Hasee Toh Phasee Review

What is it all about?

This contemporary tale of commitment, love and romantisims is a first-class production spirited by some fabulous performances with fair deliverables to the heart though the `addiction' to `normal' rom-com cliches steals the sombreness it promised pre-interval but still it's a cozy sweet time with your valentine in the end.

The Story

Harshavardhan Kulkarni designs a Mahesh Bhatt, Anurag Kashyap's movie character in a Dharma love story - Meeta (Parineeti Chopra) is intelligent, open minded who trips on pills one day while running from her sister Diksha's wedding meets Nikhil (Sidharth Malhotra) who helps her to elope without knowing the facts about her and falls in love with Karishma (Adah Sharma) Meeta's sister. After seven years Meeta returns to Mumbai at the time when Nikhil and Karishma are about to get married. Karishma is now a TV actress while Nikhil is struggling to fit in her and her father's `bills'. Karishma asks Nikhil to take care of Meeta and keep her existence as a secret to avoid any embarrassment to her family. Circumstances force Nikhil to let Meeta stay with his parents (Sharat Saxena, Neena Kulkarni) relatives and the baraatis. While busy with their marriage preparations Nikhil, Karishma and Meeta undergo an identity check and crises that creates new bonds and breaks some silence. Harshavardhan Kulkarni scores maximum in his characterizations Meeta and Nikhil are real, identifiable and simple. You find innovations in the writings during the beginning. The sequences between Nikhil and Meeta are amusingly funny but as the film a progress the writer struggles to find depth in the romance between Nikhil and Meeta and misses the opportunity to add layers to its story. Dialogues by Anurag Kashyap, Purva Naresh, Vinil Matthew are catchy, funny.

What to look out for?

Ad Man Vinil Matthew creates a warm welcome for himself in Bollywood as a director. It was a tough task for Vinil as the cinema of his producers - Dharma and Phantom - was different. But kudos to Vinil who did it differently without being indifferent to the core. After the introduction of Nikhil and Meeta we are assured of a good time in the theatre.  Vinil successfully makes the audience enjoy its amusing, funny, feel-good moments and keeps the family melodrama subdued in comparison to earlier Dharma movies. Winningly acted by the lead where Sidharth gets it true solo star vehicle as an actor. Some faint haunting of Shashi Kapoor is found which a compliment. He is charming, sweet, natural and very effective. Sidharth makes the industry to take a serious note of his caliber with this. Parineeti is the entertainer over here. Simply outstanding! Yes, she does the bindaas care, bubbly bala again but viola, how refreshing once again. Superb. Adah Sharma gets a god scope and she does a wonderful job. Manoj Joshi  as the father is first rate. Sharat Saxena, and Neena Kulkarni fit the bill. Production values are superb. Technicalities are fine. Cinematography by Sanu John Varughese is gorgeous; Editing by Shweta Venkat is sharp.

What not?

More com less rom. Well Vinil Matthew and Harshavardhan Kulkarni successfully lift us from those amusing funny moments that are aplenty the romance is there but it doesn't stays and gets consolidated. The ignorance of the writers and the laziness of the director to speed up the heart beats of Nikhil and Meeta at crucial points turns spoiler. Innovative start but a cliche end stops the movie from pushing its envelope further as the makers fail to add any potential layers and see any depth beyond a rom com. Vishal-Shekhar's musical is good while watching but no take home.

Conclusion: 'Hasee Toh Phasee' is cool but not that happening as it promised in its opening reels but still it's a cozy, delightful and witty time with your valentine anytime.

Rating ***