Debut director Shashank Khaitan borrows the essence from Aditya Chopra’s all-time classic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge released in 1995 and gives an altogether new spin to Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is similar to the entertainers we loved so much during the 80’s and 90’s using the time-tested template where the boy meets agirl, love blossoms, boy or girl’s strict parent acts as a barricade, but Shashank makes sure to adorn it with splotches of showbiz, light-hearted drama, genuine emotions and of course, melodious songs that linger in your memory. Most importantly, the chemistry between its leading stars Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt- is just captivating In a nutshell, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is a charming youth drama or family entertainer that delivers.
Kavya Pratap Singh enacted by Alia Bhatt, a bubbly, yet go-getting girl from Ambala, decides to make a trip to Delhi for her marriage shopping where she meets a young Delhi fella, Humpty Sharma played by the masala-entertainer Varun Dhawan]. Humpty’s father (Kenny Desai) is the owner of a campus bookstore, where Humpty and his two best friends, Shonty (Gaurav Pandey) and Poplu (Sahil Vaid), have grown up together. Kavya is impossible for Humpty originally, which makes her even more endearing to him. He is not the one to give up so easily. With some help from his two best friends, he finds out all about her and through an interesting turn of events including a ploy to save Kavya’s friend Gurpreet’s marriage, they start growing closer to each other. The more time they spend with each other, their love-hate chit-chat grows, but their chemistry is actual. They are both different, yet very similar as people. Once Kavya’s trip ends, she heads back to Ambala, knowing very well that her father, the very strict, yet loving Mr. Singh (Ashutosh Rana) would never accept her love for Humpty. But even though they both weren’t looking for love, love happened. So Humpty, escorted by his two friends, decides to go get Kavya. That’s the commencement of a journey for him that he wouldn’t have imagined undertaking even in the wildest of his dreams. Does he succeed in his mission?
Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is a archetypal Bollywood romance and ticks all the expected boxes that make a love story work. Shashank Khaitan makes sure the screenwriting combines several amusing and compelling episodes that steer clear of rusty formulas that we are used to watching in films of this genre. Shashank also steers clear of full-scale melodrama, loud and familiar masala and deafening background score, which could’ve oozed in naturally, given the genre of the film. He keeps it subtle, but makes sure the film wins you over. The sequences between Varun and Ashutosh Rana are the highpoint of the film. I’d like to single out the sequence at the railway station – it’s incredible. The ones between Varun and Alia are the soul of the initiative and the chemistry makes it all the more interesting. Shashank gives his lead actors a well-knit, consistent screenplay to peg their acting skills. The film is overflowing with numerous serious episodes, besides decorating the sequences with witty lines. Furthermore, the soundtrack compliments the proceedings delightfully. ‘Samjhawan’ is hugely popular, while ‘Saturday’ has caught on when its video released. The vibrant colors of North India are captured proficiently.
The charming performances pitched in by the principal cast are amazing. In fact, it won’t be mistaken to state that Varun and Alia add strength and solidity to their respective parts. Varun gets the attitude of the character spot-on and pulls up a winning act. He reveals a sharp timing for comedy, but springs a big, big surprise in the emotional ones. In short, he makes you sit up, watch and applaud his act. Alia seems to be making the right career choices. Highway and 2 States specifically proved that she could transcend the glamour quotient and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania validates the fact that she will be the top contender at the awards season next year with as many as three diverse performances getting nominated for the top honours. It’s difficult to take your eyes off Varun and Alia when they’re on screen. Above and beyond, the chemistry between them is crackling. Siddharth Shukla makes a comfortable switch from TV to the big screen. He gets the nuances of his character very well. Ashutosh Rana is top notch, essaying his part with delight. It’s an absolute delight watching him in a challenging role after a hiatus. On the whole, HUMPTY SHARMA KI DULHANIA is a gorgeously written to entertain yet touch your heart at the same time. It’s an 8/10 from us , Sidharth with Ek Villain & now Alia post 2 States & Highway & Varun Dhawan with Main Tera Hero has proved their worth yet again! Karan’s Students of the Year have graduated as Stars of B-town & the audience loves them.