Recently on my British Airways flight from Heathrow to Seattle, I was trying to see a movie or two on their inflight entertainment channel. I could not find a Bollywood segment on the menu. I just wanted to see some Bollywood stuff which I had missed due to any reason in the past. I could find this Humpty Sharma Kee Dulhnia in Comedy Section with English subtitle. I watched this movie in a single go while sipping Spanish wine. Though I could be able to see it almost eight month after the release but I am including it in my blog due to certain reasons. Frankly speaking I liked this movie not merely as a fullto entertainment package but also mirroring the changed North Indian society, mindset of newly liberated youth especially the girls there. It some how assures that despite new liberated atmosphere in North where a girl can compete with boys in beer guzzling, dare to stay overnight after boozing with three boys in a room, the core values remained unchanged.
You may say that the plot is a lift from DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE, released in 1995. DDLJ has inspired and motivated a number of other storytellers between 1995 to 2014. HSKD (HUMPTY SHARMA KI DULHANIA)'s debutant director Shashank Khaitan borrows the essence from Aditya Chopra's all-time classic film but gives an altogether new spin to it in a more contemporary context.
HSKD is akin to the entertainers we had relished in 1980s and 1990s, using the time-tested template i.e. boy meets girl, love blossoms, boy/girl's authoritarian parent acts as a roadblock, but Shashank makes sure to prettify it with dollops of entertainment, light- heart drama, heartfelt emotions and of course, harmonious songs that linger in your memory. The chemistry between its lead pair -- Varun Dhavan and Alia Bhatt -- is electrifying.
The plot
When Kavya Pratap Singh played by Alia Bhatt, a chirpy, yet feisty girl from Ambala, in the bastion of Jatland Haryana, decides to make a trip to Delhi for her marriage shopping, she meets a young, carefree Delhi lad, Humpty Sharma (Varun Dhawan). Humpty's father (Kenny Desai)is the owner of a campus bookstore, where Humpty and his two best friends, Shonty (Gaurav Pandey) and Poplu (Sahil Vaid), have grown up together.
Kavya is unattainable for Humpty initially, which makes her even more endearing to him. But he is not the one to give up so easily. With some help from his two best friends, he finds out all about her and through an interesting turn of events including a ploy to save Kavya's friend Gurpreet's marriage, they start growing closer to each other.The way Kavya and Humpty shot film of blackmailer boy with a lady of his mother's age in full sexual act in a hotel room is quite interesting. They collected ransom from blackmailer boy and his ladylove, a very interesting dialogue between black mailer boy and in his lady love where she says 'Tum to Mere Bete jaise Ho' after being straped with her cash and jewelry.
The more timeKavya and Humpty spend with each other, their love-hate banter grows, but their chemistry is apparent. They are both different, yet very similar as people.
Once Kavya's trip ends, she heads back to Ambala, knowing too well that her father, the very strict yet loving Mr. Singh (Ashutosh Rana), would never accept her love for Humpty. But even though they both weren't looking for love, love happened. So Humpty, accompanied by his two friends, decides to go get Kavya. That's the beginning of a journey for him that he wouldn't have imagined undertaking even in the wildest of his dreams.
Humpty, against all odds, decides to convince Kavya's family to agree to his alliance with her. While Mr Singh choosen an NRI boy for her, a perfect boy in all respect. She realises that more than perfect boy you need a boy with perfect love chemistry. When she opens her heart before her father then her dialogue 'For me a locally stitched wedding dress is better than a costly designer wedding gown.
Kavya is unattainable for Humpty initially, which makes her even more endearing to him. But he is not the one to give up so easily. With some help from his two best friends, he finds out all about her and through an interesting turn of events including a ploy to save Kavya's friend Gurpreet's marriage, they start growing closer to each other.The way Kavya and Humpty shot film of blackmailer boy with a lady of his mother's age in full sexual act in a hotel room is quite interesting. They collected ransom from blackmailer boy and his ladylove, a very interesting dialogue between black mailer boy and in his lady love where she says 'Tum to Mere Bete jaise Ho' after being straped with her cash and jewelry.
The more timeKavya and Humpty spend with each other, their love-hate banter grows, but their chemistry is apparent. They are both different, yet very similar as people.
Once Kavya's trip ends, she heads back to Ambala, knowing too well that her father, the very strict yet loving Mr. Singh (Ashutosh Rana), would never accept her love for Humpty. But even though they both weren't looking for love, love happened. So Humpty, accompanied by his two friends, decides to go get Kavya. That's the beginning of a journey for him that he wouldn't have imagined undertaking even in the wildest of his dreams.
Humpty, against all odds, decides to convince Kavya's family to agree to his alliance with her. While Mr Singh choosen an NRI boy for her, a perfect boy in all respect. She realises that more than perfect boy you need a boy with perfect love chemistry. When she opens her heart before her father then her dialogue 'For me a locally stitched wedding dress is better than a costly designer wedding gown.
Highlights
HSKD is a quintessential typical Bollywood romance and ticks all the customary boxes that make a love story work. Yet, Shashank Khaitan makes sure the screenwriting incorporates several amusing and compelling episodes that steer clear of rusty formulas that we are used to watching in films of this genre. Shashank also steers clear of full-scale melodrama, loud and familiar masala and earsplitting background score, which could've seeped in naturally, given the genre of the film. He keeps it subtle, but makes sure the film wins the viewers over. The sequences between Varun and Ashutosh Rana are the highpoint of the film. I'd like to single out the sequence at the railway station; it's incredible. Of course, the ones between Varun and Alia are the soul of the enterprise and the chemistry makes it all the more interesting.
As a storyteller, Shashank knows his fundamentals right and he gives his lead actors a well-knit, cohesive screenplay to peg their acting skills. Additionally, the film is brimming with several earnest episodes, besides decorating the sequences with witty lines. Furthermore, the soundtrack compliments the proceedings delightfully. 'Samjhawan' is hugely popular, while 'Saturday' has caught on big time too. The vibrant colors of North India are captured proficiently by its Photographer Neha Parti Matiyani.
Varun gets the attitude of the character spot-on and pulls up a winning act. He reveals a sharp timing for comedy, but springs a big, big surprise in the emotional ones. In short, he makes you sit up, watch and applaud his act. Alia seems to be making the right career choices. HIGHWAY and 2 STATES specifically proved that she could transcend the glamour quotient and HSKD substantiates the fact that she will be the top contender at the awards season and it has really proven.
Siddharth Shukla makes a comfortable switch from TV to the big screen. He gets the nuances of his
character very well. Ashutosh Rana is top notch, essaying his part with gusto. It's an absolute delight watching him in a challenging role after a hiatus. The supporting cast -- Kenny Desai (Varun's father), Jaswant Daman (Alia's grandmother), Deepika Amin (Alia's mother), Mahnaz Damania (Alia's sister), Aditya Sharma (Alia's brother), Gaurav Pandey -- is just perfect, but I'd like to single out Sahil Vaid (Poplu), who's simply terrific!
.jpg "A Gumnam Actress Strips Nude to Protest Auto/taxi Fare Hike")
