By: He Who Must Not Be Named
Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Anil Rastogi, Pravin Chandra, Mohd. Hafeez, Aaftab Ahmed, Gauhar Khan
Music: Amit Trivedi
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Director: Habib Faisal
Rating: ***
If you are from Noth India, you have already seen ‘Ishaqzaade’ in your
everyday life. In case you hail from any other part from this country,
YRF’s latest flick gives you an interesting peek into this land where
treachery is a virtue, muscle power equates manhood, family honour lies
in your daughter’s virginity, love is a crime and hate unites.
Yes, it all happens in every nondescript, grubby town of Uttar Pradesh
and certainly in Almore as well where Parma (Arjun Kapoor) and Zoya
(Parineeti Chopra) grow up hating each other. Why... because their
respective families are baying for each other’s bloods over a
legislative assembly seat.
Amidst the several rounds of gunfires and tight slaps the two eventually
come close and seem to look like every second rebel couple before Parma
delivers a coup-de-grace and shocks everyone watching his adorable act.
After all he has grown up in Chauhans’ ‘Mardon ki haveli’ and hence
starts another round of tiffs and gore.
Along comes the Chand baby (Gauhar Khan) a somewhat sane voice in this
maddening crowd. But hers is a voice too feeble to be heard in this
badland of hooligans.
Love does make a comeback in their lives but will they be able to
survive the onslaught of these bloodthirsty boors? Well, for that you
have to pay a visit to these Ishaqzaade, who have done a fairly decent
job in this tough love story.
Parineeti Chopra deserves a special mention for her portrayal of a
headstrong girl, going through one emotional turmoil after other. She
looks promising for several author backed roles which might come her way
after Ishaqzaade. But Katrinas and Deepikas need not worry; she belongs
to Vidya Balan’s clan.
Arjun Kapoor makes a fairly decent debut too. Though his churlish UP lad
lacks the required diction and accent, he makes up for them with his
high-intensity performance. Sure he is not going away anytime soon.
Gauhar Khan remains an unexplored gem. It never ceases to amaze me why
no one gives her that much deserved chance apart from YRF. She certainly
deserves it and much more respect than being an item girl.
The screenplay is taut and Habib Faisal displays his grip over the story
especially in the first half. He is certainly not one of those
armchair directors. He shows his prowess with the powerful dialogues and
feisty direction. He is someone who actually senses the pulse of this
country’s middle class. More power to you, mate.
Music by Amit Trivedi is rustic and captures the essence of small towns quite well.
Ishaqzaade looks a tad bit stretched in the second half but it
certainly is not a ‘dangerous ishq’ which will bore you for too long.
Go
watch it, if you want to get a raw taste of North India. Perhaps then
you will understand how ‘dangerous’ it is to be an ‘Ishaqzaade’ in this
mad, mad land.