Kya Love Story Hai Review {1/5} & Review Rating
Post Raj Kapoor's SANGAM, the concept of love triangles have been cycled and recycled over the decades. Debutante director Lovely Singh borrows everything from the shelf and comes up with a fare that has nothing new to say.
Most importantly, if the title happens to be KYA LOVE STORY HAI, there has to be something in this love story to make you jump with joy and also feel that the title was justified. Sadly, that's not the case here!
Two guys love the same girl, add a dash of heart-burn, throw a few comic scenes and plug five/six song and voila, the recipe for a love story is ready. Films like KYA LOVE STORY HAI worked in the 1970s and 1980s, but in today's context, it's completely out of sync.
In a nutshell, KYA LOVE STORY HAI is as obsolete and outdated as last year's newspapers.
KYA LOVE STORY HAI is the story of a carefree and wayward youth, Arjun [Tusshar Kapoor], who experiences love-at-first-sight with Kaajal [Ayesha Takia]. It isn't a typical situation -- he follows her for some time before succeeding in breaking the ice.
For Kaajal, Arjun is a mere acquaintance, but the latter is in love with her and afraid of conveying his feelings. On befriending her, he learns that she lost her mother years back and that her father was busy traveling abroad on business.
A situation arises when Kaajal comes across a letter that Arjun has written for the girl he loves, but she doesn't know to whom he is referring. Arjun deliberately asks her how she would reciprocate his love if she were the girl he was in love with? Kaajal's reply leaves Arjun self-introspecting, making him mysteriously disappear from the scene.
In the meantime, a successful and snooty entrepreneur Ranveer [Karan Hukku] meets Kaajal. Following some heated verbal scuffles with her, he concludes that she would make for an appropriate life-partner because she was a stabilizing influence and kept him mellow.
When Arjun returns to South Africa, during an astonishingly coincidental encounter, he finds Kaajal engaged to the entrepreneur. Destiny has entangled three hearts, but who will emerge victorious?
The problem with KYA LOVE STORY HAI clearly lies in its script. You don't have to be a Nostradamus to predict what's in store next. You actually look for some novel sequence/incident in the narrative, but there's none. Sure, a few sequences are well executed, like the sport on the beach, but the unwanted songs coupled with the cheesy comic track involving Tusshar's sex-maniac friends act as spoilsport.
From the writing point of view, the conflict between the three people is handled in the most routine manner. The viewer knows what twists and turns will follow next since there's no originality whatsoever.
Lovely Singh's direction is mediocre, but the culprit is the screenplay. A thin storyline has been stretched needlessly for no reason. Lovely knows the technicalities right, but one hopes he opts for innovative stuff in his future endeavors.
Pritam's music is a major asset. The Kareena Kapoor track ['It's Rocking'; the film begins with this stylish song] is the best track. The other songs are tuneful as well. Only thing, the placement of songs is a problem. Rajeev Shrivastava's cinematography is attention-grabbing. The stunning locales of Cape Town give the film a glossy look. Dialogues [Niranjan Iyengar] sound natural.
Tusshar's role is akin to the one he portrayed in his debut film MUJHE KUCHH KEHNA HAI. He loves the girl, but can't express his feelings. Despite saddled with a role he has visited in the past, it must be noted that Tusshar is quite likable in his part. The honesty that this character demands is writ large on Tusshar's face and expressions.
Ayesha Takia handles her role with admirable ease. Her infectious smile enlivens the scene. Although the part doesn't demand histrionics, she pitches in a commendable performance. Newcomer Karan Hukku has strong screen presence and carries himself well, but he looks stiff in a few scenes. Also, he needs to work on his dialogue delivery, especially during romantic scenes.
Sujata Kumar [Karan Hukku's mom in the film] is effective. Tusshar's two friends irritate. Kareena Kapoor looks gorgeous in the opening track.
On the whole, KYA LOVE STORY HAI stands on a shaky foundation [poor script] and that is its biggest weakness. Disappointing!
