raj (Sammer Dattani), she lives a blissful, dreamy life; one that is rudely interrupted by Jay's cynicism.
The turmoil's of Jay and Simran's life is ironically interwoven with the Luv Story that they are working on... But will Jay and Simran ever find their own Luv Story…? Keep guessing.
What To Look Out For?
Well after those ‘Raajneeti’ bloodshed and the ‘ten heads’ now it’s the time to feel good…
Dharam production with UTV again visits the popcorn stalls with ‘I Hate Luv Stories’ this goody goody feel good has its grades in the freshness in the Jodi of Imran and Sonam where Imran excels from ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’ with his eye brows, smiles, yeah he can’t dance but covers with his spontaneity. Sonam is a revelation, the lass looks beautiful and delivers and sweet performance.
The chemistry is cute and that’s the major highlight of this romancer which is minus in its story but manages to score by some good humour – the take on Karan Johar, SLB (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) and their romantic cinema. Nice dialogues, decent score by Vishal Shekhar and Salim-Sulaiman's background. Well captured by T. Ayananka Bose's lense, Manish Malhotra’s styling all is in and happening.
Good acting from the support cast where Samir Soni is brilliant. Dattani is decent, Kavin Dave as Imran’s friend is excellent. Aamir Ali impresses. Bruna Abdullah looks delicious.
The dialogue, scenarios and emotions on display in ‘IHLS’ are as close to any typical rom com could get.
It may not be the greatest love story ever told, but it might be the one with the most heart.
First timer Punit impresses with his first attempt as a helmer but fails in the story part.
What Not?
Its very predictable, right from the first frame you know what will happen in the end.
The idea on paper of a young art director and an assistant director having diverse opinion on love and relationships falling in love during the making of a love story has tremendous cinematic opportunities to explore, where layers after layers could have been added to this reel imitating real story of love, but the push and pull of box office requirements made the writer to stick to the tested norms where he managed to make a little spoof on today’s top romance tellers of Bollywood. It becomes difficult to hold interest when you have a paper thin plot and as a result in the end the movie drags.
Remarks: All said and done, ‘IHLS’ is still a narrator of love to your valentine if you don’t mind the cliché tale and don’t want to do anything to release the arrested mindset of today’s helmers who need bail.
Rating ***
