4 minute read

Cine Talk Predictable, but lovable

Film: IHateLuvStorys

Cast: Imran Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Samir Soni, Bruna Abdullah, Aamir Ali, Kavin Dave, and Pooja Ghai

Director: Punit Malhotra

You will not hate this love story, a spoof on ace director Karan Johar from his own production house. Hats off to Karan for daring to produce a film that makes fun of his kind of cinema. Samir Soni steps into his shoes with great ease in the film.

Director Punit Malhotra takes a pot shot at everything - designer sets, boy meets girl sagas, actresses singing in chiffon saris in the Alps - that made directors like Karan, Aditya Chopra and Kunal Kohli a name to reckon with in the industry.

In terms of content, nothing is new. But the treatment is fresh, the backdrop is interesting and it’s fun watching the romance brew between the lead pair Simran and Jay on the sets of a movie. Yes, the film is about the making of a love story where Simran works as an art designer and Jay as an assistant to highly successful director Vir Kapoor (Samir), known for his candy floss romantic sagas.

Imran Khan as Jay Dhingra and Sonam Kapoor as Simran fit the bill quite perfectly.

First time director Punit Malhotra proves his mettle by narrating a predictable story in such an interesting manner that you are hooked till the end.

A romantic by heart, Simran is contented with life. She is engaged to banker Raj, played by Sammir Dattani, and loves her job. But her life turns topsy turvy when the weird but funny, bratty but lovable Jay walks into her life as her assistant.

They have nothing in common. While Simran is highly disciplined, organised, professional and takes her work seriously, Jay is laid back and always late on the sets.

Yes, opposites attract here too, and they eventually fall in love.

The first half is pacy and director infuses enough energy in this otherwise predictable love story. But some scenes in the second half drag.

Another flaw in the film is that Imran is given too many dialogues to speak, but then he delivers them with just the right expressions. He suits the role of a spoilt brat perfectly and keeps tickling your funny bone. Especially when he breaks down like a girl while talking to his mum (Anju Mahendru) on phone.

Editing could have been better, but never mind.

In sum, the witty dialogues, on screen chemistry of the lead pair and performances of the supporting cast - Kavin Dave, Bruna Abdullah Aamir Ali and Pooja Ghai - make it a good watch.

Sonam may not have hits in her kitty so far, but this film should change things. In every scene, she complements Imran.

In terms of music, Vishal-Shekhar’s pacy numbers add zing to the narrative and background music adds a nice flavour to this predictable love story.

I Hate Luv Storys proves that one can make good film without lavish sets, foreign locales and mega budgets. In short, a commendable effort by the first time director.

You may not be a great fan of candy floss cinema, but do watch I Hate Luv Storys… it’s refreshing.

Arpana, IANS

Sydney girl in Bollywood

Sydney-born Emma Brown Garrett, who makes her big screen debut with Bengali movie Shukno Lanka, has gone blonde in her Bollywood avatar and even picked up Hindi - all for the love of Indian cinema.

Emma is upbeat about her new projects - the Abhishek Bachchanstarrer Dum Maaro Dum and Dharmendra-Sunny Deol-starrer Yamla Pagla Deewana

“I was discovered first by the Bengali film industry, which has given me a good grounding before venturing into Bollywood,” Emma says. “I had dark hair but I went blonde for both the roles which are typically gaudy,” she adds.

“I speak Hindi in Yamla Pagla Deewana, and Russian and bad English in Dum Maro Dum,” she reveals.

Shukno Lanka is directed by Gaurav Pandey and also stars Sabyasachi Chakraborty and Debashree Roy.

Emma says she was a huge fan of her co-star Mithun even before she met him on the sets of Shukno Lanka

Speaking of how she came to Indian shores, Emma says: “My husband and I decided to come to India to work - we’ve been here for two and a half years now. My husband runs a financial business and I thought I can come to India and try my acting and it worked out. We’ve both been very successful here and we’ve kind of settled in India nicely.”

“I landed my first job only after two weeks of arriving here. I got myself an agent, auditioned for the role and director Gaurav Pandey was very happy”.

“I was a huge Mithunda fan even before I worked on this film. My husband and I would sit and watch Hindi films - I loved Disco Dancer and Hum Paanch,” she added.

So did she take language lessons for Bollywood?

“I have a Punjabi guru in Mumbai who taught me from the very beginning - a mixture of both Urdu and Hindi. I see her from time to time. So I speak a little Hindi. I can read and write Hindi as well, but my conversation gets a little scattered sometimes. I am very good in communicating slowly. I see a lot of Hindi films and I pick the language up from there too. I don’t know that much of Russian though. It was just a matter of learning the script and then I had a voice coach,” syas the actress, who is also open to working in other regional films.

Asked if she knew the meaning of “Yamla Pagla Deewana”, pat comes the reply: “Of course. It means crazy crazy crazy! I’ve done my research.”

Probed more on her Bollywood ventures, she says: “I’m so sorry but I can’t talk much about my characters, as I have signed a confidentiality agreement.” She plays Sunny’s wife in Yamla...

Having studied films and acting and pursued a singing career in Sydney, Emma is now eyeing a Bollywood career.

“I’ve got an opportunity to work with veterans right from my early days here - people like Mithun Chakraborty and Dharemndra ji, who has just completed 50 years in Bollywood. It is so different for me to be involved in these films as I don’t have the history and the background. It’s so new for me to come into the country and experience it from a fresh perspective. But I’m falling in love with Indian cinema every day!”

IANS

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