Monday 29 July 2013

Issaq-Movie Review

Cast: Prateik Babbar, Amyra Dastur, Rajeshwari Sachdev and Ravi Kissen




Shakespeare’s immortal play Romeo and Juliet, which is about star-crossed lovers falling prey to destiny has been fodder for film plots since eons. One of the best adaptations is Mansoor Khan’s Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), where a young Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla play scions of warring families and get united in death in the end. Ishaqzaade (2012) directed by Habib Faisal comes a close second.

Manish Tiwary, in comparison  falls flat in his adaptation. He does get some things right. The Benaras milieu is spot on and so is the fact that certain clans in UP do have small armies at their disposal and carrying guns is a sign of masculinity. The chemistry between the cloistered girl and the brash boy is about right too. Prateik tries hard to be the cool gangsta type who doesn’t know how to react when true love hits him. Amyra Dastur as the impressionable collegian who at first shies like a startled colt in the face of love and slowly lets love ride her.

Rajeshwari Sachdev (the scene when she’s applying haldi to Amyra and her expressions change from vengeful to sympathetic is one of the plus points of the film) and Ravi Kissen, who have their own illicit love story going in the film, up the ante with their impactful performances. But its not a good thing when the supporting cast steals the thunder away from the leads.

The screenplay and editing are downright shoddy. You know the story so you want the lovers to end it all soon. It speaks volumes about a film’s quality when you’re looking forward to the death of lead protagonists.


All-in-all, Issaq is a good idea poorly executed. Shakespeare must be smarting in his grave.

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