Sanam Re Movie Review
[wp-review]Following her unflattering directorial debut, Yaariyan, the fact that Divya Khosla Kumar gets to helm another, may get many to quip, ‘have producer husband, will direct’. But her benefactors aside, Khosla Kumar attempts a cliched love story that spans across decades and continents and tests your tolerance levels. But to the film’s credit, while the story lacks substance and is overtly simplistic, Sanjeev Datta’s screenplay ensures the sequence of events fall in place to build a tolerable narrative that can keep you mildly entertained through the 120 minutes of its runtime.
For go-getter Aakash (Pulkit Samrat), surviving his maniacally demanding and verbally-challenged boss (Manoj Joshi) is a full-time job. Hailing from the snow-covered small town of Tanakpur, Aakash’s past has an enthusiastic-photographer-presently-senile grandfather (Rishi Kapoor). He once told Aakash that he’d find his true love 500 steps from their family photo studio. And he did; only that he had to part ways with her when shifting to the big city for education. For some unexplained reason, he also snipped all ties with this person and decided to never get in touch. Call it a miracle or a product of supremely optimistic writing, but Aakash bumps into her (Yami Gautam) at a yoga camp in Alberta, Canada. And while they hit it off, she refuses to accept being his long-lost childhood mate, Shruti.
To force a triangle, this yoga camp is also attended by Akansha (Urvashi Rautela), Aakash’s prospective client, who also happens to hail from Tanakpur and has a past associated with the man in question.
Where this khichdi of hopeful writing heads may not pick your curiosity much but how it wraps up is a surprise, given the series of cliches running through the film. Happy ending? Perhaps not, but we’re surely happy that it ended.
Following his debut in Bittoo Boss, Pulkit Samrat never got a film that gave him exclusive screen focus or his character much depth. This one gives the actor something to put in his showreel, something that may not win him any trophies, but will surely be a testament of his potential. Unfortunately, following her sharp debut in Vicky Donor, Yami Gautam seems to struggle in reading her character’s framework. One can blame the writing but what she makes of her character seems a bit irrational and whimsical.
Produced with a modest budget, it wouldn’t be surprising if the film recovers its investments through satellite rights and music alone. But being a V-Day release — when most couples rush to the multiplexes to spend time in a dark, air-conditioned place that provides unparalleled seclusion — could work in its favour.
Here is our Review
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