Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania -ALL REVIEWS - Page 11

Review: Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Ashutosh Rana, Sahil Vaid, Gaurav Pandey, Siddharth Shukla

Director : Shashank Khaitan

"Main toh paida hi hot hui thi", says Ambala's resident pataka' Kavya Pratap Singh. And slays Dilli da munda' Humpty Sharma. The banter between the two is easy, natural, fun. That they will fall for each other is inevitable, because that's the way they have been set up, and the process makes the first half of Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania' a breeze. I smiled all the way till the half way point.

After the interval, it becomes another story. Or shall we say, the same old, same old story, in which the plot, which had been going swimmingly along despite its stretches, begins to meander, and lose its way.

The title tells us that the film is yet another Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' variant, so we can't complain when the plot points start feeling the same, even if the details are different. So there's your coming together of the girl (Alia) and boy (Varun Dhawan), initial smart-alecky backchat melting into passion.

Humpty (Varun Dhawan) and Kavya's (Alia) turning up the heat makes Raj and Simran's dalliance in those two decades-old mustard fields almost chaste. It makes the film feel real, and current. It tells us that time has passed, and things have changed, especially when it comes to showing young love on screen.

But the change is fleeting. In Bollywood, the more things change the more they stay the same. So there's your stern bauji' (Ashutosh Rana), flanked by your beeji' and veerji' and company. From Dilli, the action shifts to a large homestead in Ambaley (if you are a true blue Punjabbi, you will not call it Ambala), which is all set to receive a suitable, well-settled' NRI groom (Sidharth Shukla), and act as a barrier to true love.

Debutant director Shashank Khaitan's sure hand (and good ear) helps paper over a couple of improbable sequences in the first half, letting us in into the street-smart ways of Humpty and his besties, Poplu and Shonty (Sahil Vaid and Gaurav Pandey respectively, both excellent). But it deserts him when the romance kicks in, and the dulha' and the dulhan' and assorted characters are left dangling in a tiresome second half. So are we.

Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania' scores with its likeable lead pair. Varun Dhawan still has raw edges and lets the effort show but he is right for Humpty the Dumpty who likes sitting on wall, and doesn't mind a fall. As the designer lehenga'-craving kudi' who turns into a girl who chooses substance over style, Alia Bhatt is vibrant and fresh, and the highlight of the film.

How about this lot in a film that toplines a smooth-as-butter, not-weighed-under- a- DDLJ-tribute plot?

Two and a half stars

http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/humpty-sharma-ki-dulhania-review-alia-bhatt-is-vibrant-varun-dhawan-still-has-raw-edges/

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Ashutosh Rana, Siddharth Shukla

Director: Shashank Khaitan

Rating: ***

What's it about

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.

What's hot

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.

What's not

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.

What to do:

It's definitely not a modern day DDLJ, but it still ends up being an enjoyable romantic ride worth the price of its ticket.

http://www.dnaindia.com/film-review/report-film-review-humpty-sharma-ki-dulhania-is-a-romantic-ride-worth-the-watch-2001408