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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