Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat’ has finally been released on Netflix after a not-so-memorable run at the ticket windows. Is the Alaya F-Karan Mehta starrer worth your time? Or can you skip it? Read the full movie review to find out.
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Karan Mehta, Alaya F, Vicky Kaushal, Sapna Pabbi
Available On: Netflix
Duration: 2 Hours 01 Minute
In London, a girl likes a boy, a little too much. And, in a parallel universe in Himachal, exists a boy that likes a girl. The two unrequited love stories, burdened by social status, caste and inequality are breathlessly, heading on towards each other. Will the two intensely one-sided loves find a matching partner? Will the two different stories meet at any point? Who is DJ Mohabbat and how is he connected to the entire scheme of things? Well, for all that you'll have to watch the movie.
Vicky Kaushal steals the scene, even though he has just a guest appearance. As DJ Mohabbat, his look, his deep baritone voice, and his facial expressions make this character memorable. It would be interesting to see an entire film on just him, why he is that way, how he has so much knowledge about modern-day love and his backstory. Something which Anurag Kashyap should highly consider.
Alaya F is definitely in top form again. Even though there is not too much of a difference in her look as the school girl and as the party girl, she somehow manages to make the two character’s approaches towards love, different. What is still disappointing is that Alaya’s characters don’t have the spine to stand up and take the weight of the entire story. The characters are very well written on paper but somehow miss the bull’s eye on the screen.
Karan Mehta as a debutant does decently. With two different hairstyles, he has managed to not confuse the audience as to which character is which in the two stories. So, that’s a relief. To add to that, his doing some superb parkour stunts makes you want to see more and more of him. However, what's concerning is his dialogue delivery. He didn’t have too much to talk about in one character, and in the other one, he has a specific sort of lisp, which could be a character trait, but overall, you are not left fully impressed. But, considering it’s his very first film, he definitely leaves a mark.
Sapna Pabbi is totally wasted in such a small character. She is hardly there in the first half of the story, and then in the second half, she completely vanishes.
Anurag Kashyap comes up with an unconventional take on a romantic film. His writing and direction bring freshness to a regular love story. You’re constantly wondering how these two sets of characters are going to meet. Are they in two different time periods, are they in two generations of the same family tree, or are they simply two different stories but a part of the same universe – your mind is constantly jumping from one to the other till the very last scene of the movie. That unpredictability makes the film worth the watch. To add to this, Kashyap’s writing also throws light on societal evils like Love Jihad and Honour Killings. It also doesn’t shy away from showing a dark side to one-sided romance.
Amit Trivedi is obviously killing it with the music. Songs like ‘Duniya’, ‘Netflix & Chill’ and ‘Mohabbat Se Kranti’ became massively popular when the movie was released in theatres earlier this year. Even after a few months, the songs are still topping music charts, so one can imagine how popular these have become. The songs sit well with the narrative and don’t take you away from the story that’s unfolding in front of you. They blend well with the plot at every juncture where they come on. That’s a great combo to have. After the massive success of the ‘Manmarziyaan’ soundtrack, Trivedi-Kashyap manage to bring forth another soundtrack which can be undoubtedly considered one of the bests of this year.
Sylvester Fonseca’s cinematography is another highlight of the film. There is not a single point where you’re not able to connect with the two different stories happening. When one story switches to the other, just with the set-up and the way the shots are taken, you’re easily transported to that story. Considering both the stories have the same actors, it’s very difficult to strike a balance and present the two stories with two different looks. Fonseca has managed to do that with perfection. Even then, if he had used two different filters for depicting the two timelines, it would have been far easier for audiences to swivel from one story to the other.
Konark Saxena’s editing was crisp. However, this was one of the low points of the movie. A connoisseur of movies would definitely be able to relate to the two different stories and be able to jump between the two smoothly, but when it comes to the common Indian diaspora, it will indeed be very difficult for them to switch back and forth between the two stories. Maybe a different hue or filter to the two different timelines would have made it easier for commoners to separate the two stories from one another, otherwise, people who’re not watching intently will be constantly confused as to what’s happening and where.
Yes
‘Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat’ is a modern-day take on unrequited love. The two different stories keep you hooked till the very climax when they end up finally revealing the connection between the two stories. The music is fab, and so is the cinematography. People looking for a feel-good romantic film can steer clear of this, as you might be disappointed to wit's end. But, if you’re looking for an out-of-the-box romantic film, then this is a Must Watch. I am going with 3.5 stars.