Shuddh Desi Romance

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Parineeti Chopra, Vaani Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor

Director: Maneesh Sharma

Producer: Aditya Chopra

Writer: Jaideep Sahni

Music Director: Sachin-Jigar

Plot: Shuddh Desi Romance is the journey of three restless young people who junk the society’s syllabus for finding love and decide to follow their heart.

Raghu (Sushant Singh Rajput), a tourist guide in Jaipur, wants a love in his life, and that’s it. The rest he’s going to figure out along the way.

Gayatri (Parineeti Chopra), a part-time instructor in an English speaking institute, has been around the block a few times and knows the scene, warts and all.

Tara (Vaani Kapoor), who’s dying to get out there and fly, knows what’s right for her, but a little experimenting never hurt anybody, did it?

When their lives crisscross, their beliefs get challenged, and their loves, tested. We all want it all…the love, the attraction, the relationship, the commitment. But when we get it, it may not be in the way we recognise.

From the director of Band Baaja Baaraat and the writer of Chak De! India, comes a very real love story about the hair raising minefield between love, attraction and commitment.

Shuddh Desi Romance: a romantic comedy which tells it like it is; and like it isn’t.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars (Three and Half  Stars)

Star cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Parineeti Chopra, Vaani Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor.

Director: Maneesh Sharma

What’s Good: A heartfelt true take of real contemporary relationships.

What’s Bad: The loose pace in the second half and the repetitive instances are tiresome!

Loo break: May be!

Watch or Not?: Shuddh Desi Romance is not a marvelous film but its earnestness ensures that it has its heart in the right place. There is novelty in the film’s unique take on relationships, that can vouch for delightful passable amusing watch. It isn’t exactly mind blowing or fantastic but offers a relatable portrait of how relationships are.

User Rating:

The film opens with Raghu(Sushant Singh Rajput) suffering from pre-marital jitters. On his way to his wedding venue, Raghu meets Gayatri(Parineeti Chopra), an open minded, free willed, independent woman who lives life on her own terms. An already confused Raghu heavily impressed by her freedom acquires the guts to run away from his own wedding.

A fortnight Later, the two meet and begin dating. Entering into a live-in-relationship, the two decide to get married. On the day of the wedding Gayatri runs out on him, and Raghu is left inconsolable-y confused.

Soon after in a wedding Raghu meets Tara (Vaani Kapoor), the woman he was going to tie the knot with when he met Gayatri. She asks him out initially on a revenge trip but slowly their relationships turns serious. When on the verge of asking her to marry him, Gayatri makes a re-entry in his life! Where does this confusion head for is the fun that the film has in store for us!

Shuddh Desi Romance Review: Script Analysis

The film begins with Shaadi Nahi Hui Glucose Ho Gaya. There are a myriad reasons why the script itself merits applause from you. Jaideep Sahni dishes out a refreshingly intelligent plot that keeps intact its steam for most part. Reminding me obstinately of Julia Roberts’ Runaway Bride in phases, this is undeniably a rare vision in Bollywood. Charmingly vibrant, the beauty of the plot is in its ability of mirror real dilemmas with such simplicity.

I wouldn’t quite call this a romantic comedy but more an amusing take on contemporary romance. The film invests heavily in earnestness which works in its favor, making it unique given Bollywood mainstream stenches of formulaic ideas. Sahni’s prowess glistens in the fact that the film balances fun and warmth in equal measures, conveying a strong message covertly.

There is sweetness in the chemistry between its lead actors which is one of the film’s most emphatic strong points. Luckily Sahani’s character Raghu, Gayatri and Tara are well etched with nice touches to them. All of them are given solid outline unlike the usual caricatures that we find in films.

The comic tinges somehow fit smartly the spirited talks that defy narrow minded thinking which infests mainstream films! The momentum drops in the latter segment as the skittish people at the altar begin to exasperate you finally and the repetitiveness of the plot begins to tire out its vibrance. Nevertheless in the script department, the film is both charming and endearing.

Shuddh Desi Romance Review: Star Performances

Sushant Singh Rajput as Raghu plays the baffled and confused young man weary of marriage with great command. Nothing near the brilliance of his stint in Kai Po Che!, but the actor is truly a good find for the industry.

Parineeti Chopra is gloriously brilliant with a stellar and confident demeanor. She is perhaps the film’s foremost hilt who translates the gusto of the concept.

Vaani Kapoor is a pleasant debutant though she isn’t an overtly powerful actress. The good looks work in her favor but there isn’t too much for her!

Rishi Kapoor, as the agony uncle, exudes humor with grace. His impeccable comic timing and soothing presence helps to heighten the fun quotient.

Shuddh Desi Romance Review: Direction, Editing and Music

Capturing the energy of the young and the restless isn’t an easy job, but director Maneesh Sharma does his job with near infallibility. It’s liberating to watch this film for the mere treatment of its basic concept. Bred on the ideas of happy endings and the regal fanfare of red roses, the director does a good job at hammering on the fact that day-to-day relationships are more about moments of insecurity, fear and lot little about ‘love’ these days.

Swift hitching and swifter breakups are a part of ‘love’ these days and the director’s vision works well in this film. Using good imagery like when Parineeti says ‘Jab dil teesri chauthi baar tootta hai tab dard nahi hota sab sunn ho jaata hai!’, surely rings a bell with the people of this generation. As corny as it may sound, we’ve been there, done that! The director also takes credit for showing lust with credible neatness that it doesn’t seem vulgar or obscene!

However, there is a lot of adorability in the film and that’s enough to ignore a few disparities and breaks in the execution. The editing could have been more taut. And Sachin-Jigar’s music is soulful and vivacious!

Shuddh Desi Romance Review: The Last Word

Shuddh Desi Romance is a welcome change for the cynics amongst us who find typical romances like DDLJ filmy and unreal. The blossoming chemistry of its lead actors is a swell, but mostly this is a film that encapsulates the lives of ordinary people who perennially live in the fear of commitment and yet dare to take the leap for love every time! Call us confused, but atleast we are honest and don’t foster any sham! I am going with a 3.5/5 for this imaginative and luscious feat.

Shuddh Desi Romance Trailer

Shuddh Desi Romance releases on 6th September, 2013.

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