TENDER RoMCoM LETs you DowN GENTLy

I, M E AUR MAIN

STARRInG: John Abraham, Chitrangda singh, Prachi desai, raima sen, Mini Mathur

DIRECTED BY: Kapil sharma HH hence to no one’s surprise, Anushka (Chitrangda) locks Ishaan (John) out of her home and life. Ishaan doesn’t waste a moment in moving into a new apartment where he begins anew with flirty neighbour Gauri (Prachi desai). this is dangerously thin ice for a desi romcom to tread on. the principal characters do not aspire to any higher ground of existence beyond what they are allotted by writers. director Kapil sharma’s film derives some succour from urbane dialogues that the characters throw at one another at work and in parties. the payback comes in unexpected ways. the way an executive lifestyle and its sterile relationships are kept afloat in the film, are proof of intelligent minds energising this endeavour which strives to titillate but gradually falls into the terrain of torpidity with no hope of a rescue. his character evolves gradually, though, with fatherhood fuelling a sudden change of heart that would have been more convincing had Ishaan’s growth from self-obsession to caring been charted a bit more boldly. d welling in the domain of surfacelevel emotions, I, Me Aur Main tickles our fancy just enough so we do not walk away with a sense of betrayal. television anchor Mini Mathur and raima sen provide colour and character to a script that needed more motivation and a larger sense of responsibility in showing its protagonist go from irresponsible to the committed.

What do you with a selfobsessed guy like Ishaan who shoulders no responsibility except that to his iron-board torso and matinee-idol posturings, who takes everyone from Mom, sis and girlfriend to success, friendship and karma, for granted?

John Abraham plays the kind of narcissist whose life is just waiting to fall apart. It does soon enough, leaving him... well, high and not quite dry.

For much of its economical playingtime, I, Me Aur Main glides along innocuously in an urbane corporatised haze where women are allowed to be successful alongside men, though that success comes with a price.

Indeed the most interesting character to be obtained in this romcom is that of Ishaan’s frosty saree-clad, self-styled diva boss beena (raima sen) who takes over the business and has poor Ishaan by his balls.

It is interesting to see John play a complete jerk, the kind unfortunately girls of a certain age do fall for.

John plays the trashy Ishaan without reservation - you wonder how this self-serving ass will finally get his comeuppance.

John as the commitment-phobic cad skims over the smooth surface unable to nail the character beyond the occasional smirk and the constant gleam in the eye.

John works hard to give character to his amoral character. his mumbling monologue at the end with his newborn is touching.

Chitrangda smoulders with her bridled sex appeal exuding oomph without letting any of it spill over.

Prachi literally plays the girl next door with a warmth that wraps around John like a cosy shawl in winter.

I, Me Aur Main is an inoffensive, tender rom-com about a selfish jerk and the two lovely ladies who come into his life. With an endearing threesome of principal actors who aren’t afraid to play flawed, this film should have left us floored. Instead it just leaves us pleasantly underwhelmed.

S UBHASH K. J HA