Hamari Adhuri Kahaani falls within the ambit of Mohit Suri’s genre of cinema. It has elements of great music and a pained love story like his contemporary hit films Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villain which won the hearts of fans and critics for its technical and prima facie value, However, Hamari Adhuri Kahaani lacks intensity and the script is flawed in it’s technical execution and editing. In comparison to Mohit Suri’s previous hit films aforementioned, Hamari Adhuri Kahaani falls short as audiences were promised an emotional journey – The only blockbuster aspect of the film or the saving grace is the films spellbinding soulful music which this review will discuss in some detail below.
The Plot of Hamari Adhuri Kahaani – Vasudha (Vidya Balan) is a single mother. After being forced into an arrange marriage with Hari (Rajkummar Rao), Vasudha’s life takes a spin. Hari turns out to be a chauvinistic husband who wants his wife get his name tattooed on her hand to make sure she belongs to him for the next 7 janam (lifetimes). In a brief amount of time after the duo have a child together, Hari takes off to Orrissa and has been missing since then. But we are later told that he works for a terrorist group in Bastar.
Vasudha’s son Saanjh turns 5 without meeting his dad while she is supporting the family by working in a plush hotel as a florist, She meets Aarav Ruparel (Emraan Hashmi), a multi-millionaire hotel owner. After a heavy exchange of dialogues which seem to connect them on an emotional level, Aarav is in love with Vasudha and offers her to work for his hotel in Dubai. Intimidated by the job offer that could better her son’s life Vasudha moves to Dubai and falls in love with Aarav too. Certainly after denial at first, Vasudha is convinced with Aarav’s offer bring her the missing happiness and light however her past catches up with her as Hari is back. The rest of the film What is about Vasudha’s struggle between the past and present. Will Vasudha and Aarav’s Kahani remain Adhuri (incomplete)?
Mohit Suri was not able to recreate the magic of his previous hit films, the screenplay is weak and the script defeats him as it did not allow for there to be any wow factor in the films direction.The only thing that works in Suri’s favour is the film’s music which is already popular enough. The stretched ending is so boring that the only pain you feel is that why can’t it end sooner and I am angry at the editing department for that. Vidya Balan is a strong actress who has broken barriers with her roles of empowerment. I personally felt that she was not comfortable with the role and you begin to feel her disconnection. The character of Vasudha is submissive and that of a woman who simply cries all the time. Her character is powerless and surely can be labelled as the damsel in distress, However in 2015 this surely does not go down well with woman being portrayed as weak and powerless.
Emraan Hashmi is once again limited to being the typical Bhatt hero role and there is nothing extraordinary that you see. His potential is curbed and the only thing that impressed me in this film was his genuine act of crying. His teary-eyed scenes are quite powerfully emoted. He is however limited to the image of a successful businessman who has all the luxuries of life. Rajkummar Rao is wasted in this film. It hurts to seem him in such a minimal role. He tries his best to be the ruthless husband but his character lacks the capability to make him meaner.His acting is worth appreciation. The supporting cast really has nothing to add to this story.
The music of Hamari Adhuri itself scores an 10/10 from me! This is why: The title track of Hamari Adhuri Kahani is one song which immediately impresses you with its heart-melting lyrics and vocals of Arijit Singh. The song has a spell-binding quality as it revels on the theme of love and separation. Arijit succeeds in truly touching your soul with his honest singing. This song has a quality to literally grow on you and I could listen to it on loop. Jeet Ganguly gets touches the right chords and this emotional track is one of the best songs from the album. The encore version is good to listen to but obviously does not live up to the original.
Like Banjaara from Ek Villain made you actually emotional with its lyrical brilliance, Humnava is another song on the same lines that truly enthralls you with its emotional quotient. Papon has sung this song and well, he excels at giving it the right feel. Mithoon yet again shows his quality to come up with sad songs that are completely soulful. The violin piece works just fine for this ballad which captures the true essence of longing in love. Humnava is another gem from the album and it is equally as good as the title track. The track Hasi both versions are beautifully composed and sung exquisitely.
Another romantic track from the album is Yeh Kaisi Jagah. The song wins you over with Deepali Saathe’s vocals. Her voice compliments the soft music of the song. The flute portions in the song are brilliant and blend well with the guitar. The song captures the ‘being in love’ feeling quite aptly and it is surely a heart-warming track from the album. The Hamari Adhuri Kahani album is a a soulful album with five songs that are an absolute delight. The title track and Humnava stand out from the rest of the tracks and will certainly stick for long even after the film loses its buzz. Composers such as Mithoon, Jeet Ganguly, Ami Mishra come together for this album and they do create some magic.
I hoped to travel on an emotional journey as promised by the trailer of this film but I was left disappointed. The script was weak hence the film fell short in terms of its technical execution. The story of a woman being submissive and lost in life should only live in the archives of Indian cinema not in present day Bollywood- The over the top melodrama should also be locked away or remain on Indian Television. Hamari Adhuri Kahaani gets a 5/10 from me which is mostly awarded to the great music and its beautiful and appropriate use in the film. If you loved Aashiqui 2, this may be your type of film. It is not a timeless love story- it belongs in yesteryear cinema.
If you don’t watch the film at least enjoy the music!