- First up Aanand L Rai, you had me at Banta! (That fizzy lemon drink where you pop marble in). I have a zillion happy college memories of drinking that stuff (although Covid 19 kinda killed that concept forever eh?)
2. Sara Ali Khan looks absolutely radiant while playing a character that is so rough around the edges. I LOVE her in it. Complete with her messy hair, foul mouth and ability to stay just shy of crass by being so cute. Also, Chaka Chak in a neon sari on the big screen is a big win. She shows range and vulnerability well beyond her experience and I’m so happy this is her post-pandemic release. (Yes I know the pandemic isn’t over but you know what I mean, please focus on the review!)
3. The badass Nani (who you will love to hate) has mad boss vibes. I would not F with her.
4. I don’t know whether it’s all the slow-motion running in old Indian courtyards or multiple scenes where everyone is casually drenched in the rain, but it all felt very reminiscent of a time before the pandemic. Not a mask in sight, even though there is some lowkey (albeit justified) shade at the pollution levels in Delhi!
5. Dhanush, Oh my God! I think everyone is going to leave the theatre crushing on him to the max. I kinda want to watch the whole movie again with someone who speaks Tamil just so I can understand everything he says, although he says it all so well just with a few tear-filled eyes and intonation. His talent shines through with an absolutely stellar performance that is so subtle and sincere you want to hug the guy almost constantly.
6. Can we all agree that more than a knight in shining armour all a girl wants anymore is a boy who does a happy dance outside her door because he loves her and she delights him and will make the whole damn world celebrate whatever she wants to celebrate. This my friends is love. #Goals
7. High five to the filmmakers for telling one about the good guys and adding an important lesson in respecting women – for men of all ages.
8. Mental health is a tough one to fictionalise romantically, especially if you want to keep it hopeful without being flippant. PTSD is a severe condition (and not limited to survivors of war) and the film tackles it really well in a context that I hope a mass audience is ready to understand if explained sensitively like this by the writer Himanshu Sharma. In fact, the film is slightly reminiscent of Sadma (the 1983 film starring Sridevi and Kamal Hassan) with a modern edge of course.
9. Akshay Kumar brings the expected razzle-dazzle and does what he does best – smile a grand smile that makes everything a little better. Also, kudos to him for being a superstar and having fun with an experimental role!
10. And final the music is A.R. Rahman. You simply can’t go wrong there! Every tune is timed to perfection and an experience in itself.
I highly recommend you add this to your OTT watch list this Friday, Dec 24th on Disney Hotstar because we all need to believe that empathy and kindness exists, just like in the movies, and that’s what “love marriages” should be made of.