Earlier this year in February, one may recall a political-satire video that became viral on YouTube, titled — Bollywood Aam Aadmi Party : Arnab’s Qtiyapa. (If you haven’t watched that one, go do so right away.)
In that video the news anchor, playing Arnab Goswami, accuses a spokesperson of ‘YRPKJP (Yash Raj Productions Karan Johar Productions) alliance’ aka United Producers’ Alliance (UPA) saying, “Your numerous attempts to recreate DDLJ and KKHH have failed. Don’t you think it’s time you stop using ‘new generation’ and ‘new love’ in your tag-lines?”
And when I tell you that Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania (HSKD) is a product of Dharma Productions, produced by Karan Johar, and is directly inspired by DDLJ, plot-wise, event-wise, this is what you may end up questioning.
In the start of the movie, Humpty Sharma (Varun Dhawan) is shown watching DDLJ. While doing so, his eyes are wet on the high-on-emotion scenes.
19-years on, apart from few changes here and there, not much has changed in HSKD.
Switzerland sojourn has been substituted with a wedding-outing in Delhi, the life in the fields of Punjab has gone to urban set-up of a rich family in Ambala, leaving rest other events and characters unchanged.
A young, mischievous, prankster and bindaas Kavya’s (Alia Bhatt) marriage is fixed up with chosen-by-father NRI groom, Angad (Siddharth Shukla). She lands up in Delhi in search of a self-financed, designer Lehenga, which costs 5 lakhs. In a comic turnaround of events she meets Humpty Sharma, and with all stunts that may sound like ‘new generation love’, they end up falling for each other.
Shortly after, Kavya goes back to Ambala to prepare for her forthcoming wedding. Humpty follows and end up straightaway into the hands of Kavya’s father, Singh (Ashutosh Rana). (You may be surprised to hear that Ashutosh didn’t vanish into the wilderness after his role in Haasil. He has been there all along, his flicks weren’t noteworthy though).
Apart from Ashutosh Rana attempting to emulate the terror of Amrish Puri in DDLJ, the prominent characters from the evergreen movie of mid-90s are all there: Kavya’s mother, granny, elder sister, Humpty’s father and friends, Singh’s family members, etc.
Singh challenges Humpty to prove himself worthy of marrying his daughter, but solely in comparison to Angad. The treatment of the challenge is laudable and it generates considerable interest in the situation that evolves from here onwards.
Nevertheless, a sense of suspense, an engagement of the viewers to the characters and a tickling excitement towards the climax are missing from the script. The music, background scores never add any value either.
Ashutosh Rana’s character is not well defined. Whereas at times, he sits with his wife and mother looking gullible and wounded, on other occasions, he outsmarts his ruthlessness — he oversees a few bash-ups of Humpty and his friends and gives out repeated, empty threats — by his sadistic entertainment-seeking tendencies. This is not the Ashutosh Rana one may remember from Dushman or Sanghursh. In portraying numerous shades of his characters — they are hilarious as and when they come out — his eventual character comes out to be unpredictable yet inscrutable.
Varun Sharma infuses considerable energy in the character of Humpty but that is limited to lighter scenes. His performance as madly-in-love Humpty who experiences pain and a sensation of urgency because of Kavya’s nearing marriage, leaves much to be desired. For Alia Bhatt, Kavya’s role is like a walk. It’s an extension of her roles in earlier flicks. HSKD wouldn’t be a memorable performance from her.
One may recall the ever-running serial Baalika Vadhu, on the television channel, Colors, and it’s ‘IAS officer Shiv’. Shiv has directly landed from the sets of the sop as Angad in HSKD. If you end up referring Angad as Shiv, that means something, i.e. Siddharth Shukla has not grown out of Shiv.
For the ones who have a flair for detailing, there are a handful of topics that one may be disappointed with. Humpty reaches Delhi with a SRK-style leather jacket, and Kavya points out to him that it’s too hot in Delhi to put on a jacket. A few days later in the movie, the characters are seen grappling with biting-cold of Delhi weather.
The movie opens up a number of threads and leaves them unattended: the fate of the relationship of Kavya’s sister and her father, how Kavya’s father changes his mind, what happens to Angad, and the list goes on.
Having said that, the movie has its saving grace. It comes in the form of hilarious repartees and banters between Alia, Varun and his friends. In one of the scenes, where Kavya’s friend is acknowledging Humpty for his effort for pulling her out from her plight, the friends pitch-in regretfully: mehnat tou hamne bhi kee thee, jhappi tou hamko bhi milni chahiye. The lady reciprocates right away. That’s what Humpty’s friends, Shonty and Poplu, bring in. They are the endearing and believable friends anyone would desire to have.
The tempo of the movie is another aspect where it goes well for it. A short film of about 132 minutes, is initially slow but then picks up and doesn’t bore you in the build up to the climax. As a matter of fact, the movie never seems to develop the urgency in its final 15-odd minutes.
Those who possess a flair for high-end costumes and dances, there is much for them out here.
It’s a leisurely watch. You may go for it if there isn’t anything better to do. The mantra to enjoy HSKD is either to have never watched DDLJ or to have gotten done with its hangover long back.
I would go for a 2.5/5 for the freshness and the laughter it provides, uncooked or half-baked it may be.
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