3/5
After a carefully planned marketing campaign and some beautiful songs that aroused interest in this uniquely titled movie, this Yash Raj venture released today. Directed by Habib Faisal who has been a regular in the Yash Raj stable and produced by Aditya Chopra, Ishaqzaade stars debutante Arjun Kapoor, son of Bonny Kapoor and the one film old Parineeti Chopra, cousin of Priyanka Chopra. Does it make an impact? Read on to find out.
Ishaqzaade is the rustic love story between Parma (Arjun Kapoor) and Zoya (Parineeti), 2 youngsters from opposite clans of the political scene in Almor, a small town in central India. While Parma is a Hindu belonging to the Chauhan family, Zoya is a Muslim belonging to the Qureshi family. Their journey together starts off with great friction amid campaigning for the local MLA election, becomes romantically intense, has some betrayal thrown in and on the whole it is not a bed of roses by any means. Finally when the young lovers decide to bury their differences after being consumed by their love for each other, they are not let to live in peace. Whether they unite, given the severe culture of hatred between the Hindus and Muslims in their town, is the finale of this movie.
This is one of the rare rustic love stories to come out of Bollywood amid the slew of urban movies coming out every other week. The pace of the movie is pretty steady save few instances in the second half like when a dance number suddenly pops in and during the extended chase sequence in the climax.
Parineeti Chopra is the lifeline of the movie. She is a natural and emotions just come so easily to her, be it mischief or rage or romance. A real talent to watch out for and a possible replacement for Rani Mukherjee’s brand of boisterous acting. The hulky and hunky Arjun Kapoor makes a very earnest debut. The kind of effort that a city lad like him must have put to get into the skin of such a rural character is admirable. Though he is a bit sluggish in his body language, his dance moves are terrific and his wicked laughs stand out. The chemistry between the lead players is the main reason why this movie leaves a mark on you.
The ‘Pareshaan’ song in the 1st half in particular is a dreamy montage song where the lead pair develops their romantic interests. There are also some intense physical moments between the two which have been aesthetically captured. Gauhar Khan also has an impressive role as the dancer who gives some solace to the pair in the raging second half.
Amit Trivedi’s songs are the next major standout. ‘Pareshaan’ and ‘Ishaqzaade’ will remain with you long after the movie gets over. The BGM score by Ranjit Barot is also in line with the movie’s mood. The cinematographer Hemant Chaturvedi, has captured the raw energy of the rural heartland of our country.
To conclude, Ishaqzaade will stay with you and make an impact given the magical on-screen chemistry between the lead pair and the unconventional climax that will leave you pondering on the way back home from the theater. The director has woven a message into the climax and though it surely affects you, you do wonder if the movie could have ended in a different way.
VERDICT: An absorbing tale of love in the backdrop of intense communal politics.
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