Story: Dalhousie and London are the locations of two distinct love stories that take place simultaneously. They are doomed.
Review: Amrita (Alaya F.) is a charming and bubbly schoolgirl who spends her time making funny Ting Tong videos in disguise, listening to DJ Mohabbat's podcasts, and watching movies by stealthily stealing DVDs from the son of a local shop owner, Yaqub (Karan Mehta). She is in love with the DJ, and her only goal in life is to go to his hotshot Holi party in a secret hilltop location. However, before she could make any plans, her strict Hindu family places her under house arrest for spending time with the Muslim boy in the neighborhood, whom they believe to be “pehle mohabbat dikhate hain, phir Jannat.” The two young people run away from their parents because they are so infatuated with DJ Mohabbat's music. This sets off a series of bad things that are bound to happen. In a parallel universe, Yaqub's lookalike Harmeet (Karan Mehta) is putting in a lot of effort to establish himself as a budding musician. However, Ayesha (Alaya F.), the wealthy and spoiled daughter of a Pakistani businessman who is based in London, starts crushing on him and obsessing over him to the point where her actions start having a negative impact on his life. Strangely, she is identical to Amrita, but they are not related.
It's a fascinating idea, and there are often thrilling and unpredictable moments when you don't know what will happen. The story of Anurag Kashyap is also multilayered, but it never comes together in a coherent way. Instead, it appears to be attempting to address an excessive number of issues without much conviction. Everything from love jihad to same-sex marriages and patriarchal, dysfunctional families to differences based on caste, religion, and social inequality is there, but none of it is explored or done in a way that makes you think about it for a long time. The film alternates frequently between Himachal's snow-covered mountainous terrain and London's dimly lit pubs. Shellee's funky lyrics and Amit Trivedi's unconventional music (like "Mohabbat se Kranti" and "Ghanghor Connection") feel young, fresh, and relevant to the story, but the overall score isn't up to par for a musical. After you leave the theater, we doubt that any of the many songs will stick with you.
The role that Vicky Kaushal plays as DJ Mohabbat is intriguing, and the actor seems to be enjoying the eccentricities of his character, which he reprises from his 2018 movie "Manmarziyan." On screen, newcomer Karan Mehta exudes confidence and shows promise. He does go overboard as Harmeet at times, and his act of pretending to laugh is downright irritating. Alaya F. is equally good in both her glam and de-glam avatars, and as usual, she does an excellent job of bringing life to her role. Alaya is brilliant in both of her roles, which range from a brash Londoner who is hopelessly in love to a schoolgirl who rebels against her male-dominated family.
In general, it is a novel love story that is filled with common social problems and clichés. Beyond that, however, it fails miserably to make this movie an engaging and entertaining experience. “Na koi plan hai, na purpose,” as Amrita, the character in Alaya, tells Yaqub after their long and difficult journey, is precisely our thought.
