HAMARI ADHURI KAHANI
DIRECTOR: Mohit Suri
CAST: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan and Rajkummar Rao
CLASSIFICATION: TBA
RUNNING TIME: 140 minutes
RATING: ***
Mohit Suri has become known as the “soul stirrer” after directing a series of manipulative romance films. His films are remembered for their melodrama and poignant musical scores. These characteristics are hard to find in the director’s latest offering, as his film struggles to break away from old traditions.
Plot: Vasudha (Vidya Balan) is unhappy in her marriage to the aggressive and abusive Hari (Rajkummar Rao).
When Hari absconds for a period of five years, Vasudha is left to raised their son alone. Taking up a job as a florist to make ends meet, Vasudha soon meets hotelier, Aarav (Emraan Hashmi).
As a romance blossoms between Vasudha and Aarav, an unexpected visitor enters to turn things upside down.
Verdict: The bittersweet love angle has been given a gentle touch by Mohit, who reserves his best scenes for the latter half. While there is a whopper of a twist involving the love affair, the central plot does not have too much intensity to offer. This is where “HAK” fails to live up to Suri’s previous movies such as Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villain.
From a technical point of view, there are a series of careless flashbacks and clichés which stifle the execution of the story. There are often formulaic conveniences in the script, giving it a far too familiar touch. While this may work fantastically for the viewer seeking escapism, its not enough to keep the audience’s attention.
Mohit has a talented but underused cast. Vidya’s sensitive performance is often in emotional overdrive, proving to be an overall disappointment. Rajkummar emerges as the star of the film, pulling off his character with the right amount of aggression and endearment. His performance is at times heart-breaking.
Emraan walks his way through his character, leaving much of the performance to his usually charming screen presence.
Recommendation: For romantics, take a box of tissues for the conclusion. Everything else is utterly ineffective.
l Celebrity journalist and media personality, Varshan Sookhun, presents the popular lifestyle show The Midday Spice on Lotus FM, 92.5 to 103.8 FM, Monday to Friday, noon to 3pm. He also presents Bollywood Billboard from 2pm to 5pm on Lotus FM on Saturdays.